45 minute wait to check in, zero AC and after 2 days just a trickle, no wi-fi in the room....unless you pay and even then it sucks, run down everything from lights to leaking shkwer, to just poorly maintained stuff everywhere......thus place was red 4 1/2 out of 5 on the Alaska Airlines vacation ratings and at best it's a 2! If low cost and low expectations are what you want......thus us the place. For decent food and drinks and an ok place.....for the money it's spot on. Would u c me back here again.......probably NOT. I'd pay a little more for AC in the room that actually works!! read more

So bad I cried and we left early. Worst experience I've ever had at any hotel and we travel a ton so that's saying something. My husband and I live in PV, we booked the weekend here for a special occasion to hang by the pool and enjoy the beach. I'll start with the basics before getting to my check-out nightmare. Check in is like getting a mortgage. Why does it take so long? Only 2 people on the main floor available to check in (it's not like they can add more, there are only 2 computer stations). We purchased the "royal level" and have a separate check in on the 7th floor, but that is only one person and takes equally as long. This is low season too, I cannot imagine high season. Once we sat down to check in, it took forever, which explains the long wait. Room was ok. Bath gel dispenser was broken and laying on the shower floor when we arrived. Shower head wouldn't stay upright. TV remote didn't work. A/C worked well. No adult pool as advertised. Royal Level private pool had more kids in it than the main pool. Jumping off the sides, throwing balls, absolutely obnoxious. No peace and quiet anywhere on the beach or by the pool. Concierge said "oh I guess we don't have the adult pool anymore.." Annoying policy: you cannot order food outside of the restaurants. No snacks on the beach or by the pool, no appetizers in the bar. Nothing. You have to change out of your beachwear and go to a restaurant. Ok fine, we tried to make a reservation (required) for the Royal Level restaurant. They wouldn't allow us to dine there because my H had on dress shorts and not long pants. It's 100 degrees, men were dining in their jeans which yes, are long pants I guess, but my H's shorts were dressier, and he had a collared shirt and closed shoes. Also, this isn't a fancy place! Not by far! None of the restaurants would let us in, except the buffet, which we weren't interested in since it was a special occasion and we had it for an unremarkable lunch. We watched and listened to a couple order food from the Royal Level restaurant menu (NOT the room service menu) and ask for room service delivery which was granted. Ok fine let's do that since they won't let us in. NOPE. We tried that they refused!! After doing it for another couple! It did seem like the couple who were allowed to do it knew the bartender personally, but would have been an easy compromise. Anyway.. It's now 10pm and we are starving, I'm crying because this day was supposed to be special and it sucked and was a huge waste of money. So since we can't get food in this place we decide to try and salvage our night and go to our favorite restaurant, La Vaca. It's a 25 minute drive and over halfway back to our house, so we decide to just leave the hotel and go home after dinner at La Vaca. We had an abysmal day at this resort and just wanted to go home. There was no reason to stay til morning. I called an Uber and approached the front desk to notify them of the check out and hand in our bracelets. The young woman said "you want to check out? I have to call someone." Umm, ok. So I waited. As she is on the phone she said "you can't check out until tomorrow." LOL k. Her male colleague comes over and says the same thing. "You can't check out until tomorrow." Excuse me, this is not a prison. I spoke to him briefly and he kept arguing so I said you can't keep me here, and walked towards my Uber. He stops me and says you have to check out with the concierge on the 7th floor and file a report about why you're leaving. No! I don't want to talk about this anymore. Plus, the concierge on the 7th floor was SO unhelpful and rude about our "dinner" issues and I really didn't want to talk to her anymore. So I said I'm not interested in filing a report and we get in my Uber. They stop my Uber from leaving and call security!! What the heck? Again with this "you can't leave" nonsense! They wouldn't open the gate to let us out, we were trapped. I started to dial police when the same guy from above said if you sign something, you can go. He produces a form that says I'm leaving due to circumstances beyond my control. I signed it, and I left. Why the drama? Why not produce that form from the moment I wanted to leave? Why keep telling me we HAD to stay until tomorrow? A fitting end to a terrible day. Definitely book a stay here if you want to be told "no you can't do that" to literally everything you want to do after spending $300+ a night. No you can't order food, no you can't dine here, no you can't eat your own food on the beach (since they don't serve any) and then of course, NO YOU CAN'T LEAVE. read more

We stayed here 5 years ago and it was great, this time not so much. They didn't have our reservation from costco travel so we had to pay again and am still waiting to be reimbursed. They didnt have the room I originally requested on the top floor so We got a room right next to the elevator which sucks because the walls are Paper thin so you hear everything. The walls are so thin when the people in the rooms next to ours would open their door we would be scared because it sounded like our door was being opened. They have 3 restaurants that require reservations.. no kids allowed and a dress code for men of collared shirt, pants and shoes- well it feels like 1000 degrees here so i packed no pants.. nice collared shirt, pressed kaki shorts and black flip-flops.. when arriving at our reservation i was turned away for no pants n shoes yet the family in front of me in line had several children, and the man was wearing a raisers jersey n sweats.. he was Mexican and i am not is the only reason i can think of, hate to play the race card but its the first time in my life i felt like that was the reason.. She was having no part in listening what i had to say or any cares to what he was wearing or the other people inside i could see in shorts and tee shirts. I will NEVER come back here.. plenty of other resorts in Nuevo Vallarta read more

Definitely the worst all inclusive resort we stayed in Mexico. First of all, we got room on the 6th floor. Smells of cigarettes. Sheets dirty. Yellow stains all over the floor. We complained and for $40 extra a night, we got suit on the 7th floor which was a bit better, it smelled nicer. Still stains on the floor. Room not clean properly. Next morning, since we where in "royal club", we had separate breakfast, a la card menu. Waited 40 minutes for oat meal and 2 sunny side eggs with peace of ham. I think that 90% of people staying here are with small kids. There is absolutely no peace and quiet anywhere on the beach or around the pool. Seats downstairs, around bar are horribly dirty. Beach towels really old and scruffy. We never even dared to try and eat in a buffet aria. Every glass door and every mirror in the hotel had stains and fingerprints all over. We changed hotel after 2nd night. As I said before, our 9th time in Mexico, always in all inclusive hotels, and this is by far the most dirtiest hotel we ever been to. read more

We just had an awesome vacation this summer in Nuevo Vallarta Occidental Hotel. It is not a big hotel only 3 pools. The food was simply amazing, much better then Riu. We like the Riu too it is bigger and has better night show. That said, other things were included like kayaking and biking and painting far made up for it. The staff was super nice and very attentive. I would go again in a heart beat for these reasons and many more. read more

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I'm not sure where my other review went. ): But I just want to give a huge shoutout to Rene, Carlos, and Francisco(?) at the main bar in the lounge area. They were so fun and catered to our every need! Even if they didn't have garnishes I wanted at the bar, they would say " I don't have it here but I can go find some." With a smile on everytime! Thank you for making our experience so enjoyable and for keeping our drinks full. They remembered what we all were drinking and were very personable with us. You guys are the best! read more

Somewhat disappointed with this place, especially for the amount of money I paid for it. Where do I begin? There was a group of 13 of us and I specifically called to ask if we can please get rooms near each other or at least on the same floor. The front desk receptions said I would have to ask upon arrival at check in. When we got there that was the first thing we asked and they ignored our question multiple times. All of our rooms were spread out on floors 2,3,4,6, and 7. I was not happy about that at all. Next, I walk into my room and notice there is no king size bed, they gave us two full size beds, no bath robes/ slippers, no small towels and I paid an extra $300 for a view and my "view" had a building blocking it. We had many things we wanted to do so I didn't even bother complaining at the moment. We went to eat right after we put our luggage into the rooms. We went to try out the buffet and the food was cold and needed so much flavor. I was not impressed at all. Staff could've been friendlier. The bar by the pool closes at 7 pm and the pool closes at 8 pm. Why can't they extend those hours during summer? It was so hot and humid we just wanted to hang out by the pool. During most of our trip, we spent our time in Puerto Vallarta. I recommend if you plan to party, you stay in PV. This hotel is meant for people who just want to relax and stay at the hotel with their families/ children. Most of our money was spent on taxi rides to and from PV. There's nothing but a row of hotels in this area and in order to eat out and explore the city you need to take a taxi. The only positive thing I would say is that they have an open bar until 1 am and for the most part, they were pretty fun and friendly. I wouldn't stay here again. It was ok, but not worth the money I paid based on the location, food, and service. read more

Almost every employee was super nice and dedicated to us! The Royal Level experience is by far the best we've experienced. Gonzalo and Manuel from the Royal Level Restaurant/Bar were great. They made sure we always had a drink in our hand. We spent hours in the Royal Level bar and they were always in a great mood and happy to serve us. Jessica from the kids club is awesome! Jessica seems to enjoy what she does and her activities are fun and creative, my son loved spending time with her. Gonzalo, Manuel, and Jessica are definitely a great asset to the hotel. read more

Overall a pleasant stay. There were little things that were a slight inconvenience like the shower never being just right (always too hot or too cold). But the room overall was clean and nicely updated. My main reason for an average rating is that the food isn't impressive. Would expect better from a nice resort. Otherwise nice service and beautiful ocean view. Easy access to the beach too. read more

Resort was reasonably priced, clean and modern. Food was good and location was nice. Only suggestion is that the bars should carry snacks. I have stayed in all inclusive resorts in Cancun, Cabo, and Acapulco and this Is the first resort that did not offer snacks at the bar. Think that snacks would of encouraged more people to sit a the bar. We found ourselves heading to The hotel store for snacks. read more

Absolutely amazing experience. The staff treat you like family, very warm and inviting. 1st time doing an all inclusive resort and all ready planning the next time I can come back. read more

Stayed at the resort last week and had a very bad experience. Staff was very slow and did not show any interest in their customers. Basic needs for a customer were not supplied when asked. We needed towels most days and were never given enough for the number of people in the room. Food was horrible and ended up getting a few of my friends very sick. This place sucks and would never recommend it to anyone. read more

The only reason this resort is even getting this many stars is because of the facilities and entertainment staff. The food was disgusting, we made reservations at Tokyo, and I literally vomited the sushi back up, it tasted like cat food. The food on the buffet line tasted like bad Army chow hall food. The worst was the check out staff and concierge. We waited at the concierge desk for 45 minutes to make a spa appointment. Apparently the concierge leaves for lunch and doesn't have anyone sit it for her, and no one can be bothered to tell you where the concierge is. I suggested a sign would have been helpful and could have avoided a lot of frustration. When we checked in we informed the check in staff our bus would not be picking us up until 4 pm, check out is noon. We were told al long as we were out of our room by noon, we could store our bags with the valet and continue to use the facilities at no extra cost. When we were checking out we were told that it would cost us $40, per hour, per person. The manager asked us who told us this, we told her we didn't remember, but It could be easily checked, for whatever reason the manager could not be bothered to check the computer. We will be returning to Mexico but not to The Occidental. We will also be telling all our friends to stay somewhere else. read more

This was a dream vacation for us! Food was amazing! I highly recommend the Japanese new restaurant! 5 stars! Better than the United States restaurants. Service was excellent and the entertainment was awesome! I have two boys and they really enjoyed it! They have a walking distance to a mini mall and a casino. The buffet has great food! We are going again! The rooms are super clean and the customer service is a plus! Around the pool they have a restaurant with snacks! The drinks kept coming around. Thank you for making our vacation time a lifetime full of great memories! read more

Let's start with the good parts, since there's so many. Everyone providing services, were excellent. Place was very clean and well maintained. Beachside and pool service was wonderful. My only complaint is with the concierge services.....every time anyone needed there was a minimum 20 -30 minute wait time to get help. Seriously you can't have more people helped no out? Another complaint has to the do with the reservations, you need two day advance reservations for dinner? Really??? There was a line for everything..... don't know if I'd come back here. read more

HANDS DOWN AN AWESOME AMAZING RESORT! My wife and I have been there twice now and both times have been great! All of the Occidental employees are beyond nice, welcoming, and great to talk to! Michelle at the front desk is THE BEST! She always takes great care of my wife and I. Benjamin, Julio, and Anabel in the bar service were as well just as AMAZING. Not only were they superb service, but great to talk to. We absolutely love coming back each time! We just left on Sunday and we are planning another trip for the summer. The waiters in the buffet are GREAT and welcoming from the moment you walk into eat to the moment you leave. Many get to know you and remember you by name making us feel even more at home. Samuel in the Buffet and his brother Eddie are AWESOME, I wouldn't want anyone else! Yessica was great as well, talking to us and learning about us makes the vacation even more personal and welcoming. Anyone who wouldn't give this place five stars is INSANE. The entertainment is upbeat and fun, the activities personnel keeps the pool alive and rocking! The Buffet has great food all day long, each restaurant is a different experience and the food was AMAZING. All the recent upgrades to the resort is 5 stars as well! The Royal restaurant, pool, and cabanas is where I spent most of my time! Well worth it! The SPA is clean and the staff Guadalupe and Daisy were AMAZING. Daisy gave my wife the massage of a lifetime and the most relaxing facial ever. Guadalupe did an amazing job on my facial and my gel manicure. We were treated like QUEENS! The rooms are spacious, clean and great AC. Almost every room has a view of the ocean! I simply can't put into words how amazing this resort truly is. It was awesome coming back seeing familiar faces to welcome us. I can't wait to come back! read more

My extended family planned a vacation for all of us, ages ranging from 4 - 54 years of age. Something we've done before and will do again, but not here. The vacation started out wonderful, service at check in was organized and helpful the check in attendants and bellboys were organized and welcoming, the lobby was clean and well decorated. We booked through first club so almost immediately we were walked through the resort to the first club building where we then had to check in again. We found the services to be disorganized, and the first club staff to be unprepared for our arrival. We were then left to our own devices (no spoken directions or anything to find our own rooms). The rooms were nice, my family (husband, 4 year old, sister, her 6 year old and 10 year old) sharing a conjoined room with a common area were all very neat, though many of the lights in the common area were burnt out. We found all the beds to be uncomfortably hard, though the kids had no complaints about the pull out couch in the common area.  A lot of the rooms didn't have balconies, and the ones that did had a full view of the balcony below, which ended up with some slightly awkward moments. There was no free wifi in the rooms, the only place it could be used was in the lobby, and even there is was spotty and slow at best. Which was an incredible inconvenience for my husband who owns his own business and needed to check his emails daily.  The three pools on the resort were clean and well kept, the kids all enjoyed the shallow kids pool, though us parents didnt enjoy the horibble 'pool side service'. The poolside/ beachside activities that were put on by the staff were great! The staff that ran the activites were amazing, fun and kind, very easy to get along with. Even if you didnt join the activities, they were incredibly fun to watch.  The 'young adults' of the group (ages 16-30) had no trouble keeping themselves busy durring the day with the activities offered on the resort. Basketball court, tennis court, beach volleyball, waterpolo, ect. Though the seriously lacking night time activities had them all complaining. There was nothing to do in the evening time except to watch a 'show' at the theater, and the only place to drink was a 'lounge' that was part of the lobby. Even the events that the resort had put on in the evenings (the white party) was deserted by 10:30.  There are only three restaraunts on the resort, buffet, italian, and mexican. We weren't told in any of the 'resort information' package that we were given that there was a trousers and closed toe shoes for the men dress code at both the mexican and italian restaraunts. The buffet was medicore at best, with most of the food being edible maybe with a couple of dishes at every meal time being more than edible. There was no room service menu in our room, and when my husband called down for one we were brought one and then informed when ordering that it wasn't included in our 'all inclusive' and it would be an aditional charge..  Honestly I don't think I can complain enough about about the supposed 'first club' the people who work in the first club, and the information package that you recieve made it seem like it was this exclusive, secret, vip type service and all it managed to do was leave a sour taste in everyones mouth. Firstly any time that I personally went into the first club building, the 'concierge' or whatever you want to call him seemed to be put out by my presence, as if me asking him to do his job was an incredible inconveinence. The only thing I had actually attempted to book through him, got messed up. My husband and I wanted to get a couples massage on the beach. I had gotten a confirmation that everything was booked and went happily on my way. The next day when my husband and I showed up for our appointment at the spa, we were informed that we'd been double booked. My parents, Aunt, and Uncle booked an excursion through our first club concierge, only to find that he had booked them on the completely wrong excursion. When they complained, the concierge blamed them and refused a refund, they had to settle for being booked the proper excursion for another day. Another excursion had been ruined because of the first club concierge, my cousins (16 & 18) booked a scuba excursion. Not once did the first club concierge tell them that they needed to take a scuba lesson, tell them what time or location of the scuba lesson. So when the boys showed up for the scuba excursion they were unable to do the excursion. My Aunt had to deal directly with the manager of the first club in order to get a refund for the failed excursion.  In all though my family was happy to spend the week together in paradise this resort left us nothing to be excited about. The main complaints were that there was a lack of communication, no attention to detail, poor food, and no night activities. read more