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As I walked through the front doors of Puerto Vallarta Airport, a burst of warm, tropical air hit me—a relief from the brutal British winter I had been desperately seeking to escape when I arranged a trip to Mexico at the beginning of January. It’s a time of year when the pressure of New Year’s resolutions and the aftermath of the holiday season will leave anyone in need of some rejuvenation. So I figured that a few days by the Pacific Ocean (the cobalt blue waters of Bahía de Banderas, specifically) at Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection would provide some much-needed sun-dappled R&R right in the middle of the chilly season.
I wasn’t disappointed. The hotel is a short drive north of Puerto Vallarta, and upon arrival, I was told that I would be taken directly to my room for check-in. The intention is to create the atmosphere of an intimate, boutique hotel rather than a resort—hence no lobby, and instead of the more formal ‘butler’ assigned at luxury resorts, Susurros guests are assigned a cuate, or ‘buddy.’ (Mine, the charming Ricardo, was readily available via text and phone throughout my stay.)
In English, Susurros del Corazón means “whispers of the heart”—the implication perhaps being you will need quiet and calm to hear the faint murmurs of your own soul. If so, you’ll certainly find that level of peace here. The central focus of the property is a series of tiered infinity pools, all looking out onto the ocean and cascading toward the private beach. Each one has a different mood: there’s an adults-only pool with club music and a swim-up bar; a family pool with toddler-friendly shallow spots; and a pool for quiet relaxation. In the grown-up section, the vibe is relaxed: the majority of the guests I saw sipping cocktails were in their 30s and 40s, most in couples (though there was at least one party made up of multiple families on a group holiday). The resort’s crown jewel, however, is the private beach, with white sand framed by the jungled cliffs of Punta de Mita and with breathtaking views of the uninhabited Marietas Islands in the distance.
You can dine al fresco on the beach, too. At sunset. I did this one evening as the sky turned pink and the sun dipped below the horizon, while I was served multiple courses of perfectly fresh sushi in a Japanese omakase experience. I admit, I fell prey to the romance of it all. The food at Susurros is universally excellent and (sushi experience aside) the menus at the two restaurants elsewhere in the resort are made up of distinctly Mexican classics. The more formal of the two, Casamilpa, is informed by the area’s Indigenous Huichol culinary traditions, offering a Mexican farmhouse concept. I took a cooking class one afternoon and was shown how to prepare guacamole, and grilled fish as the chefs do, pairing seasonal vegetables grown locally with sustainably sourced meat and fish. I was told my tortilla, made from scratch, was the best first attempt they had seen. I can’t tell if this was mere flattery, but given the fact I never cook at home, it was a huge ego boost.
The guest rooms are similarly relaxed and informal. My ground floor, ocean view room was at least 1,000 square feet (or at least that was my rough estimate, given it was over double the size of my apartment) with a king-sized bed, and a large terrace that extended onto a garden terrace. The expansive windows and floor-to-ceiling sliding doors mean every room is filled with natural light; all the better to illuminate the rooms earthy, neutral colors, which make clever use of natural wood and local textiles. The real standouts, however, are the bathrooms, which feature large free-standing soaking tubs, rain showers, twin vanities with automatic motion-sensitive lighting, and a walk-in closet. Even doing my makeup for dinner took on a kind of regal luxury.
Nowhere was this feeling of laid-back opulence more in evidence, though, than the recently opened Onda spa, which offers experiences to satisfy body, mind, and spirit. (The name comes from the Mexican phrase, “Que onda?”, the closest translation in English being simply, “What’s up?”). As well as a sauna and plunge pool, Onda also boasts a calendar of visiting practitioners, ranging from yoga and meditation to local healers. I was lucky enough to enjoy a full body massage treatment, which used botanical-infused sweet almond oil to deeply moisturize and revitalize my skin. It was so relaxing I nearly fell asleep, as well as an early morning “rise and receive” sound bath. Our teacher in the sound bath experience was experienced and enthusiastic. She chanted and sang about the power of women (the one man in the class didn’t seem to mind) and encouraged us to enter the year with a mindset of abundance. Whether it’s fitness, physical therapy, or meditation you’re after, the team here is keen not only to provide you with the opportunity to keep up your usual wellness routine, but to learn new things, too.
As for what I learned? I came to Susurros de Corazon looking for greater clarity of mind—and freedom from the winter blues. What I actually found was so much more. For the time I was there, I felt like I was staying at a second home. When I experienced travel disruption on my return flight, my cuate and the guest services team were on hand to offer help during moments of stress: this was, after all, as important in achieving their promise of true rest and relaxation as any spa treatment. Perhaps it was the breathwork in my sound bath experience or the deep sleep I enjoyed in a king-sized bed by the ocean, but I returned home with a sense of inner peace. A few weeks later, I still haven’t quite shaken it off.
