We decided to go on family vacation here because we found a fabulous deal through Funjet. We are a family of 4...parents, and two girls in their 20's. We really had a great time, but there are a few things you should be aware of.
First off, the hotel is nice. I read a few reviews that said the resort is huge, but I thought it was kind of small compared to some others I stayed at. We skipped the timeshare info, but they do try to pressure you into attending. I also thought all the staff was very nice. We did not encounter any rude staff like others have complained about. Yes, a lot of them speak spanish, but you are in Mexico. Buff up on your spanish skills a little, and you'll be fine. Most of all, treat them with respect and you'll receive the same. If you want to be waited on hand and foot, shell out the dough and go somewhere else.
Rooms: The rooms were clean, and we had new towels and drinks (including water) every day. They keep the grounds clean as well. Our first room had a very tricky lock, so we asked for it to be fixed. Fixing it consisted of a man coming to our room and showing us how to unlock the door. He would jiggle the key in the lock for a couple minutes until it would open, and then he would look at us. It was actually kind of funny, but we did not want to fiddle with a ten-
minute jiggling session every time we entered our room. The front desk was very accomodating and let us switch rooms the next day. Both rooms we were in had a nice view of the pool and the ocean. You should also pack an iron, because they don't have them in the rooms. Also, if you want a safe, you have to pay $10/day. You will also get a towel card to exchange for a clean beach towel every day. It will cost $30 to replace if you have a missing towl, which I thought was pretty steep compared to other resorts. However, I didn't hear of anyone getting their towels stolen while staying here.
Pools: They have several pools, including an adults only pool, an activity pool, a children's pool, and also a separate pool with slides and toys for kids. There are activities going on throughout the day around the activity pool if you want to join in, and one of the pools has a swim-up bar.
Beach: We spent most of our time at the beach. The beach was clean, and the water was warm. You couldn't really see into the water, so if you don't like things bumping into your legs without knowing what they are, I don't recommend. The view on the beach was great though, with the mountains surrounding the area. You can check out boogie boards at the beach stand, which I highly recommend. We had a great time! There seemed to be more creatures in the water here than in the Caribbean. Several people got stung by jellyfish, and one day we couldn't go in the water due to a large amount of stingrays. Also, a shark tested me out one day (I had a bruise), but decided not to eat me. Yay!:) (He wasn't that big...about 2-3 feet long.) So, just a heads up. Also, there is a steady stream of vendors on the beach, but if you tell them you're not interested, they don't pressure you. We never had a hard time finding a spot for our things, either. There really wasn't as much reserving of the chairs as there is at other resorts.
Food: Here is our major complaint. We are not picky eaters at all, and in fact, most of the food wasn't too bad. The thing we were concerned about was the cleanliness factor. Several times in the buffet, we were seated at tables that had used silverware on them that were supposed to be the ones we were to eat with. They set every table for the number of seats that were there, so if a table was set for four, and only two people ate at it, they would leave the unused silverware, napkins, and glasses there and replace the ones that were used. The only problem with this was that sometimes people would use the silverware or napkins and put it back. Yuck! I respect the fact that the hotel is trying to save water, but they should put down the silverware after they know how many people are sitting there to avoid this problem. Or, they could just let you get your own silverware. Anyway, beware! Check your silverware before you use it.
Also, my mom and sister both got food poisoning on the same day during our stay, so that knocked out a day or so of vacation for them. I got food poisoning on the day we flew home, and it lasted for a week. We never drank the water (which they say is supposed to be filtered for the whole resort, so it should be safe) so we are 99% sure it was from the food. I know it is not that uncommon to get food poisoning, but it's still a bummer, and I've never had it at any other resort I've stayed at.
The buffet food was okay, and the snack areas outside weren't too bad for lunch or snacking. The restaurants were pretty good. I liked the fact that you could make reservations for the restaurants as many times as you want during your stay. We tried all three restaurants, and they were all decent. Our least favorite was the Mexican, although it had good margaritas and good tortilla soup. The Italian was alright, but nothing spectacular. Our favorite was La Pergola, the Mediterannean restaurant. They had good bruschetta, and their entrees weren't bad. However, the highlight was the FABULOUS mango creme brulee. I had it three times! (What!?! It's vacation!) It was awesome, and I highly recommend it.
Bars: We didn't try all the bars, but we liked the Martini bar. They made great chocolate martinis and cosmos. However, they ran out of the chocolate martinis quite frequently, which was disappointing. The lobby bar on the Grand side made good frozen margaritas, and they made pretty good lemonade by the pools. We didn't ever make it to the disco, so I can't comment.
Shows: The shows were okay. Not as good as some other resorts, but they were entertaining. Also, they only have 7 shows, so if you are there for more days than that, you will see repeats. The dancers try hard though. Our favorite was David, as he was always very enthusiastic! They also brought a dance troupe in to do a Mexican show, and it was really good. Also, on the Mexican show night, they were giving out shots of tequila in these little clay mugs that you got to keep, so that was kind of fun.
Noise: The rudest people we encountered were fellow vacationers. There were a ton of kids, which doesn't usually bother me, but the parents really let them run wild here. They were very loud, screaming in the hallways and in the buffet. One kid even kept hitting me in the head with her napkin repeatedly while running in a circle around our table, and her parents never said a word to her. That seems to be the theme here, so just beware before you go. I don't know if it's a cultural difference or what, but it was very different from other resorts I have stayed at.
Activities: They seemed to have lots of activities for kids during the day and before the show at night. They also have all kinds of activities during the day like basketball, soccer, water sports, biking, etc. We went on the bike tour one morning, which was fun. They take you to see some dolphins in a pool, which was okay, but they also take you to a zoo. The zoo was more exciting to me. It is a quick run-through, and they don't have a ton of animals, but they did have tigers that were huge. We also checked out the bikes and went on our own rides throughout the stay. The area outside the resort seemed pretty safe, and there are some neat views when crossing the river.
Excursions: We did several excursions and enjoyed them all. We went to Las Caletas one day (through Vallarta Adventures). It was fun, but seemed a bit rushed by the time you get there, as you stop to pick up passengers in Puerto Vallarta as well. We did some snorkeling here, as the water was much more clear than at our resort.
We also did an excursion that went into the mountains (don't remember the name, but we booked through Vallarta Adventures). It was great. Our guide was awesome...very knowledgeable. We went to a traditional farm and saw how they made tortillas and tried some different fruits. We also went on a hike through the forest and stopped at a beautiful beach to eat lunch. It rained on us most of the day, so we were wet the entire time, but it was still a great trip.
My sister and I did the Outdoor Adventure tour through Vallarta Adventures. It was awesome! I highly recommend this one. We rode mules into the mountains and then rappelled and ziplined back down. It was so much fun, and it is all very safe. The guides are great and make sure you have a good time.
We also booked a fishing boat one morning and caught several fish. It was fun. We booked this through a guy who was just walking down the beach. I don't know the company.
I would also recommend going into Puerto Vallarta to check things out. It is very scenic, and we had a great time walking around and shopping. We got some great deals at the market downtown after some haggling.
Overall, this was a great trip, and we would definitely come back to Nuevo Vallarta. We probably wouldn't stay at the Marival again, due to the food service. If anyone has any questions about anything, feel free to ask!
