Finding happiness in luxury with Velas

The Executive Chef of the Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit was waiting for us on a Tuesday afternoon at the restaurant Piaf, a bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc in hand. While the table was artfully set - white tablecloth and napkins, quality glassware and cutlery - the vegetables were not sliced, the meat was not grilled and the chocolate fondant was still resting in its box. The preparation and cooking was left to the five journalists invited to discover the three Velas Hotels in Puerto Vallarta, along with Sophie Raymond, Velas' director of sales for Canada.

"We have been giving cooking classes twice a week for four years," explained Chef Claudio Hotter. "This corresponds to customer demand, but I also like to show what happens behind the scenes."

Behind the scenes, we spent an hour and a half preparing an endive salad with Roquefort cheese and caramelized walnuts, filet mignon in a Mediterranean sauce with mushrooms and confit potatoes, and chocolate fondant. During the meal, Hotter told us about the leaders that inspired it (Bocuse, Régis Lacombe and others), the complexity of the preparation ("There are customers who are kosher, vegan, gluten free, etc ...") and his work at the Grand Velas.

"In every hotel there are strict budgets to meet, but here at the Grand Velas, I have more latitude in this regard compared to other schools where I worked," said Hotter. "I ask and I receive. The owners encourage creativity. I’m trying to convince them to open an Asian restaurant here. "

Hotter commands a brigade of 71 cooks and clerks across the four restaurants of Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit Azul. These include a buffet restaurant featuring five stations (including Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and a grill where one can order a la carte), as well as three gourmet restaurants: Frida, Lucca and Piaf, each offering Mexican, Italian and French cuisine respectively.

Exceptional ratio

Seventy-one people (not counting the 39 staff members in charge of dishes and cleaning) may seem like a lot to prepare the dishes for a little less than 600 people (the Grand Velas features 267 suites). But after all, the institution - a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and awarded five diamonds by AAA network - is positioned within the luxury segment of the travel industry, and is therefore required to maintain a ratio of employees to clients which will ensure a high level of service. Currently at the Grand Velas, that ratio is almost three employees for each guest (there are about 700 employees at the hotel), which exceeds the luxury niche’s generally-accepted standard of two-to-one. This level of service is also felt at the Spa, a 16,500 square feet facility featuring relaxation and hydrotherapy treatment.

"When Eduardo Velas and his brother, Juan, wanted to build a luxury all-inclusive, I said that luxury and all-inclusive were incompatible," said Luis Angarita, general manager of the Velas Vallarta, another hotel in the chain. "I was wrong!"

At Grand Velas, luxury is found not just on the plates and in the service - it is also in the attention to detail. While it was two days before I noticed, my pillows were customized, with my monogram embroidered in gold on one of the pillowcases. At a booth located near the pool, you are asked how many towels you want and at the end of the day, you can return them by leaving them on your beach chair. Speaking of beach chairs, there is no need to get up at dawn to stake your territory under a canopy (the beach shelters are not palapas, but small cloth gazebos) or reserve a prominent place in one of the three levels of pools (each maintained at a different temperature): there are enough chairs and shelters to accommodate all guests.

Needless to say, food service is provided to rooms at all hours, while the rooms are equipped with Nespresso coffee machines and the mini-bar (beer and soft drinks) is restocked daily.

The hotel offers eight different categories of suites, ranging from approximately 1,000 square feet for the "Parlor Suite" to 6,635 square feet for the sumptuous "Grand Presidential Suite Spa.” For the "Master Suite Parlor" package (including flights), the current rates proposed for Canadian travellers float between $2,200 and $3,000 per person, according to the location in the hotel and the view from the room.