Star-crossed lovers Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton escaped the glare of 1960s Hollywood life for a picturesque, then-unknown fishing village called Puerta Vallarta. Romance lives on the two adjacent casitas that the glamorous celebrity couple built on a cobblestone hillside overlooking the emerald sea. Their Casa Kimberly has been exquisitely renovated and reimagined, and is now open as a nine-suite hotel with a pool, spa, world-class restaurant and tequila bar.

Propreitor Janice Chatterton has kept all the charming elements of Taylor-Burton's dreamy love nest. There is a replica of Venice's Bridge of Sighs, dubbed “Puente Del Amor” (Bridge of Love), that connects the two villas at Casa Kimberly. The Elizabeth Taylor Suite retains the actress's commissioned pink marble, heart-shaped bathtub. The spacious room opens to a private pool and Jacuzzi.

Interiors exude the Mexican Colonial era, with a mix of antiques and modern luxuries. Hand-painted tiles, claw foot tubs, and brick domed ceilings are a few elements that comprise the hotel's distinctive style. Rooms take advantage of magnificent Pacific views in this intimate oasis.

The feeling of escape remains at Casa Kimberly evenwhile Puerta Vallarta grew into a popular destination with the help of Burton and Taylor's romance on its shores.