Spending nearly a week at Secrets Vallarta Bay was overall a very pleasant experience, but there are definitely some things that could be improved upon to make this the premium experience they are shooting for. I got to try pretty much all the resort had to offer, and let me lay it all out for ya: Accomodations and check-in: Arriving in Mexico is not for the untrained. Once you are out of customs, there are literally hundreds of people trying to sell you things at all times. If you already made plans, you just need to stick to your guns, plow forward, and say "no gracias" a lot until you get to where you need to go. Unfortunately, this does not end at the resort. The moment you check in, you get pulled into a meeting with someone trying to sell you up on their memberships and vacation packages. You're hitting me up at the wrong time, I just want to start my vacation. Stop this. Once you get your room, you'll love it. This is your refuge for the best air conditioning. The bed is comfortable. The shower and bath area are absolutely wonderful. Plenty of spaces to store your stuff, and likely you have a great view of the ocean and pool area. Hide or store your money and documents. Unfortunately, one of the housekeepers helped themselves to 20 dollars sitting on the dresser one day while we were there. Resort Amenities: The pool area and layout are awesome. We never had an issue finding any chairs, and "seat saving" was not an issue. The poolside grill actually serves great food if you wanna just be a bum in the water all day. The pool area had something happening all day, and the best part, NO CHILDREN. The adult and kids side well barriered. We never saw a child on the Secrets side. Some of our travel mates had a swim out pool for their rooms, and it was hidden behind tropical greenery. We loved this privacy and more chill pool setting when we wanted to hang out. The spa is great, but there was definitely a gotcha here. We had resort credits for the spa through our Costco package. My wife booked a massage, which should have had 40 dollars taken off the price. They refused to honor that credit because the massage took place in a cabana by the beach, not in the spa, which is SHADY AF. This was not said to us in advance. I don't feel like this was legitimate at all, and will seek recompense through Costco. Food: All the restaurants served solid, if not exceptional food. I will review each one of them individually, as they have Yelp listings and this review is already long. They don't allow reservations, which really sucked since we were in such a large group of 13. There was never an occasion where we were all seated together, and everytime we showed up every restaurant acted like it was the first time a large group had every stayed at their resort. Like it was some kind of problem. One of their own making. The buffets were always good, especially breakfast, and the hours were excellent. Dress Code for restaurants: Stupid. Completely and totally stupid. We are in the tropics and it is hot and humid as hell. Long pants should never be required. Embrace the fact people are on vacation and just want a great meal without all the pomp. Let us be casual FFS. Service: All staff were very friendly and ready to do whatever necessary to make your stay better. Some were limited by hotel policies... and we did have the housekeeping money theft issue. In general, outside of the ones trying to upsell you on something, they were excellent. Miscellanous: Everytime I got on an elevator, it was unbearably hot. There is no ventilation. If someone were to ever be stuck on one, it could be a dangerous situation. Every single guest complained about it while riding. There should be some kind of fan or ventilation in these metal boxes. Very questionable to me that most restaurants and entertainment is located in the "Dreams" resort next door, which is not adults only. Because of this, many dinners were disrupted by a screaming or unruly child at one point or another. Would I come back? I would, but it isn't likely. I'd probably try another resort in Puerto Vallarta for the variety. read more

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The "preferred" upgrade wasn't worth the cost. Other than having to leave the main building that's further away to go over to the preferred building where we were staying, There's no special accommodations. Everything available at the preferred snack bar/bar is available at any other café or bars inside of secrets. The top shelf liquors weren't very top shelf and then when they run out of one bottle of a brand the bar never seemed to get stocked back up with that certain type of top shelf liquor. The "carnival" rotating Mediterranean, barbecue buffets seemed to be the best bet. On the other hand, staff was very attentive and helpful. There were no lines or waits at the restaurants, etc. But maybe it was for a reason, the fair at each of the restaurants Bordeaux, capers, Oceana are all standard run-of-the-mill dishes for the type of food they were preparing. French, Italian, seafood. Secrets is a cost-effective vacation resort and that's what we were expecting and received. read more

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We spent four nights over Labor Day weekend at Secrets Vallarta Bay to celebrate our anniversary. As a Hyatt member, I booked a few months in advance and was a little nervous after seeing reviews about the pool being under maintenance over the summer. After a few emails, the hotel reassured me it would be fully operational for our stay-which it was, thankfully! We stayed in a Preferred Club Junior Suite with an ocean view, balcony hot tub, and king bed. Our butler, Alejandro, was fantastic. He was always available either in person or via WhatsApp. Dining highlights: Breakfast buffet at Market Café with plenty of variety. Poolside bites at Barefoot Grill - the nachos and sandwiches were great. Dinner at Oceana with the evening breeze made for a romantic night. We also tried Italian cuisine at Capers and Castaways for tacos. both on the Dreams side. Alejandro got us a reservation for the teppanyaki dinner at Himitsu. It was fun and entertaining, but the food was overly salty. We didn't care too much for the sushi at Gohan, however I really enjoyed the crepes at Sweet Bites and coffee, pastries with fruits at The Bay Cafe. We also joined the Sing and Paint evening activity, which was a blast, and took two day trips outside the resort. Cons: Right after check-in, instead of being guided to the Preferred Club, we were approached by a timeshare salesman. We knew this might happen from past resort experiences, but it was still frustrating and left a sour first impression. We also struggled to find the Preferred Club afterward since no one pointed us to the right direction. The in-room "secret box" had a lock malfunction, which meant it didn't secure properly. We reported it to Alejandro, but it was never fixed during our stay. Despite those cons, we had a wonderful anniversary trip and would happily come back. read more

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12/24 - 12/29/24 Another resort in the books! Came here with my husband's family (6 of us total). My brother in law and his wife had a room next to us and the parents had a room on the top floor. It's an adults only resort, but if you walk across to the other resort kids can be found there and it's way more crowded. Guests staying at Secrets can access the Dreams resort but people on the Dreams side cannot access Secrets. Spent a lot of time eating, drinking and hanging out by the pool. Worked out a couple times before laziness kicked in haha. We went outside only once to explore, but it was so hot that we were all miserable and ended up not leaving the resort until it was the last day. The hotel staff are super friendly and the hotel itself is very clean. read more

I visited Secrets Vallarta Bay for my 50th birthday and the experience was nothing short of amazing! From the beautiful property, to the friendly, hard-working staff and the amazing food and drinks, my stay was exactly what I needed in a getaway. Check-in was a breeze, we were in our room within minutes of arrival. The rooms are tastefully decorated, with the highlight being the beautiful ocean view. The mini fridge is stocked with water, juice, beer and an assortment of sodas. Room service is available 24 hours a day. There are many restaurants to choose from on site or next door at the Dreams property. I think I dined in four different restaurants during my stay and everything I had was absolutely amazing! Hands down, this was the best resort food I've ever had. The service was always impeccable even in the buffet areas. On my last morning, I was in the buffet making my breakfast plate and when my server spotted me, he took my plate and led me to find my selections and then carried the plate to the table for me. This kind of service far exceeded my expectations. While I was only there for 3 days, my experience set the bar extremely high and I plan to return as soon as possible for a longer stay. I highly recommend Secrets Vallarta Bay. read more

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Secrets Vallarta Bay Puerto Vallarta is an adult only resort with plenty of food and dining options. It's better and more upscale than Dreams next door. It has a very large fitness center, which Dreams do not have. Their Sushi restaurant is definitely a favorite among the guests in marketplace center! Sunset view from the room is beautiful here at Secrets Vallarta Bay! read more

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I am so glad we went back to this resort for our vacation last month. I was very pleased with it last year, and since it is so close to the melacon and downtown PVR, it was a great destination for us to visit again. Arriving from the airport was easy as we grabbed a shuttle and made our way to the resport. Upon arriving, we were greeted quickly and our bags were taken and secured before getting our room. Since we were a bit early, we had to wait for a room, but it was okay because we took a trip to Walmart to pick up some necessities for the week. By the time we got back, our room was ready and our butler, Jose, came to help us and make sure we were all set up. The week was relaxing and we had everything we needed. The food was great and the drinks were better! I had a great time relaxing by the pool most days and we found some time to take a few trips to explore other areas within driving distance. This trip, we had great service from Humberto in the Market Cafe, he remembered us every morning and made sure I always had my mimosa ready with brunch. I will miss him. I think we did all that we could do during this trip, so I am not when we will be back, but I do know that if we do end up back in PVR, this resort will be our spot. read more

Yes, it was one of the best vacation I've ever had. I think because it was adults only I love kids, but I also like being able to get in the hot tub. They had the shrimp balls that were amazing and smoothies . Bubble pool party was so much fun read more

The staff was amazing and the food was also great. Only caveat were the room furnishings. There are no dresser drawers to put your clothes in. We had to live out of our suitcases for a week. Oh, and not all the staff spoke English, communication was difficult. read more

Had a wonderful time! Great drinks, entertainment and food. Service was exceptional. Loved the French restaurant. During our stay the main pool was under construction. Though it was dusty and noisy, the entertainment team did not disappoint. They were lead by Armando who was always enthusiastic and engaging. The water aerobics lead by Armando was awesome! read more

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Between the "garbage" liquor, the disappointing food, and the aggressive sales environment, we would not recommend this resort. There are much better options in Puerto Vallarta that actually value their guests. read more

We just got back from Christmas at Secrets and had the most amazing time. Jose took care of all of our room needs and reservations and made the experience super seamless. Carlos and Daniel always took care of us by the pool. Everyone was very welcoming and accommodating. We would definitely like to come back read more

Secrets Vallarta Bay - Daily view from the pool - Hotels Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

This is a beautiful hotel with exceptional views. However there were some drawbacks to staying here that I'll address and reason for the 3 stars. Service was good. Every waiter was attentive and nice. The maid completely skipped coming to our room one day even though we were gone all day. Then, we had room service plates laying outside for two days before they came to pick it up. Also, at check in they PUSH for those timeshares except they're sneaky about it. They claimed since we purchased our hotel through Costco that they were giving us a discount and therefore they were trying to get us good deals on cabanas, dining and spa services. It put a damper on the mood for everyone. Brings down the value of this place and is completely unnecessary. I expect more from a Hyatt resort. Food was at best decent. There was no chips and salsa at the poolside restaurant or at least they didn't provide it to us and the food was below average. The only good restaurant that was great was the French one (which they require men to wear pants in unbelievable hot weather) and the crepe shop. Everything else is average or below average. Another issue is that they do not provide straws. Being pregnant and not being able to slurp my icy cold drinks was such a pain. Not sure why they don't offer straws but such an inconvenience and I've never experienced at any other resort. I also don't like drinking straight from the glass in resorts so it was just annoying. Pools were nice and servers were attentive. Plenty of activities to do poolside. Would I go again? Maybe if they stopped pushing those timeshares on people and got a way better selection of foods. read more

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3.5 stars - I have a lot of opinions about this resort so I'll write a short summary for each aspect and hopefully it can help other travelers decide whether you want to spend time here or not! The Pros: LOCATION: Around 15 minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from downtown PV. Ubers and taxis were very efficient and inexpensive. We liked having the option of leaving the resort to explore the town and nightlife. FOOD: Most of the restaurants we ate at were pretty good. We especially enjoyed dinner at Bordeaux (we went twice!) and Capers (on the Dreams side). Breakfast buffets at both Carnival and Market Cafe were good. Barefoot Grill by the pool had pizza, burgers, tacos, gyros, and DIY nachos which we loved. We ate at Oceana for lunch which had a good selection of seafood. We had Tamarindo for dinner on our first night and thought it was alright. The sushi bar was also just okay, as we expected. My boyfriend enjoyed the ice cream shop where you can also get sweet or savory crepes. DRINKS: The coffee at Coco Bar at both Secrets and Dreams were amazing. Probably some of the best coffee I've had at an all-inclusive resort! They have a variety of options from daily specials, lots of flavors, and even frozen coffees. They provide unlimited bottled water which was nice. The best cocktails we had were the palomas, virgin pina colada, mango shots, and caipirinha. The Cons: FOOD: I'd probably skip lunch at Market Cafe. We went for lunch on our first day and there was barely any food and didn't look appetizing at all. Aside from that, if you want to eat at the Teppanyaki tables for a cooking show, you have to make reservations between 9-10am daily (we didn't know this, and weren't able to eat there). We also found that there were some restaurants that were closed on Tuesday and there are times where nothing is open (between 11:30am-12pm). The ice cream shop was randomly closed during a time when they should've been open. DRINKS: Alcoholic drinks (shots + some cocktails) tasted watered down. Not surprising, but wish they were a bit stronger! Pool bar closes pretty early around 7pm and so do the pools themselves. ACTIVITIES: You can download the Hyatt Inclusive app and it shows you all the activities they have during the day. However, a lot of the activities during our stay were either late or cancelled (kayak and paddleboard tour). They had pickleball scheduled for 9am but there was no equipment until 9:30 after we reminded the employees. No bocce ball tournament on the beach even though it was scheduled on the app. Nighttime activities/shows were almost non-existent except for a Casino Night that only lasted an hour. Every other night there was just a live singer/band in the lobby. We ended up going out to town two nights since there wasn't really anything to do at the resort. MISC: Note that Secrets and Dreams resorts are connected and Dreams is NOT adults only. When you check in, they'll offer you coupons and discounts in exchange for a 1.5 hour breakfast the next morning. We opted out of this because we read prior reviews that they will just try to sell you a timeshare. Overall, we definitely had a nice and relaxing vacation, but I'm not sure that I would recommend Secrets Vallarta Bay to others - I think there are better resorts in the area and or if you want to stay out a little further from town. read more

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I've been to a other Secrets Resorts and loved them! However, this resort is more in line with the RIU, rather than Hyatt. The only reason I'm giving this resort 2 stars instead of 1 is because the food and drinks were good at each place we went. The rooms are nice, I'll give them that. It's nice to have every room with an ocean view, walk-in shower, balcony, and large bath area. The service is strange though... morning service is done around 11 I think, because we went to and came back from breakfast everyday, and never found our room to be made up afterward. Turn down service was done sometimes, but not everyday, and very early too, like around 4 or 5, which is also strange. We never found the floor to be cleaned, it always had sand on it, even after I asked them to please sweep for us. Restaurant service was excellent! We were always tended to often and quickly. All of our needs and requests were met quickly, and all of the time while dining in the restaurants. The breakfast buffet is by far their best service. All of the food we had while dining was prepared well, with plenty of variety. My only complaint to them was some of the classier restaurants had very small portions, but you as a side note, remember, you can always order more than one of anything. By far, my biggest complaint is constantly being harassed by sales people while staying here. We were solicited 4 separate times by a Hyatt representative in an attempt to get us to attend their time share presentation. We were solicited several times by their spa reps anytime we walked by and so much as looked at them. And then, God forbid you want to go to the beach, or anywhere near the edge of the beach, you will be solicited every 30 seconds by a different Mexican local to purchase their knock off goods. Unlike other resorts I've been to, the resorts in PV don't seem to own or have any control over their section of the beach in front of the resort. As such, from 8am to dusk, there are no less than 15 local vendors patrolling the front of the property, weaving in and out of the beach umbrellas and chairs, selling sunglasses, blankets, excursions, massages, toys, horseback rides...you name it! You would think that once you say no, they leave you alone, but NOPE! They will come ask you over and over and over, whether you're napping, enjoying a book, or talking to someone else, they don't care. And if you ignore them, they will get rude with you to elicit a response. We were so sick of being harassed, we just stopped going to or near the beach, and would only go out to swim, and then hurry back into the resort to get away from them. This, alone, would prevent me from ever returning to this resort, or any other in the PV area. I go on vacation to adventure and relax, not to be constantly harassed to purchased scams and junk. A quick comment about the PV beaches. The beach chairs and umbrellas are very nice. The sand in PV, if you're wondering, is very coarse, and very rocky once you enter the water, it tears your feet up pretty good, if you're not at swimming depth. This is NOT the same as the soft Cancun beaches. Inside the resort, there's only one pool you can actually swim in. The bar pool is so dirty and nasty, it was just gross, and the other pools are only ankle deep. While outside, there are entertainment activities, but not nearly as up to par with other Secrets resorts we've been to. The entertainment staff aren't very lively, and have the music up so loud, you'll feel like you're at a club, rather than a relaxing resort. Most Secrets resorts are generally for couples who want to enjoy a romantic getaway and have some fun. However, make no mistake, this is a party resort. We saw very few couples, mostly large loud groups that were there for corporate gatherings, a wedding, or groups of friends. In addition to that, Secrets Vallarta Bay, which is adults only, is attached directly to a Hyatt Dreams Resort, which is family friendly. Thought you would get away from the kids? Not here; and mostly because majority of the restaurants are on the Dreams side; there's only 2 on the Secrets side. They do allow you to go between the resorts and use all facilities, and the kids are restricted to Dreams side, but you will still have them on the beach, and hear them screaming around their pools, just on the other side of a wall between yours. All in all, I would like to give them a higher rating because of the restaurant service and food, but all of the bad stuff was just so overwhelming, we really felt more like we were at a budget RIU Resort, rather than a Hyatt resort. This resort is in need of new management, and they really need to do something to form a cooperative with the other resorts and PV town to restrict the solicitors on the beach. read more

I stayed at Secrets Vallarta Bay Puerto Vallarta end of June through beginning of August 2025 along with my husband and our 2 adult children to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday. We had two rooms. We used Hyatt Guest of Honor certificates on both rooms, which should have given us Globalist benefits, room upgrades, etc . We were supposedly "upgraded" to the Preferred Club, however, the supposed "upgrade" put my husband and me directly beside the very noisy, unattractive view of the pool construction that we were never informed about before our stay. To say that this noise was incessant is an understatement. In our room, at the other pool and at the beach, there was no escaping the constant construction beeping, jackhammering, etc. So we basically wasted our Guest of Honor certificates. They didn't have a room with two separate beds available in the Preferred Club building for our adult kids, so they put them in the non-preferred building but assured us they would still receive Preferred Club and Guest of Honor benefits, however, they did not. They did not receive the room upgrade nor any other benefits and had to request things several times before they would deliver them to the room. Not to mention that our "upgraded room" was one of the worst in the resort due to the construction. We spoke to the manager, Norma, in person at the resort about our disappointment and she offered to refund 25k points to us and see about returning our Guest of Honor certificates. I would have expected a much more generous offer due to the situation, but it was my husband's 50th birthday and I didn't want to tarnish an already disappointing trip with more negativity, so I just accepted her offer so we didn't have to discuss it in front of my husband on his actual birthday anymore. I was told it could take as much as 7-10 business days for the points to post and to confirm if the Guest of Honor certificates could be returned to our account. This discussion happened on August 3rd in person with Norma at the resort. It is now August 25th, (16th business day), and I have followed up with the resort and with Hyatt about 8 times with no resolution. I delayed writing this review to give both Secrets Vallarta Bay and Hyatt ample time to correct this situation, but they have done nothing more than waste more of my time trying to follow up on this. When we booked a couple months ago, the reviews looked great, so we didn't look at the reviews any more between when we booked and when we arrived. Had we looked again, we would have seen that they began unannounced pool construction in the meantime and many other guests were complaining about the pool construction noise. We should not have to rely on other guests to inform us about ongoing disruptive construction at the resort! Do yourself a favor and look through the recent reviews from the past month or two and note that the hotel has replied to the complaints and said that they are working on communicating the notice about the pool construction to guests at the time of booking, but they have been saying this for weeks or months now and still NOTHING is being done to inform guests about the construction or that the pool will be unavailable during their stay before they book or before they arrive so they can make an informed decision on whether they want to stay at this resort or not! I feel like we paid a premium to stay on this side of the resort (the Secrets adults- only side) as opposed to the Dreams side of the resort to experience the quieter more relaxing vibe, but it was much quieter on the Dreams side of the resort, even with all the kids over there! Then on top of that premium, we used our Guest of Honor certificates in hopes of really making this stay special for my husband's 50th birthday, but that was a complete waste of the certificates as our room "upgrade" was more of a "downgrade". Our adult kids who ended up in the non-preferred club building had a quieter room than we did in our supposed "upgraded" room. We have stayed at many other Secrets and Dreams resorts plus many other luxury resorts and never had this poor of an experience. We also stayed at Fairmont Mayakoba while it was under construction and it was clearly stated before we booked, many times during the booking process, and many reminders before our arrival about the construction, and they did a MUCH better job of hiding the construction...in fact, we barely noticed it at the Fairmont! At Secrets Vallarta Bay, we could not escape the noise anywhere...it was incessant at the other pool, on the beach (i will try to post the video with sound if this site will allow it - posting this review on multiple sites) and even in our room with the door shut, since all of these areas are directly adjacent to the construction. And our "upgraded" balcony view was directly looking into the construction zone. :( No space left to upload the remainder of this review and no videos allowed for proof. :( read more

Came to Secrets for a short 3 night get away with my wife. Left the kids at home for a nice all inclusive vacation to Secrets. It is located close enough to the airport that an uber was only about $15 each way. Much cheaper than the shuttle that they try to overcharge you for. The resort was nice enough, and we were given a nice room on an upper floor with a view of the ocean. The best restaurant by far was Bordeaux, the french restaurant. The others were all fairly average. Oh, the crepe place with ice cream was also legit. That was the best! I enjoyed breakfast at the buffet, and the omelet station was excellent! Why 3 stars? Well, there are 4 main issues that stand out. 1) The room that we were given had no hot water. It was all luke warm water. I'm not being overly sensitive here. It honestly took about 10 phone calls and finally having to go to the front desk over 3 days to get attention for this issue. People would come by and see that there wasn't hot water, but then there was no follow up. The solution by the 3rd day was that the manager gave us a pass to use the spa service to take a shower. Although that was nice, it didn't make up for 3 nights of cold showers! Nothing further was done to rectify. We were offered a new room, but that was on the last night, and not worth moving. 2) The restaurants were not too good. Outside of Bordeaux, the crepe place, and the breakfast buffet, the others were a bit disappointing. Nothing special. The sushi was exceptionally bad. 3) Drinks are all ok, but fairly inconsistent. Sometimes they have certain alcohols, and other times they do not. sometimes you can get an Irish coffee after dinner, but sometimes you can not. 4) The pools were all really cold in February. Too cold to go in. Even the hot tubs were not hot at all. The hot tubs were also quite dirty, so not sure what is going on with all that. All in all, i'd probably return, but really go down to the front desk immediately if there is no hot water in the rooms! Most likely, i'd try a different resort though..... read more

This is just an average adults-only all-inclusive...at best!! It's very loud at all pools all day then at 4-5 all music is shut off and it gets quiet. The staff is good, food average, menu lacking seafood(and the resort is oceanfront). Things are very very quiet by 7pm. Average age 60+ The pools are the dirtiest pools I've been in! We travel and are in pool bars in the US and Mexico and these are nasty! Not very fun...we won't go back. I don't need a spring break atmosphere but more than a nursing home!! Beaches are bad...go to gulf side! read more

Secrets Vallarta Bay - Christmas in the Lobby - Hotels Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

Visit Puerto Vallarta for the first time to celebrate a birthday. I had high hopes for Secrets (since they are owned by Hyatt), but heavily fell short. ____________ Rooms/Check In Upon check in, I had booked the Junior Suite Ocean View King. They mentioned a paid upgrade to a private pool room, but I declined at the time. For ~$500 a night, the original Junior Suite Ocean View King was a bit of a let down. Weird smell to the room. Room felt a bit outdated, and wasn't very clean. I decided to go back downstairs to upgrade to the room with private pool. Not sure what the upgraded room was called, but it was on the 1st floor. Lobby is on the 3rd floor. Unfortunately, there was an even worse smell like mildew in this room. Not sure if all rooms here smell like this... Again, room wasn't very clean. The pool is shared with about 4-5 other rooms on the first floor. There is not much privacy blocking the adjacent room next to you. The other issue we had with this room (which pushed it over the top) were that the lights for the pool didn't work . We noticed this in the evening when we tried to take a dip, but noticed 3-4 rooms lights did not work. Only one room on the end had lights. Around 9PM, I called the front desk to check it out. 30 minutes passed, and nothing happened. I called again and another person picked up and said they would send someone immediately. After 15 minutes, still nothing. I ended up going to the front desk and talking to someone in person. Again, they said they would send someone. Around this time, somebody had come to my room and "checked" the pool lights. Supposedly they said there were no issues when clearly the pool lights did not work. I had once again, went to the front desk and let them know nothing had changed. They said maintenance would guarantee the fix by the next day. Lights did not work until the night we left...All in all, terrible first night with this back and forth. Without the pool lights, you can definitely mis-step and hurt yourself. Another instance on the second night...we were woken up from the heat of the room. For some reason the AC wasn't working. I called the front desk and they said it sometimes happens and to just use the ceiling fan...I was appalled. On checkout, talked to a supervisor. He mentioned it was a planned maintenance and affected entire hotel...so that rubbed me the wrong way since the staff at night didn't mention it and if it was planned, it should have been made aware to everyone. The other odd thing, front desk forgot to charge me for the nights at check in. They had called my room later that day saying to stop by when I had a chance to pay for the room. This was a red flag to show how unorganized they are. ____________ Food I had pretty low expectations. A friend had stayed recently and mentioned the food wasn't that good, so I really wasn't expecting much at all. Barefoot grill: Food spot by the pool. We had a burger and a hot dog. We stumbled here after some time at the pool and drinks, so the food was quite good. Staff was friendly here. I requested them to make a double double for me. We brought it back to our room to grub on. Bordeaux: french cuisine. First meal for dinner. Food here was surprisingly good. Escargot was good (could be hotter). Foie gras was tasty as well. I ordered the lamb shank and the portion and flavor was great. Dessert was not good. Carnival: since we stayed on the first floor. Carnival was our go-to for breakfast eats. I enjoyed the omelet station, quesadillas, fruits, and pastries. Staff is friendly here. Oceana: worst meal. We were lured to go to Oceana by the staff working by the pool earlier in the day. They mentioned they would prepare a nice birthday dinner, and the only caveat would be that I would need to buy a bottle of wine. I thought it was odd for an all-inclusive to need to pay for something, but I went along with it. Put down a reservation time and also signed a paper. We ended up going a bit later, so we missed the sunset, but still, not a bad view. Staff immediately gives you an iPad to pick out a bottle of wine. The prices are maybe 10x more expensive than what they are worth. Ended up spending $70 (lower end) for a bottle for a pretty crappy wine. Lobster bisque was the only thing good. Protein was inedible, cooked terribly. One of the proteins was supposed to be medium rare, came out rare and rubbery. Another protein came out rubbery. Desserts were inedible. I would highly recommend avoiding spending any money at restaurants as they try to weasel as much money out of you. The Bay Cafe: Only one person working when I went, but if no one's waiting, a good spot to grab your caffeine needs. Tamarindo: Mexican spot. We ended up waiting close to an hour until we were sat. Staff was friendly and accommodated steak tacos for me when it wasn't on the menu. Guac is good here too. Food comes out slow. Avoid desserts at all restaurants. ____ Not sure I will be back at Secrets. read more

Visited the resort for part of my stay in PV, and really enjoyed it. The resort is beautiful, I particularly liked the pool area and lobby lounge (view was amazing from here). The service at the resort is top notch, makes me want to only stay at secrets or dreams resorts now. We had trouble finding a good place for the pool area, and the staff was kind enough to bring chairs over to the spot we wanted and extra umbrellas when we requested it. The drinks were delicious and strong, the food was good but not as good as food off the resort, room for improvement there. Overall I would definitely be happy to return to this resort again if I'm ever in PV. Excited to try out other secrets/dreams locations in the future. read more

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As Impressionist members of UVC, who recently upgraded because we were told it would mean the top of the top service, we've stayed at several Secrets and Dreams hotels in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Colombia. We wanted to bring our extended family (12 people) to enjoy what we hoped would be the kind of experience we've come to expect. Previously, we'd always been impressed and very satisfied with the attention and hospitality of the Mexican staff--always willing to go above and beyond for guests and being very attentive. Unfortunately, this was not the case during our stay at Secreta Vallarta Bay. It felt like the staff were more focused on saying "no" to everything we requested -- from salsa and getting the amenities that the membership is supposed to include. From the minute we checked in, the amenities from our so called "upgraded" membership were no where to be found. The staff at VIP services were unhelpful and uninterested. We'd been told we would have access to the cabanas in the beach and the pool a butler who would support with anything we needed. However, when we arrived we were first told there was not enough staff available for us to have the butler, then it was because we weren't in the preferred suite, and then it was because they "don't participate" in those amenities of the membership. When we tried to make a reservation at the teppanyaki grill, it felt like pulling teeth. Every person we asked said it was IMPOSSIBLE to have a table for 12 at the teppanyaki. Eventually, we were able to speak to someone who got us the reservation at 10pm and we saw that the teppanyaki tables are actually for 12 people -- so we are unsure what the problem was there. Breakfast every day at the Market was a nightmare when we asked to be seated together. It felt as if they were intentionally trying to make things difficult, and since we live in different countries, all we wanted was to spend time together. For our final breakfast the hostess, Jacqueline, was very inflexible and rude when we asked for a table together -- which we'd had to fight for everyday and made us sit separately. However, our waiter at breakfast Adrián was wonderful and so kind - always smiling and trying his best to help us. At lunch in the same restaurant, the Market, the captain Sigifredo and the waiters César and Benito had no problem seating us as a group of twelve and were very kind. Glen at the Mediterranean restaurant was also very kind and attentive -- offering to get us whatever we needed and helping us get a table as well. At the pool, our waiter Daniel was the best! And on the beach, Junior was also very kind. Overall, the experience was a letdown from the beginning, and we began to call it the trip of "no". After paying (A LOT) for the upgraded membership, we were expecting a lot more than what we received. We definitely do not recommend this hotel or this membership. read more

We enjoyed our week-long vacation at Secrets Vallarta Bay earlier this year. Although it wasn't the nicest resort we've visited in Mexico, we nonetheless had a pleasant experience. The staff at Secrets was friendly and welcoming. Our room was comfortable and nicely furnished. We upgraded to a suite in one of the private towers with a balcony and a private hot tub. Our building had a small buffet at the entry and a private bar. We also had a fantastic butler at our service who helped us during the stay. The pool areas and grounds were generally clean and well-maintained. The beach area was small and not especially nice. The lounge chairs were weathered and worn out. On the beach, we were frequently bothered by solicitors selling items, which was annoying, especially when trying to relax. In the evenings, Secrets often hosted parties with loud music until after 11 pm, which was disruptive and made getting to bed difficult. If you didn't attend one of the parties, there was no other nightlife at the resort. We ate at most of the restaurants during our stay, and the food was generally good. I don't remember anything being especially outstanding or delicious. The Japanese restaurant was my least favorite; it was very loud, and the food was poor. I appreciated the ice cream and crepe shop and enjoyed their tasty creations throughout our stay. read more

Everything at Secrets was five Star, especially the service. My ocean view suite was amazing! Our butler, Jose, was attentive to our every need. Beautiful resort and beach, delicious food, five star service, you got to treat yourself to a week at Secrets Vallarta. read more

Was super nervous to stay here after reading the mixed reviews. We've been to Mexico 10+ times staying in different resorts/cities each time. Secrets is one of the better resorts we've stayed at. The food was great at all of the restaurants (except oceana and room service). The nightly shows and what not we're organized and didn't go on and on. The staff was fantastic, everyone was helpful and nice. I really don't get how people get scammed into timeshare walks. Like Nancy Regan said "Just say no!" And they'll stop bugging you. So grab your self a few cervezas and some pre dinner sushi and enjoy your stay at secrets. read more

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Pool heaters are no longer working. Manager said they haven't for awhile now. People are complaining right and left. Some told it's never heated. That's a lie. read more

Secrets Vallarta Bay - No one in pool because it's cold. - Hotels Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

Secrets Vallarta Bay This is a huge all-inclusive resort with an adult section and a family section. The property is part of the Hyatt and AMR collection. The view is amazing all around and the amenities offered were very nice! There is a point at check in where they will ask and push for your time to attend a 90-minute sales presentation with various offers for a breakfast, spa voucher and/ or city tour. FOOD: This is the biggest disappointment! The variety: restaurant and buffet are there but the quality and taste are lacking. Bordeaux (French fine dining)- we got the escargot (no shell), the pate, lamb shank, short ribs, and the souffle. The escargot, the pate lacked flavor and both textures were mushy. The short ribs were tender but could use stronger flavor. The lamb shank was tasteless and could be braised longer. The souffle didn't have the rich chocolate flavor. Marketplace Café (buffet)- nice variety: omelet, fresh eggs, bread, sweet/ savory crepes, juices, fruits, sausages, waffles, pancakes, chilaquiles, etc. The bacon tasted hard and too dried. Some mornings the omelets were bland. Himitsu- the udon is super salty and the noodles are not udon noodles with very little amount. Funny enough, Pad Thai, the Thai Dish, at the Japanese restaurant was better than the Japanese dish. SERVICE: The staffs were super friendly, helpful, and personable. We stayed at the Preferred section and the butler on hand was super helpful and has an iPad in the room. The way to communicate with the butler is via text so it is super easy and convenient. The resort also has an app so services can be reached and scheduled before your return to the room. We did enjoy the view, the room, the friendly smiles, and our friends' wedding! Food is important to any vacation so hopefully they can work on making the food a better experience. read more

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We just enjoyed a lovely 4-day retreat at Secrets Vallarta Bay in Puerto Vallarta. We went with another couple and can firmly attest that this resort met all of our expectations. We stayed in the Preferred Club, and I have to say the level of service we received was worth the money. It included things like an upgraded room, butler service, private bar, daily refreshed buffet, daily refreshed mini bar, dedicated check-in/concierge, and special privileges at the pool and resort restaurants. We especially enjoyed the Bordeaux restaurant (book the prix fix in the wine cellar!) and Oceana (for breakfast). Pro tip: Although the nightly music always ended by 10 pm, it was much noisier in our friend's suite on the upper floors than our garden view suite on the 2nd floor. Choose your room location accordingly. Pros: Friendly, hard-working staff Great location (15 mins to airport, on the beach, walkable to town) Fresh cuisine Relaxing spa with pool and sauna circuits Spotless room (in preferred club) Great nightly music Well-maintained pools and beach area No pesky beach birds (thanks to the resort's falcon) Cabana service was excellent and reasonably priced Strictly adults only, but with easy access to the neighboring family resort (Dreams) Cons: The activities on the resort were inconsistent and sometimes canceled without warning The resort app was terrible and often glitched Had to insist on robes in the spa Couldn't get change in pesos (only USD) The drinks in the lobby bar were awful I am often disappointed by all inclusives, but I would absolutely stay here again! read more

As a Secrets guest, you have easy access to all of Dreams pools and restaurants, which is directly next door. We had a nice time and absolutely love Puerto Vallarta and want to go back. In town you can rent scooters for $33 for 8 hours , or bicycles to ride down the malecon (boardwalk) . All employees were great. , read more

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**BEWARE** Do not purchase the unlimited vacation club from this resort. Sergio the "manager" was dishonest, the salesman Giovanni wasn't much better. Sergio was borderline fraudulent from the start. He lied about an email for a special invitation to Black Impressions level saying it was sent to my husband's AOL account. He has never had an AOL email, which I believe faded out late 80's, early 90's. I should have known better and got out of there as soon as the words left his lying mouth. He told us we would get certain benefits at EVERY resort, this was the only reason we agreed to upgrade. After 3 days of calling UVC customer service to confirm we would be getting these benefits, we were told every time "no!" Long story short, after about a week we cancelled our "upgrade" but were told we would still have to pay the closing costs, repay the leisure cash and cost of the room upgrade they gave us for upgrading our membership. This whole process took about a week off my life and we will NEVER return to Secrets Vallarta Bay. The UVC staff needs to stop lying to their members for a sale. If you get suckered by them, be sure to get whatever it is they are promising you included in your contract. Not everyone was a liar and deceitful. Shout out to Noemi our butler, on the Dreams side, Adriana in the Secrets Preferred Club check in and to the waiter Adrian who we encountered in the buffet. He had the wait staff sing happy birthday to me and brought me a special little desert. Thank you to these three lovely employees. read more

A group of twelve visited Puerto Vallarta for a 50th Birthday Celebration. We stayed at Secrets Vallarta Bay. We arrived at a gated resort where the security team let us through the gates. Once you take a brief drive up a steep heel you notice there are two resorts. Secrets (The Adult only) resort is located on the left and Dreams (family resort)is located on the right. What a great place to start taking pictures. Our bags were immediately checked by the doormen, someone arrived with beverages and off to the reception desk to check-on. Our rooms weren't ready so we explored the resort. We went for a quick lunch at the buffet and it was good. The staff were great and the drinks were flowing. Rooms: The rooms are a little bit older and dated but they are kept clean. We stayed in a Junior Suite Ocean View. This room included two double beds, walk-in shower, jacuzzi tub, private bathroom area, sitting area, stocked mini fridge, wardrobe, safe and small balcony. The room was located on the main floor of the lobby and this made our stay enjoyable Restaurants/Bars: All the food on the resort was good.  All meals were fresh and hot. The Barefoot Grill is located near the pools and the variety of food served is outstanding. It's a little bit of everything and they cook/prepare it in front of you. Bordeaux is French food with delicious entrees. The salmon, shrimp, onion soup and array of other dishes were amazing. It's small but mighty. Capers, we didn't get to enjoy capers as we ran out of time. Market Café, the buffet never let us down. It's quick to visit for both breakfast and lunch. I never dined at Carnival for dinner. Oceana is considered Gourmet Seafood and we all enjoyed our meals for dinner (Salmon, Shrimp, Steak, Lobster, Chicken, etc. Coco Café (located in Dreams) usually stayed open until 11pm and offered coffee drinks, sandwiches and small desserts. Himitsu is a Pan-Asian restaurant. This is the only restaurant that required a reservation for the hibachi grill. The grill had really good food and the service was amazing. You won't need a reservation for the restaurant area. Tamarindo is a Mexican Cuisine and is located at Dreams. Amazing food and tableside guacamole. Resort: All areas of the resort are maintained well The beach is filled with locals and they have everything to sell you including, clothes, jewelry, massages, hats, parasailing, etc. The entire staff was friendly and made sure everyone was taking care of. There were several activities including volleyball, water aerobics on a bike, yoga, dance lessons, karaoke and nightly parties. This area is friendly to walk outside of the resort and there are several excursion to indulge in. Tours: We took the Amstar city tour that included transportation to the downtown monuments, shopping in a small area, a tequila factory tour for samples and lunch at a local spot near the tequila factory (you will need to pay for your food at the restaurant) This is the perfect adults only resort for fun, food, shopping and everything you could imagine. If you want to bring your children you will need to stay at the Dreams Resorts. Happy Travels everyone. read more

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Certainly not Cabo or Cancun. The food at their finest restaurants was average and best. The room was okay. Had to hand fill toilet to get it to flush. No activities. If you're elderly and want a quiet place, maybe. Staff was hit and miss. Would never come back here. read more

long story short, if you want a good time, disregard (respectfully) everyone trying to get you to buy into the exclusivities of the resort. They'll offer you coupons and breakfast, etc. Kindly say no and move on. They leave you alone if you put your foot down. Tips: 1. Ignore anything additional they offer you. They're trying to sell you something. They're respectful in that way and will leave you alone. 2. Eat at the restaurants not the buffet places. The restaurants have amazing food. Especially the seafood restaurants like Oceana and Castaway. 3. Go visit the city outside of the resort. It's not dangerous just call an Uber and it'll get you from place to place. People are friendly, just be a smart tourist and be alert of people trying to hustle you. read more

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We have stayed here several times. We are members of unlimited vacation club. So we get a discount to stay at all Secrets. This is an all inclusive resort. Secrets are adults only and it partially shares some restaurants with Dreams Vallarta Bay which is for families. We also stay in the "preferred club" that gets you a room very close to the ocean and the preferred bar that had top shelf liquors ( tequila is Don Julio Reposado). The restaurants are all good ( not Las Vegas good but Mexican good). Our favorites are Capers ( the Italian restaurant- had an excellent filet mignon in gorgonzola sauce) and Bordeaux ( the French restaurant that serves Escargot and Foie Gras). Oceano( the steak and seafood restaurant) in the past has been excellent, but this time was just meh. We had an excellent dinner at the buffet on Barbeque night that served seafood paella with lobster and fall off the bone pork spare ribs. The salads were excellent too. Himitsu, ( the Japanese and teppanyaki restaurant) was decent. I ordered 2 rolls, a California roll and a spicy Tuna roll for dinner. They were both very small 4 piece rolls- definitely not dinner size, more like petite happy hour size by Las Vegas standards. The tuna sashimi was 4 nice pieces of tuna ( maguro). The service was very slow- not enough waiters. This is a nice all inclusive resort. We will definitely return. The rooms were very nice- nespresso coffee in the rooms, and a refrigerator with beer, water and sodas in the room. There is a cold soaking pool on the balcony that overlooks the ocean with a side view. The shower is very large with a large seat and 2 shower heads. The bed was super comfortable as were the pillows. There is plenty of room for clothing etc with a full dresser and a wardrobe for hanging as well. Rooms come stocked with hairdryer, clothing steamer, shampoo conditioner body lotion, toothbrush and toothpaste. Preferred rooms have robes as well. The tv had plenty of channels- most english news channels. There are 3 pools, one attached to a bar, ( called a swimup- but its a walk in the pool bar). Lots of activities daily- yoga, water aerobics, beach volleyball etc. Also rental of surf boards etc. When we were here last year the ocean was closed due to a "red tide" with lots of dead fish. The government was out in force taking fish samples etc, which made me feel sure they were investigating the source. That has only happened one time in the 3 times ( years) we have come here. read more

Secrets Vallarta Bay - Sunset from resort - Hotels Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

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The resort is beautiful (smaller than some other Secrets properties) but the front desk customer service was terrible and the employees act as though they are different entities. We stayed at the Riveria Maya location last year and the service was so much better. They convinced us to book couple messages with the resort vs off of the resort and informed us we could use the coupons that were provided to us at check-in, however at checkout the story completely changed. The front desk manager, the chief concierge, all would not honor it. So just beware, be sure to document every conversation, get names, get detailed receipts, etc. If you are planning to do massages or excursions book off property, not only are the less expensive and still the same but they'll also honor their word. read more

Secrets Vallarta Bay - Hotels Near Me - Puerto Vallarta, JAL

We came to Secrets Vallarta Bay for our friends 40th birthday over last weekend from the 21st-24th. We stayed 4 nights and had a blast. The hotel property actually has 2 resorts on it, Secrets, which is adults only, and Dreams (formerly "Now Amber"), which kids & families can stay at. There's pretty much not much but some decor and water decor separating the two hotel lobbies, which guests have free reign to go to either to dine, get drinks, use the pool, etc. We had some good meals, the Japanese restaurant was probably my favorite meal of the trip. All food & drinks are included in the price, it's an all-inclusive resort, for sure the way to go if the food & drinks are decent. It's nice knowing you don't have to worry about paying for meals or drinks when on vacation. I've been to about 7 of these resorts in Mexico between Cabo & PV. They all are pretty similar. I see a lot of negative reviews on here that are a bit puzzling. Not getting big food portions is a given, just order more. Not being able to be sat as big groups, normal also, go in sets of 2-4, no biggie. The pool staff and waiting staff here at the eateries were excellent. Food choices at the pool hut were any burger you can think of, fried fish sandwich, Gyro's, and tons of seafood bowls with pico, all fine for pool food while day drinking. There's a dress code for the Italian place, which is fine. We're going to comeback here for sure and do Dreams next time and take the kids. read more

Pros: *Close to the airport *Great beach views (and right on the beach) *Good food (a few specialty restaurants) *Crepes :) *Lots of activities (water activities like SUP and other pool side activities throughout the day) Cons: *Given wrong room (got it sorted out after arriving to room-but we're preferred and checked us in as standard) *Weak drinks *No variety in food-pretty much the same food daily (for a week) especially in the preferred lounge. Would be nice to mix it up a bit. *Lots of restaurant closures on Wednesday (guessing to give employees a break because it seemed the same employees worked the same shift every day) *service was hit and miss-I was served the wrong dish twice. First time I didn't catch it but realized when we went back a second time and I ordered the other chicken dish and got the same one from the first time. Another time I asked if it was the dish I ordered and server said yes. It was a food I can't eat...thankfully didn't eat it as we were waiting for other people to be served at our table. *People save pool chairs at 7am (and not enough pool chairs) *Needs more breakfast options. Buffet is the only option (unless you're preferred-Oceana serves breakfast-never got to go though). *Night activities-it rained almost every night so we never got to see anything in the outdoor theater. They did have a few events sets up in the lobby but it's very awkward. There was a show on the Dreams side one night but you could really only see it well if you sat in the middle section. It would be better if the dancers spread out a little more so everyone could see. I wouldn't go back to this location. Just too many cons vs pros. read more

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This is one of our favorite resorts in PV and have been visiting here the past 7 years. One area for improvement is regarding the pools during NOV/DEC 3023. They are cold and murky and we have heard multiple complaints from the people visiting the resort. We reported our concern to management. Outside of our concern, we have been enjoying ourselves here, and the staff go above and beyond to make you feel welcome. Oh, and you can refuse the presentation for the timeshare promotion to get the coupon book. Don't let the people encourage you to go. There are plenty of things to do in PV that are cheaper especially massages. read more

Great place to stay. The food was yummy. The service was excellent. The weather was nice and warm.

Our family spent a glorious week at Secrets/Dreams Vallarta Bay in Puerto Vallarta. If you're looking for an all-inclusive (we chose to take our four adult children) with great food, incredible service, and a gorgeous location, then this is the place for you! The property is adults-only on the Secrets side and family friendly on the Dreams side. We chose to stay at Dreams in the Preferred Club area with access to both sides of the resort. I highly recommend the Preferred Club accommodations as there are many perks such as rooms in premium locations, personalized check-in, a private lounge and bar, and convenient food options throughout the day. I have read some of the less than desirable reviews and am very glad we used a travel agent. Everything was exactly as planned. We were offered the "time share" sales pitch but politely declined, with no issue. It is not a necessary way to spend your precious vacation time. The property is beautiful, clean, and full of entertainment, restaurants, and activities. We tried all of the restaurants between the two sides (Bordeaux was the favorite), went to several shows, listened to live music every evening while watching gorgeous sunsets, did yoga, water aerobics, massages, kayaking, and so much more. The service is hands down some of the best I have every been fortunate enough to experience. From our butler Joaquin and favorite servers Jorge, Fernando, and Adriana to the beautiful Concierge ladies Ilcia and Elizabeth and our activity instructor Fidel, I just cannot say enough about how wonderful everyone was! read more

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I absolutely love it here!!! From our check in to our room ! Amazing ! We had a butler Jose he was just on top of everything texted me everyday to see if I needed anything, our bartenders at the Preferred club Hector and I can't remember the other bartenders name but both amazing !,,, at the pool Alfonso took care of us ,, the staff was amazing always making sure we were ok!' Our room was cleaned everyday and they would make sure we had enough shampoo conditioner etc.... We had 24hr room service and the food was good !!!' They had champagne and strawberries for me For my birthday Yes there are people trying g to sell you timeshares but it's normal , you just have to say NO!! Overall 5 start for sure coming back here next year !! read more

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