HEADING to Puerto Vallarta for some sunshine this winter? Book one of its boutique hotels, where your stay is a worthy vacation experience in itself. These six are unique, intimate and have loads of character.

- Casa Isabel

Fancy a great big studio with full kitchen for only $149 per night in high season? Find this, plus one-bedroom units ($199) and a large two-bedroom/two-bath unit ($329), at the 14-suite Casa Isabel. The adults-only inn is perched in the leafy hills overlooking the old town's red tile roofs and the turquoise Bay of Banderas. Tip: #204 (studio) and #401 (one-bedroom) have the best views.

Owned by a Canadian (who also owns the Madison Avenue Pub and Madison Manor Boutique Hotel in Toronto), Casa Isabel's Mexican-style decor gives you a real sense of place. Suites have thick wooden soundproof doors, polished terracotta tile floors, white coverlets on the king-size beds, and colourfully-painted Mexican sinks in the bathrooms. Homey touches include corn husk dolls lined up high on kitchen cupboards, a wooden rocking horse in the two-bedroom suite, hat stands (complete with sun hats) and a resident cat who's figured out how to use the door stopper to knock on your door. There's air-conditioning, but all units also have huge folding windows that open completely to the glorious views.

A 10-minute walk down cobblestone streets takes you to Los Muertos Beach, where, for no fee, you can plop yourself down in a lounge chair at any number of beach clubs. They have showers and some give you towels too. A five-minute walk the other way leads to the "Romantic Zone" and its restaurants. Or you can just chill by Casa Isabel's three small pools (the infinity pool is our favourite) and enjoy chile relleno and grilled shrimp at its casual rooftop restaurant.

www.casaisabelpv.com

- Quinta Maria Cortez

Say hello to "Ann Rice meets the tropics." This multi-level, vine-covered, stone and brick B&B on the beach oozes atmosphere. After staying here, you'll never want to stay in a plain chain hotel again.

Most of the seven unique suites only have partial walls facing the sea, so they're airy and open. The décor is totally eclectic, but somehow it works beautifully - Greek columns, gilt-framed mirrors, Persian rugs and exposed brick walls meld with antique Mexican furniture, black tile floors and expansive porches filled with potted ferns and palms. We like the 1,200 square foot. Maria suite best. Originally the owner's apartment, it has a king-size canopied bed in the air-conditioned bedroom and peach silk Louis IV chairs in the living room. Added bonus: many suites also have kitchens.

The location is ideal - quiet (in the upscale Conchas Chinas residential neighbourhood), yet only a 15-minute walk or $5 taxi ride into town. Breakfast (included), from French toast to eggs, is served in a breezy dining room overlooking the water. And staff will set up an umbrella and chairs on the small sandy cove for you to read or nap. Nightly winter rates are from $225 to $260.

www.quinta-maria.com

- Casa de Mita

This hideaway is a real gem. Tucked off a dirt road, a 45-minute drive from the airport in the Riviera Nayarit, it would be hard to find if not for the directions emailed in advance by Rocio, concierge for Mexico Boutique Hotels, to which Casa de Mita belongs. Once here, you don't want to leave. Powdery white beach? Check. Fab food? Check. Tasteful surroundings? Check.

The six rooms and two suites are individually decorated; ours had a beachy feel with its pebble-floor rainshower, thatched palapa roof, gauzy curtains and even a gecko that peeked in. But no matter the room, all have ocean views and are exquisite, with arched wooden windows, terraces, whitewashed walls, handcrafted Mexican furniture, big bathrooms with Aveda products, original oil paintings and the most luxurious linens we've ever slept in.

Meals are served outside under the palm trees around a blue-tiled pool overlooking the sea. There are no menus - the talented chef cooks what's fresh. Dinner might start with a crab ravioli appetizer, followed by carrot-and-zucchini soup and then your

choice of entrée. It's so delicious that guests of the neighbouring Four Seasons often prefer to dine here (Casa de Mita accepts a few outside reservations).

Adding to the charm of the place is its casual, barefoot vibe. There's no formal check-in, just an invitation to plop down in a sofa with a mojito while your bags are whisked to your room. There are no room keys. And the owner's well-behaved dogs often pad about looking to be petted. If you feel the need for an outing, the friendly staff will drive you to the surf town of Sayulita or arrange stand-up paddling or snorkel excursions.

All meals, alcohol and airport transfers are included in the rates ($585 to $715 in high season), making this a real deal for a luxury stay.

www.casademita.com

- Hotelito Desconocido

A leader among eco-chic resorts when it opened to rave reviews over a decade ago, Hotelito Desconocido (also a member of Mexico Boutique Hotels) was bought by new owners in late 2007. They shut it down in 2009 for a complete top-to-bottom renovation – it re-opened at the end of 2011.

Hotelito is located about a two-hour drive south of Puerto Vallarta on virgin coastline (transportation is provided). It's built around a lagoon sanctuary listed by UNESCO as a bird paradise aquifer. Expect 27 brand new bungalows built on stilts over the lagoon - some bungalows you have to row a boat to get to.

The resort is even "greener" than before, so there's still no electricity (but a generator will provide power a few hours a day, so you can recharge your electronic gizmos). Outdoor bamboo showers are solar heated, and at night, hundreds of candles will light pathways and the restaurant, which will serve organic food.

What to do? Help the resident biologists preserve endangered turtles and release them to the sea, fish from your bungalow porch (you may find crab or snapper), take a panga ride in the lagoon to see herons, frigate birds and pelicans, go kayaking, indulge in an aromatherapy massage or simply hang out by the new saltwater pool with submerged hammocks. Winter rates start at $580 night.

www.hotelito.com

- Hacienda San Angel

Yes, it's smack-dab in the centre of town - almost touching distance from the city's famous Guadalupe Cathedral. But Hacienda San Angel is an oasis of genteel tranquility. Behind rustic wooden street doors, five colonial-style villas house 20 exquisite suites, connected by lush gardens with trickling fountains.

One is Richard Burton's former abode, which he bought after falling in love with Puerto Vallarta when filming The Night of the Iguana in the mid-'60s. It's now the Celestial Suite. The palapa-covered terrace, with unbeatable views of the cathedral's crown, makes the suite a guest favourite. (But it only has a canopied queen-size bed, so if you want a king bed, ask for a different suite.)

Each suite is different, but all have been lovingly decorated by the owner - with antiques, 19th century art, crystal chandeliers and Persian carpets. Some have romantic outdoor bathtubs. Of course, you get Bulgari amenities and fine Egyptian linens too. Daily complimentary breakfast is served in your suite; at night, the place is lit by hundreds of candles and mariachis serenade at cocktail hour. Throw in three pools and free calls to Canada, and you have another exceptional member of the Mexico Boutique Hotels group. High season rates start at $535 night.

www.haciendasanangel.com

- Imanta

It's pricey. But for $1,400 night (high season), you get unmitigated luxury in an ocean-front casa or bungalow. A whopping 2,500 square feet to spread out in. Private pool. Unparalleled service (dial "zero" for whatever your heart desires). If you really want to splurge, $5,400 per night nets you the 10,000 square foot Casona Jaguar with a 20-metre swimming pool.

Also in the Riviera Nayarit, Imanta is a one-of-a-kind property. Since opening late last year, it's been written up by the likes of Forbes Life and Elite Traveler. Privacy and seclusion reign. There are only eight one-bedroom casas and two three-bedroom casonas, situated on 250 acres of wilderness in the Sierra de Vallejo national biosphere reserve (near Casa de Mita). Each was built from stone cut from the property's large pink granite boulders, and they boast separate living areas, decks and outdoor showers. The five oceanview and oceanfront casas have private infinity pools too (three new jungle casas don't have pools).

Two restaurants tempt your tastebuds when it's time to eat. For lunch, sit with your toes in the sand under a beachfront palapa to dine on freshly caught fish. For dinner, the chef tells you what's available and fresh - maybe lobster with hibiscus mole. Cocktails at sunset? Imanta's Observatorio rooftop bar is billed as "the world's most romantic bar" - sip cayennespiced cucumber margaritas on daybeds while gazing out over the wild jungle and mesmerizing Pacific. www.imantaresorts.com

- Janice Mucalov is the author of Cabo Insider, a new travel app on Cabo San Lucas for iPhones and iPads (www.sutromedia. com/apps/Cabo_Insider). She and George Mucalov are working on a new app on Puerto Vallarta, to be released in 2012.