In June, I spent a week at a condominium in Puerto Vallarta with my family, and I got to thinking that an apartment rental would make excellent honeymoon accommodations for couples who would like a great money-saving deal on lots of space near downtown P.V.

We rented a two-bedroom, two-bath condo with full kitchen, laundry room, dining area, living room (with DVD player and DVDs), internet access and shared pool for $105/night (plus tax). We rented from PVRPV.com (which, frankly, I can't figure out exactly what PVRPV stands for....) and the service couldn't have been more top notch.

We were making a switch from a hotel in P.V. to the condo, and a delightfully friendly PVRPV.com rep picked us up in his car, and drove us to our new, spacious, elegant digs just six blocks from the main oceanfront boardwalk (lined with restaurants, bars and shops). He gave us a couple of free PVRPV T-shirts and refreshing ice-cold bottled water (it's the little things that tickle me). We were shown around the apartment, and told to call if we had any problems.

With 1700 square feet, maid service twice during the week, amazingly chilly air-conditioning units, comfy beds, plenty of closet space, a full fridge to store breakfast and lunch fixings, and a pool that was always empty, we were in heaven! It was so nice to feel "at home" while on vacation. We did laundry, the kids ate their favorite breakfast foods, and my husband and I mixed fun happy-hour drinks every afternoon in our kitchen's blender.

Our particular Puerto Vallarta condo, Casa Antonio del Mar, was up on a hill. We had a HUGE balcony that offered phenomenal views of the entire downtown area and Banderas Bay. On the evenings where we were home at sunset, we enjoyed absolutely glorious vistas of the changing colors. Plus, every night at 9 p.m. my kids watched the fireworks display from the pirate ship (offering dinner and show) docked in the bay. Granted, it was a small, short fireworks display, but we loved the free entertainment!