I'm looking to take an inexpensive beach getaway in mid-November or early December, and due to the slump in Mexican tourism, I am seeing some amazing deals. I have been to Cabo numerous times and I've also been to Cancun (which I could skip), and I'm looking for some place different. I've decided not to consider Acapulco due to the level of drug crime that has specifically afflicted that area. On the plus side, this violence, along with the overall economic downturn, is undoubtedly responsible for the magnitude of the deals I'm seeing. I'm looking at something in the vicinity of 7-10 days.

Flying from either San Diego or LAX, it's a pretty easy flight to the various western Mexico coastal resort areas. And I will either be paying cash money if I can get flights for under $400 round trip, or I'll use 35K of AAdvantage miles via Alaska Airways. I've narrowed my choices down to either Ixtapa or Puerto Vallarta - I've not been to either of these places before, and I am seeing great deals on hotels at both places - In Ixtapa, I can book Las Brisas without meals for $61/night through Jetsetter on any of the dates I'm considering, while for Puerto Vallarta, I'm extremely sure that I can get a 4* resort (either the Westin, Marriott, Sheraton, or Melia) for under $60 per night via Priceline or Hotwire - Hotwire is showing a 4* beach resort for $57 a night on all the dates I've looked at, while people have recently been getting the Westin or Marriott on Sheraton for prices in the high $40s to low $50s per night on Priceline.

I'm a single guy, looking for great beach, snorkeling, great deep sea fishing, good dining, interesting nightlife that doesn't involve binge drinking, and perhaps a bit of culture (but this last point is not critical). Given these criteria, and within the context of the sort of Hotels I can get in either place for $50-65 a night, would you choose Puerto Vallarta, or Ixtapa? The research I've done seems to indicate that the nightlife is better in PV compared to Ixtapa, but everything else is similar between the 2 resorts. Also, if it matters, I don't golf at all and could care less about access to golf.