We had a whole day while ported in Puerto Vallarta, so we did a morning excursion to Jorullo…read moreBridge. For the rest of the day, I booked a last minute resort day pass at Buenaventura so that we had a place to relax. The price was quite reasonable for 2 adults and a child. One important tip is that they do need to make copies of all IDs, driver's licenses were sufficient. However, if you have a child, make sure you have their birth certificate or passport. The day pass included access to 3 outdoor pools (adults only pool, children's pool, all ages pool), lounge chairs, towel service, complimentary buffet including drinks, beach access (chairs first come, first served), spa access and complimentary Wi-Fi The idea of a private beach access was nice, however the strong waves and currents made swimming unsafe. My husband went in one time and the current was so strong that he felt like he could've been pulled in. So we were disappointed that we didn't get a chance to experience a calm beach during our resort day pass. The pool facilities were really nice though and we spent the majority of our day swimming in their heated pool and playing giant chess. The buffett was also delicious which also included unlimited drinks. (We only had non-alcoholic so I'm not sure if alcohol was included). The food included prime rib, chicken, pastas, pizza, nuggets, fresh fruit, salads, an assortment of cheese, breads, pastries, savory Mexican desserts and so much more! Overall we had a great time and it was a great place to relax and the pass lasted until 6PM which timing worked perfectly for when we needed to return to the cruise.

We almost didn't book this hotel because of the negative reviews, but we're so glad we did--our…read morestay was amazing! We're a family of four (two adults, two young kids--2 & 4 years old) and spent 10 days here. The staff was incredibly friendly, especially with children. Some standouts: * Catherin (Frutas y Flores restaurant) - Always smiling and so sweet with our kids. * Diana (Frutas y Flores hostess) - Remembered us every day and was so helpful. * Gustavo & Eduardo (Pool & Sunset Restaurant) - Super friendly, always there when you needed them. * Christian (Bell Boy) - Always smiling and eager to help. * Eustolia (Housekeeping) - Did a great job, was very accommodating when our son was napping, and was just a lovely person. The Hotel & Rooms * Incredibly clean, well-kept, and modern (we stayed in the newer building). * Perfect location--right on the beach and within walking distance to great restaurants and the Malecon. * Spacious rooms with comfortable beds, a stocked mini-fridge, coffee maker, safe, and plenty of storage. * Our room had a great balcony (a nice surprise!). * No bathtub, only a shower--manageable for our kids, but something to consider. We were able to get a crib for our two year old which was great. I brought a pack-n-play fitted sheet which was nice to have and fit perfectly. Food & Dining * Frutas y Flores Buffet - Fresh food, lots of options, and a different menu each night. Was it fine dining? No - but we didn't expect it to be either. However, I was pleasantly surprised by all the quality options and selection each night (and every day was different). * Sunset Restaurant - Oceanview, reservation-only for dinner, à la carte menu, and optional upgrades like steak & lobster. * Club de Playa (Poolside Food) - Great for casual bites like burgers, burritos, and nachos. Menu stayed the same daily. Pool & Activities * The main pool was perfect for relaxing--built-in seating, shallow depth (no diving/jumping allowed). * Daily activities like water aerobics. * January Bonus: Whales! You can see them right from the beach--we saw one jump literally a couple hundred feet off the beach. Amazing. * Thursday Night Fiesta Mexicana - A must! Live music, dancing, fireworks, and an outdoor buffet. I assume it's always on Thursday, but this was amazing. Gratuity/Tipping: The hotel is all inclusive, but we tipped at all the restaurants, pool bar & for cleaning our room - and this seemed to be pretty standard, so come prepared for this. There was an atm one block away. The One Downside On our last night, my 2-year-old fell asleep before dinner, so my husband and daughter went to eat. When they tried to bring some food back for me, a staff member aggressively stopped them and even called security, which really upset my daughter. We had taken food to our room multiple times before without issue, so this was unexpected and could have been handled much better. Despite this, we had a fantastic experience and would absolutely stay here again. We met many repeat guests, including one woman celebrating her 40th year coming to this hotel--now that says something!

Somehow it doesn't feel right to stay in a sleek and modern luxury resort in Puerto Vallarta. Maybe…read morethat's because I'm basically a cheapskate, so in response, Jamie W found this riverfront boutique hotel on the edge of Zona Romantica for just $64 per night. Such a deal as it was in a quiet residential neighborhood but within easy walking distance to popular restaurants and bars as well as the Malecon. For three nights, we stayed on the second floor in the purple and gray Korvette room which had a comfortable Queen bed and a nice balcony overlooking the river. It was a bucolic woodsy setting with birds chirping and the sporadic rumble of motor scooters below us. The entire hotel was decorated to the hilt with eccentric bric-a-brac that must surely reflect the eclectic taste of the owner. The hotel's homey vibe extended even to the house cat who had its own Victorian brass bed. We took advantage of the complimentary margaritas available upon arrival. The bartender was up on the rooftop terrace on the seventh floor. The sunset view was spectacular, and there was a small lap pool that looked inviting had it been able to accommodate more than one swimming guest at a time. RELATED - Exploring Puerto Vallarta? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3DCxcdR

This is an amazing hotel. We had a terrible experience in puerto Vallarta at another hotel and…read moreriviera del rio saved us. Rooms were affordable. The pools were so relaxing and you are in the heart of so many great lgbtq friendly places and restaurants. We met some good friends at the hotel that we plan to stay in touch with. Let me tell you every room feels like you are in a beautiful castle. The pools are so relaxing. The bar tenders at the pool are so attentive and kind. We are planning another trip to this place soon.

You know what it's fine. The buffet was surprisingly good but the hotel staff was very unpolished…read more I can understand people are busy setting up for New Year's celebrations, but no one looks where they're going and I was run into on multiple occasions. I was at a urinal and one of the servers was in the euro next to me and flapped open his work vest smacking me in the face. No apology. He did not wash his hands before leaving either. I will not be returning. It's not the most expensive all inclusive but far from the least expensive.

Dichotomy of a more down to earth standard non American hotel that caters to more Mexicano vs…read moreAmericans. About 90-10 mix in favor of Mexicano. Compared to next door Now Amber / Secrets which is all inclusive high end. Rooms are inn like and more basic. Bed isn't as great but will make do. Larger TV than Now Amber in both living and bedroom. No views from ocean view bedroom unless one stands at an angle in the corner. Pillows smelled like last inhabitants... more bleach Por favor! Swapped out with hood housekeeping. Coffee maker you can see the brown stains in the plastic tray. Great housekeeping! Good side, concierge didn't push timeshare on me. So thankful I gave him a propina. Great side views with a larger balcony. Listening to waves after the party goes home. Washer and dryer for $3. Kitchen and Frigerator to make healthier food. 1/2 the price of Now Amber next door 100 feet down. Timeshare swapping on RCI or Wyndham. Set your expectations straight and think this is a fair balance view.

I go to Mexico about 3 times a year. I hate this hotel for other reasons just as bad but this…read morereview is for my November2023 reservation. My parents, who are elderly came with me 8 years ago liked the location and wanted to stay here again. 1. My bathroom had MOLD. There was no fan, window or ventilation of any kind in our bathrooms. I witnessed and took photos of them JUST PAINTING OVER IT... No vinegar, bleach, nothing to deal with the mold. So it smelled of paint all 3 days I was there. I'v been sick for over a month since getting back. 2. My second bed in the room was a matress on top of a futon. 3. The front desk (Carlos) suggested we switch rooms/floors to make it more accessible for my Mother. I left 2 days earlier then my parents. They tried to move them to my old room on the 2nd floor. Instead of offering a down grade room on the 1ST floor to keep her from falling on the stairs (they only have stairs at the property) RIO charged them an extra 800 pesos to stay in that room.(which they paid) 4. My father asked why they werent offered the down grade for free (which I asked about) Carlos was annoyed, called my parents room and told me I needed to leave my parents room because "only registered guests can be in the rooms" Carlos gave my luggage to my father to hold in their room before my flight. I was there 30min saying goodbye. Vallarta has a ton of better Hotels and Airbnb. RIO not worth your health, money, or peace to stay here

Hotel Rio Malecon is aptly named because it is literally a stone's throw from the Malecon and one…read moreblock over the Rio Cuale bridge to Zona Romantica. It's a typical tourist class hotel with no elevator, limited services and amenities, but perfectly adequate. All the front desk staff I interacted with were courteous, helpful and friendly. The large room was updated but basic. It had teak patio furniture and a concrete bed that I dubbed "Fred Flintstone Bedrock." It was the largest bed I've seen in a hotel room. I could easily sleep across the thick and comfortable mattress. I don't think the phone with the toilet worked, but who needs it anyway? With a balcony room facing the street, it was pretty noisy until midnight. The pool gets almost no sun and was empty. It looks pretty at night. The hotel's connected restaurant Coexist Bistro (see my separate review) serves poolside. I could easily stay here again at its normal non-holiday price point, although I prefer staying in Zona Romantica proper. Holiday pricing is way out of the hotel's value range.

Very quaint and friendly hotel. Offers a free hot made to order breakfast. Very centrally located…read more Will definitely stay there again.

We are return customers and so are almost all the people we talked with during our latest stay…read more The location is perfect, just north of Zona Romantica. The rooms are clean, decor is up to date and the staff is friendly l. We arrived 2 hours early and asked if they would mind our luggage. Even though they were full, the front desk manager was able move us to another room that had been cleaned and we were checked in and unpacked in minutes. The breakfast buffet, served on a rooftop terrace, consists of Mexican breakfast favorites, fresh fuit, plus omelets and eggs to order. Of note, the bed has a memory foam topper. It is comfortable but sleeps a bit hot. We usually sleep with the windows opened, but opted for the AC. We will be back.

I booked a one-bed room suite and pre-paid the hotel. The hotel charged me $50 more than the quoted…read moreOrbitz' price, and when I questioned it, the hotel owner said that exchange rates fluctuate daily and that it was common for the actual price to be different from the quoted price. I researched it, and I could not find that the rate had spiked 4% in any recent time period. When I checked in, the hotel asked me to pay for the room. I told them it was pre-paid, and they insisted that it was not. It was not until I produced a receipt did they accept that it was pre-paid. After that they led me what they call a Superior Deluxe room, a corner room with a partial view. The room I booked was labeled "Panoramic Single Room, 1 Bedroom, Bay View," which was written on the confirmation I showed the owner of the hotel. He said that that room description does not exist. He then took me to another room which he said was a Deluxe Superior, and it was not until the next day I discovered that that room was in fact just a Deluxe room. Long story short, they downgraded me two levels. I paid $280 a night for a suite, and they put me in a $130 room. They insisted the room I originally booked did not exist, but when I found photos of the room, they said, that that room did exist but they never make it available. They refused to refund me the $743 difference. After spending about 20 hours on the phone with Orbitz, Orbitz forced them to refund me the money. I was so creeped out by the management at this hotel that I didn't even eat in the restaurant. I've traveled all over the world, stayed at hundreds of different hotels and have never had an experience like this. If you do stay here, DON'T prepay the hotel. Pay through Orbitz or wait until you see what kind of room they are giving you and then negotiate a price. I also involved VISA, and VISA said I was not protected because I accepted some sort of room at the hotel. VISA said I should have refused to check into the hotel, and that is the only way I would get protection through them. This would have been a challenge as I would have then had to on foot, walk around Puerto Vallarta at night with my luggage looking for an alternate room.

Stayed at Playa Los Arcos Hotel in Puerto Vallarta and loved the location. The pool was heated, the…read moreview was amazing, and the staff was super friendly. Beach access was fantastic, and the bar staff and drinks were good. We didn't try the restaurants, but everything else was enjoyable. The room was okay and did its job. It can get a bit stuffy, but just turn on the AC. I wish there was the option to open windows and get some fresh air in. One thing to note is that no outside guests are allowed. This keeps the hotel family friendly, which is understandable, even if it limits visitors.

Very low quality experience. Service is virtually non-existent. They misrepresent the…read moreaccommodations on their website. The only thing they have to offer is the location. Expect a Motel type experience. There is nothing high end at this hotel. They even ran out of hot water TWICE!!! The rooftop bar was worthwhile for the view. We heard someone complaining about having bedbugs at the hotel and I absolutely believe it.

We've stayed in the penthouse on the 7th floor (5-star rating and rented via VRBO) three years in…read morea row from 2017 - 2019 but stopped coming to PV due to the pandemic and family issues, but finally returned in 2025. BOOKING: Because we weren't with a group of friends this time, we booked directly with the property for a 1 bedroom unit which was on the sixth floor. Email correspondence with Iriana, who seemed to manage the property along with a sister property south of Zona Romantica (Costa Sur Resort), was constant with fairly immediate response from beginning to end, but with a BIG hiccup in the middle. ARRIVAL: Our ride dropped us off in the parking garage and a female staff member who happened to be in the area or was summoned, seemed surprised we were there. With a confused look on her face, she asked us if we had reservations, which we did. We left our luggage with the male attendant/bellman in the garage as she hesitantly escorted us up to the reception office in the (working) elevator. CHECK-IN: Lourdes, who was probably the property manager, greeted us and said they had our reservation but that there was a problem. None of the rooms have working air conditioning due to a power issue that started 2 days prior to our arrival (other reviews I've read mentioned this issue a year ago). We got no notification of the issue. Their solution was to wait for us to arrive then relocate us to their sister property, Costa Sur Resort, which is almost 2 miles south of Zona Romantica. That was a no-go. Anyone who stayed in Zona Romantica knows its charm, non-commercialism and walking distance to the beach, tons of local restaurants and shops. THE ROOM: We decided to check out the room (# 600) before making a decision. The room was supposedly cleaned but was really not ready for guests. The balcony was the nastiest area with bird poop on the railing, floor and a waterfall of it coming down the building's side. There was also no furniture on the balcony, but for good reason as the balcony's wall was so high, it would impede any view. And without air conditioning, it was miserably hot as this was in June. Oddly, the lights were working and electric clocks were on but blinking. We returned to the office. Lourdes was willing to help us find another place but we decided to do our own homework. My spouse questioned why the office had air conditioning and was told that it's the main building where the rooms are that had the issue. Okay?? THE RESULT: Long story short and almost 3 hours later, we found a neighboring property, much smaller, years newer, night and day cleaner, with a living room, kitchen, higher view and with working air conditioning for a few hundred more for our week's stay. We did get a full refund which is why this isn't a 1-star review. We also emailed Iriana if they could compensate us the difference in price but haven't heard back and didn't intend to. OVERALL: The building's appearance looks okay for the area but obviously its internal organs are decrepit and in need of major surgery. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Farewell, One Beach Street!

Well... This place has SO much potential. Sadly the…read moredeferred maintenance shows. Our unit, 203, had a TV in it, but no cable or reception. I know one usually doesn't go on vacation to the tropics to watch television, but it was a long vacation and you can only stare at the ocean for so long and not having the white noise at bedtime was missed. Even though most of the touch points were adequate there were many surfaces of the pool deck that had an even coating of bird crap. Renting a condo should include adequate eating, cooking and service equipment, but sadly it was equipped with only a single drinking glass. However, we made the best of it by recycling iced coffee cups and water bottles. All in all, only minor inconveniences. The good points are that the staff were spectacular. Friendly and efficient. The housekeeping services, when utilized, were always friendly and eager. The security service employees always greeted us with a smile. The pool itself, was clean and refreshing. And of course, the location... very close to restaurants and nightlife. When this package was purchased, we were excited that this would be a nice vacation at a good price, but upon arrival, it was a nice vacation at a "you get what you pay for" price. Appreciated nonetheless.

My wife and I had the pleasure of staying at Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta for a wedding, and since…read morethe accommodations were already chosen for us, I didn't read any reviews beforehand. But after seeing some of the mixed feedback now, I was honestly surprised. It seems like this place can be very hit or miss. Thankfully for us, it was definitely a hit. We were there for three nights, and overall had a great experience. Our main complaint would be the food, which we found to be mediocre overall, though there were definitely a couple of standouts. Next time, I'd skip the buffet except for the freshly made stations, which were the only part consistently worth it. We really enjoyed the teppanyaki at Tamari, and the fish and shrimp tacos from Blaze were so good we had them twice during our stay. On the other hand, dinner at Blaze was unremarkable and we were disappointed with the pizza and zeppole from Melanzane, though we didn't get to try anything else there. I do wish we had stayed an extra night or two to explore more of the dining options, though based on what we experienced, we may not have missed out on too much. Every staff member we encountered was friendly and helpful. Special shoutout to Rafael at the club lounge bar and Lizbeth at reception - both were a pleasure and made our stay even more enjoyable. I was also surprised by the size of the gym and the variety of equipment. I made sure to get at least one workout in and really appreciated the incredible ocean views while doing so. We visited in February and never felt like the resort was overcrowded. In fact, some restaurants seemed surprisingly empty at times. One thing worth noting: they have pickleball courts and a basketball court, which we didn't see advertised anywhere. We would've packed our pickleball gear had we known, but fortunately they provide equipment you can borrow. They also offer activities throughout the day - we mostly enjoyed the evening bar shows. I'd definitely recommend downloading their app to keep track of the schedule and access other helpful hotel information like menus. Overall, this was a very enjoyable stay and a strong positive experience for us. I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 because the dining experience didn't quite match the rest of the resort. While the food could be more consistent, the friendly staff, beautiful setting, amenities, and relaxed atmosphere made it a memorable stay.

We used a resortpass for a day pass here and enjoyed ourselves…read more The buffet had plenty of great options - don't sleep on the salmon, as it was absolutely delicious, as were the potato tacos. We spent most of our time at the adult pool which was a lovely location with an infinity pool, hot tub, and drink service. There was also a great view of the beach, which seemed very private. The atmosphere in general was relatively relaxed and upscale, and not too many kids, but maybe it was off season. Overall, would certainly go again!

During our time in PV, we visited Blue Chairs Resort for a variety of reasons, but most of them…read morewere to sit in those famous blue chairs on the beach, order cocktails and quesadillas, people watch and on occasion, get a nice beachside massage! During specialty weeks, this portion of the back can be packed, so be ready and come prepared. On our last beach day of the trip, we waited about 15 minutes for a section of seating to open up for seven of us. The staff was super helpful with finding us a good spot and squeezing in enough seats and side tables. We had one main server, but several came by and would assist as needed. We hung out for a few hours, grabbed a few buckets of beers, margaritas, cocktails and a round of chicken and steak quesadillas. For our multi-hour beach day, it cost us as a group around $200. Which was a phenomenal treat for us! The resort is located in the heart of the Zona Romantica and is a landmark for all who visit PV. We encountered or enjoyed Blue Chairs on several occasions during out trip whether it be hanging out on the beach, getting drinks to go or wandering around. Overall, Blue Chairs is iconic in PV. Worth a swing by as a visitor or guest!

It's perfect for a beach day! Friendly and accommodating staff with good food and strong drinks!read more