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Businesses in Puerto Vallarta are lowering prices and rolling out new promotions to lure customers as the summer season winds down and the 2026-27 high season approaches.
September is always a lull for many businesses — it’s the month many close for a few weeks to give employees vacation time and to make repairs and upgrades to their properties.
Businesses tell O&APV they’re trying new approaches to attract customers and encourage travelers to plan their trips to Puerto Vallarta. The Palm and Coco Cabaret, for example, are lowering ticket prices by 100 pesos per ticket.
Costs in Mexico have risen sharply in recent years. A weaker exchange rate means the U.S. dollar buys less than it used to, and the minimum wage has climbed 122% since 2021, from 141.70 pesos to 315.04 pesos, hitting bars and restaurants especially hard. Unlike the United States, Mexico has no separate, lower minimum wage for tipped workers — employers must pay the full minimum wage regardless of tips, which are legally considered a voluntary gratuity. A 2025 reform to the Federal Labor Law reinforced that rule for restaurants, bars and hotels, explicitly barring employers from counting tips as part of the wage.
“The broader picture is that the economy is tough right now, and in a tourist town, low season compounds it,” said Brian Scott Carey, one of the owners of Cheeky Lounge and Cheeky Pool Club, who also manages about 13 rental properties. “The businesses adjusting prices aren’t necessarily the ones in trouble — they’re the ones paying attention.”
Carey said Cheeky Lounge has cut prices on nearly everything throughout September: all house drinks and cocktails are 60 pesos, beer is 40 pesos and wine is 60 pesos.
“For context, our regular prices are already competitive,” he said. “Well drinks are normally 90 pesos, beer is normally 60 pesos and most cocktails run 100 to 120 pesos. So this is a real reduction, and frankly not sustainable long term. We’ll make a judgment call in October about whether to extend it.”
The goal, Carey said, is simple: keep people coming through the door “so we can keep supporting our staff, whose compensation depends largely on tips. A slow September hurts them more than it hurts us.”
Here is a look at several Puerto Vallarta businesses and their plans for finishing out the summer season and heading into the new year, listed in alphabetical order.
The Banana Factory
• Year-round two-for-one deal from opening until 9 p.m., no cover charge, plus rotating drink and food specials
• New weekly events: bingo (Saturdays), Money Ball Karaoke (Mondays), Big A$$ Drink Night (Tuesdays), Drag Comedy Karaoke (Wednesdays)
• Starting in October: a Thursday drag show, Zona Dramática, at 9 p.m., plus theme parties resuming Saturdays with a different theme each week
Burly Bottom Designs
• Holding steady on prices for the high season; leaning on bundle discounts instead, said co-owner Chris Lee
• Save 200 pesos buying two shirts/tanks at once, or up to 600 pesos on four
• Best-value combo: two shirts plus a cum rag for a savings of 350 pesos, effectively pricing the cum rag at 100 pesos
• “Beach Kit”: a 6-foot towel with a tee or tank for 1,900 pesos, a 200-peso savings over buying separately
• “Bathhouse Bundle”: 1,500 pesos for a drawstring bag, a gear pouch and a cum rag, plus a free bottle of leather cleaner or lubricant (normally 300 to 350 pesos on its own)
• More than 430 original designs in stock, about 375 with a matching cum rag design
“It’s basically built for anyone heading out for a night on the town or over to one of the bathhouses, pool parties, cruising bars or dark rooms here in Puerto Vallarta,” Lee said.
Casa Cupula Hotel and Pool Club
• 50% off cover charges for seniors and for Mexican nationals presenting a valid INE ID, Mexico’s national voter identification
• Starting in October: Thrifty Thursday and a Sunday T-Dance, both with live DJs and no cover, 3 to 8 p.m.
• Fridays: Cover is half the normal price
• Big Gay Drag Brunch: $58 (about 1,000 pesos) on the day of the event
Cassandra Shaw Jewelry
• Ran a buy-one, get-one-half-price sale in July and August
• Closed until Oct. 4; will reopen at its regular, consistently low pricing
Cheeky Lounge
• All house drinks and cocktails 60 pesos, beer 40 pesos, wine 60 pesos, through September
• Special events added: Lunes Latino, Musical Martes and a Grito watch party on Sept. 15
Cheeky Pool Club
• Holding its 300-peso daily minimum; says its regular menu is already reasonably priced
• 50% off all drinks when it rains
• Free Wiener Fridays: complimentary hot dogs, noon to 4 p.m., every Friday
• Will host an Independence Day pool party with Bearadise, with a DJ and other entertainment
Coco Cabaret and The Palm
• Both venues cutting ticket prices by 100 pesos each
Cuale Condo Hotel
• Currently offering one-bedroom units for $50 a night
• For the 2026-27 season: one-bedroom units drop from $110 to $100 plus tax per night; two-bedroom units drop from $135 to $125 plus tax per night
• Owner Jacob Scherer says the hotel has had to cut staff hours to offset the lower rates
“We wanted to help make Mexico a little more affordable for our guests,” Scherer said.
Daiquiri Dick’s
• Carrying its lower summer pricing into the new season, said chef and co-owner Wayne Elias
• New, affordably priced Mexi-Cali appetizers section and entrée section
• New late-afternoon happy hour, 4 to 6 p.m., with drink and appetizer specials
• Redesigning its beach setup with new lounges, its signature orange sofas and side tables
• Will offer prosecco, beer, margarita, daiquiri and appetizer packages for daytime beach service
Di Vino Dante
• Hired two new chefs and will unveil a new food and drink menu
• Reopens Sept. 22; brunch starts in October
• Late November: rooftop dining and a new chef at Pizza Joe 2.0
Trovasi Cafe
• Holding pricing steady to maintain ingredient quality, much of it imported from Europe
• 15% discount for its “Friends of Trovasi” program, for local residents
• Free coffee with any breakfast and cookie purchase, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• Two-for-one prosecco spritz hour (with appetizer purchase), 3 to 6 p.m.
• Four-course prix fixe dinner, 495 pesos; add a glass of French red or Italian white wine for 100 pesos
Villa Sevilla
• Lowered booking prices for September
• Book in September for a September, October or November stay: one night free after two nights
• Book five nights or more: an additional 20% off
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