KVI's agent in Vancouver (Abbotsford), Audrey Klaassen, has just returned from a vacation in Mexico. Here's her great review!
Vallarta Palace, Riviera Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta
We just returned from the Vallarta Palace Jan 4, 2011. To begin I should mention that we have stayed at many all inclusives in Mexico and this property would rank as the best for service and facilities by far! Last year we stayed at the Marival which was also very nice but this was definitely a step up! The extra money was worth it. We stayed for 1 week, departing out of Abbotsford, BC airport with a direct flight with Canjet (quick and convenient flight!) Family of 5 (3 boys, ages 15,12,9) When we first drove up to the Vallarta Palace entrance with the taxi we were a bit thrown off by the entrance as it doesn't look very "fancy" but from the minute we stepped out of the taxi and were greeted with cold cloths served on a silver tray and a warm welcome we were convinced that we had picked the right property! Check in was easy and they gave us a nice welcome cocktail while we did the paperwork. We booked into a Master Suite which I would recommend to any families traveling with kids or anyone that needs a separate living area or bedroom. Our room was perfect! Huge King bed (one of the of comfiest we've ever slept on!) spa jetted tub in the master bedroom with a huge shower and vanity area and the adjoining room had a dining room table, pull out sofa and another bathroom with a large shower. The bathroom amenities were top notch with full size bottles of Biosilk shampoos and lotions. Bathrobes, slippers, large white plush towels, in room safe, bar and tv's. We loved the large sliding doors to the French balcony as you could open them up and hear the waves crashing day or night. Great view of the ocean and pools. (Third floor, room 3055/54) Room service was slow but the food would arrive hot and tasty.
The beach was beautiful. Great waves for boogie boarding, body surfing, swimming. The water was a bit chilly for my liking but the boys didn't mind the temp at all and spent tons of time in the water. Beach volleyball court is awesome. You can walk for miles on the beach and the sunsets every night were outstanding. We love the beaches in Puerta Vallarta as the sand is so smooth and the beaches are flat with no rocks to worry about. We've been to the Mayan several times and although the sand is whiter and the water is clearer we have to say that for ocean play and funin Puerta Vallarta is the best!
We received $1500 in resort credits with our booking which could used for spa ($300 limit) upgrades on wines, excursions and photography. We used the spa credit up with booking 2 massages which were excellent. Wines are average to poor in Mexico but we managed to find a red that was tolerable. Highly recommend booking the professional photographers and ordering the pics they take on the beach. Our family pics turned out amazing and it didn't cost us a cent! Excursion are also a great way to use up your credits. We heard from several guests that the Canopy Tour (ziplining) is excellent. We had booked our excursions ahead of time so we didn't use our credits towards this but should have! We booked the Marietas Eco Discovery Tour thru Vallarta Adventures and it was outstanding! We saw about 30 whales during the boat ride to the island! Highlight of our trip for sure.
The only thing I can't rave about at Vallarta Palace would be the food. Let me start by saying that when we go to an all inclusive in Mexico we know not to expect the same quality of food as you would on a cruise....the food in all inclusives are pretty much all the same with a few surprises at the odd A La Carte options. The fresh chips, salsa and guacamole were awesome, fresh pizzas and burgers made to order were also great. The buffets were very average. Breakfasts were usually a home run as you can order your own omelettes which are always a hit. I was not impressed with the A La Carte restaurants as the entrees were not great. My husband and kids lucked out on a couple choices but for the most part the meals were forgettable and the food was average to poor at best. You can always find something you like, but if you are very picky and expect high class gourmet food then Vallarta Palace is not the place for you. As mentioned, we've come to expect this from all inclusives in Mexico and it's not a big enough deal that if affects our trip to a huge extent. The kids are pretty easy to please. The mixed drinks and pina colodas were some of the best we've ever had at a resort so you can always drink your calories! I lived on chips and salsa so I was happy the whole week! Let me clarify that the food is not bad, it's just average. We discovered a great option at the restaurant nearest the beach for lunch was a fresh stir fry where you can pick all your vegetables, meats and pastas and the chef will prepare it for you with the sauces you request.
The bar and restaurant service was excellent! Servers taking your orders at the beach and pool non-stop. We never had to leave our loungers to get a drink. Maid service was sometimes slow but we were never in our room so we didn't notice if they didn't get to our room till late in the day.
New Years Gala was great and the resort went all out with a huge spread of food. Probably the best food we had all week including Lobster. Fireworks at midnight were amazing.
The evening entertainment is cheesy as are all the shows at all inclusives so my teenager (aged 15) was a bit bored some nights as there is not a ton to do once the sun goes down unless you venture into PVR. There is no teens club or disco so come prepared with some games to play in the lounge.
I would highly recommend this property to anyone and personally I think it was one of the nicest resorts on the strip of beach I walked along. It's rated highly on Trip Advisor for a reason so don't hesitate in booking! I'm a travel agent so you can imagine that my standards are fairly high and I don't give out great reviews like this unless the property earns it.
Audrey Klaassen
KVI Travel- Travel Consultant/Interline Specialist
604-850-9491
audreyk@kvi.travel
web: www.kvi.travel
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