If I could give Vidanta negative stars, I would. This place is the epitome of bait-and-switch tactics wrapped in a veneer of luxury that crumbles as soon as you arrive. They say one thing on the phone and deliver another, with the entire experience centered around manipulating you into buying their timeshare.
First, let's talk about the location. Vidanta is marketed as Puerto Vallarta, but it's not even in the same state. It's in Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit, which means you have to do a ridiculous long loop past the airport to get there. Once you arrive, you'll find yourself a full hour's taxi ride away from Puerto Vallarta proper. It's as if they want to isolate you from the real Mexico. In fact, the whole resort seems to cater to Midwestern American families who want the illusion of being in Mexico without ever actually experiencing it.
And then there's the dishonesty. They promised us a two bedroom suite with two king beds - we're tall men, so this was a non-negotiable for comfort. What did we get? A king in one suite, and a small attached single room with two doubles. The door between the two was locked and nobody even seemed to have the key to unlock it for us. When we asked about the promised king beds, they flat-out denied ever making such a commitment. The same story with the ocean view we were guaranteed. Instead of the picturesque view of the ocean, we were greeted with glaring stadium lights. And the worst part? They made us sit through a high-pressure timeshare presentation just to get an upgrade. They said it would take an hour; it dragged on for nearly three. After enduring their awful breakfast (which tasted like cafeteria food at best), we still ended up with a downgraded room after waiting FIVE hours in the lobby for a half-decent room with an obstructed ocean view, after losing a whole day of vacation for said upgrade.
The amenities were another massive letdown. The photos online are pure fantasy. The restaurant food ranged from bad to okay. we're from Los Angeles, and 90% of the Mexican food at home is better. The rooms are dated and nowhere near as luxurious as advertised. The pools were overrun with children and babies, making it feel more like a chaotic daycare center in Idaho than a relaxing Mexican resort. And forget swimming in the ocean - the water is brown, thanks to a river flowing into it, and completely uninhabitable. We were warned by one honest employee that they know better than to go swimming in the ocean, there. They go down the coast to Puerto Vallarta to get into the ocean.
What adds insult to injury is the constant upselling. Every interaction feels like a sales pitch. Everything comes with an upcharge. You can't relax without someone trying to squeeze more money out of you. And despite their claims of being "sold out," the resort was eerily empty. Most rooms were dark at night, and the pathways felt deserted. The only thing consistent was the chorus of other frustrated guests complaining about similar experiences of broken promises and poor service. We started calling the place "The Beige Lotus" because it felt like a bleached and neutered version of an exotic vacation.
On Day Two, I had enough. I walked away from the seven-day booking (fully paid for and non-refundable, mind you) and left for a modest hotel in Puerto Vallarta proper. It was the best decision I made. Vidanta was nothing more than a dishonest, manipulative, homogenized tourist trap for people who don't actually want to travel. Save yourself the headache - and your money. Stay anywhere else. The only reason the vacation wasn't ruined is because I put a HUGE charge on my credit card for a better hotel... which, by the way, is two stars not, allegedly, five. read more