The New Unico Riviera Nayarit Fills Gaps in Riviera Nayarit

When AIC Hotel Group selected the Riviera Nayarit for its second Unico Hotel Collection property in Mexico, the brand unintentionally hit a sweet spot.

“In Puerto Vallarta in particular, there are not many adult-only properties,” Lynette Calleros, a travel advisor with The Travel Gals, told TMR during a three-night FAM at the Unico 20˚  N 105˚  W Riviera Nayarit in early December 2025.

Calleros was one of 55 advisors, tour operator partners, and media guests invited to what Ash Tembe, vice president of global field sales for AIC Hotel Group, called an “informal grand celebration” of the resort’s launch. (The property officially opened on Sept. 1, 2025.) Participants had the chance to tour the boutique property, dine around at its three restaurants, and generally experience the laidback yet fun vibe Unico is known for.

“I book a few corporate incentive groups every year and they always want adult-only properties,” Calleros added. “In PVR, there are a few other AO (adults-only) & AI (all-inclusive) options, but they either don’t have this higher-end feel like Unico has or they are not truly AO, as they have a family-side attached so it just has a different vibe.”

With that said, Calleros told TMR the resort’s fun vibe also make it great for adults who though they might not want kids around still want to have fun.

“The floating rings and unicorns in the pool and other blow-up rafts had whimsy and were fun. Having live entertainment at the main pool during the day was also fun along with the casino games in the pool. I also enjoyed the nightly live music in the lobby each evening.”

When you combine all the pieces, the new Unico gives Calleros a new “wonderful option” in Puerto Vallarta and the Riviera Nayarit, she said.

Less Americanized Alternative

There’s another niche that Unico is trying to fill as well, Tembe told TMR. And it’s one that the brand learned about from advisors.

“Nine years ago, we had to come up with a concept,” Tembe said at the opening night of the event.  “We needed a concept, so we brought travel agents into focus groups and came out with all the things you felt were needed in the all-inclusive market,” he said.

The top message they heard again and again?

“We don’t need an Americanized all-inclusive. Our customers want to go to the destination. If they’re in Mexico, they want to eat Mexican food, and they want to try things they’ve never had before.”

The reason the brand includes each properties geographical coordinates in their names is meant to reinforce the brand’s destination focus, Tempe added.

“The product lets you immerse into the coordinates. That’s why we have the coordinates,” he explained.

Tex-Mex Is Out, Modern Mexican Is In

Tembe gave TMR a few examples of how Unico is providing a more immersive experience but said it starts with the cuisine on site.

“It’s not Tex-Mex. This is Mexico with mole. It’s the real deal,” he said, referring to Mexico’s well-known and sophisticated culinary scene.

“There’s a whole gastronomy thing here… the things they do in those restaurants are really cool and hip.”

He told TMR that other all-inclusives don’t want to embrace that level of sophistication because it’s more expensive. “They want to keep it as cheap as possible,” he said. 

Of course, not every client wants real Mexican food.

“That’s probably not our customer,” Tembe said. “Advisors should be sending somebody who wants to have a modern Mexican experience.” Not, he added, Mexico in the old gimmicky way.

Another way in which Unico Riviera Nayarit is less Americanized? You can’t get America beer at the hotel, only national Mexican brands like Corona and Modelo, or local options.

“There’s always that guy who asks, ‘Do they have Bud Light there?’ No… go down the street,” Tembe said, adding that the person looking for the more Americanized product probably isn’t in Unico’s price point anyway.

With some variation by season, room rates start at around $680 per night for an entry-level ocean view king room. A swim-up king, of which there are less than a handful, starts at $733 a night. The most common room category, an ocean front king starts at $820 per night, while the property’s top end option – the One Bed Estancia Suite with an Ocean View (which is not in the system and must be requested) – starts at $1,613 per night.

Décor Helps Create a Sense of Place

The property’s architecture and décor also help tell the destination story, Tembe told TMR.  A boutique property of 141 rooms – significantly smaller than the 448-room Unico Riviera Maya property – Unico Riviera Nayarit has a desert feel to it that’s brightened by the abundance of local art, particularly in the reception area and lobby bar.   

“The art really does a lot,” Tembe said, explaining how many of the pieces – and the stories behind them – resonate with visitors.

During our tour of the property, our guide explained some of the differences in the art styles, all of which are local to the Mexican states of Jalisco and Nayarit. Two gorgeous statues in the lobby bar come directly from the Puerto Vallarta Malecon Boardwalk, a scenic oceanfront walkway filled with sculptures created by two of the area’s most well-known artists.

Each room in the hotel also features local artwork.

Tempe jokingly compared the artwork to the memorabilia you’ll find at a Hard Rock hotel (another brand owned by AIC Hotel Group).

“They’re two very different things, but, in a way, their art is memorabilia and our art is local.”

A Brand Built by Travel Advisors

TMR sat down with Tembe later in the FAM to find out more about going to travel advisors as AIC Hotel Group was building the Unico concept.

“We could get a perspective of our competitors… get their [advisors] points of view on why they sell this or what are the things that they’re selling away from,” he explained.

Hearing directly from the people who are actively selling all-inclusives, he added, gave AIC Hotel Group an advantage when it came time to introduce the new product into the market.