Lets be clear from the get go that this is not a glamorous resort BUT it is still a great vacation place and all the reviews about the service is true.It is also true that there is no towel game there. We always found a great spot on the beach with shade and also true at the pool. The drink service on the beach is the best and Salvador is back to refresh your drink at regular intervals, definetly not a hit and miss thing. location is great. Lots to do close by without spending a fortune. One great afternoon we borrowed bicycles and had a great time riding all over nuevo. It is true that the food here is not fabulous in the buffet but there is alway something to eat and if your aren't happy with that you can take a nice walk to Bucerias and have geat meal at Karen's or some other restaurant for a change. Not many vendors bothering you and the beach is fabulous. Lovely clean grounds, pool is heated, Only 180 rooms so not much waling involved on the resort pretty convenient.

We were looking for one week of sun and relaxation. Spent every day on the beach swimming and body surfing. Food was ok - nothing great, but acceptable - I had nausea all week, but I'm sensitive. Staff were very good! - professional and always polite.

Midsize, comfortable hotel. Highlights for us were the upgrade to the two room suite and the beach. I would have liked slightly larger waves for the boogie board, but I can't complain too much - swimming in the ocean was great! The water was a bit murky but otherwise seemed clean and the temperature was good.

Wifi reception was pretty good - I could surf the net while on the beach.

Met some interesting people. Appreciated that there was a good mix of Mexican with the predominantly Canadian crowd (especially on the weekends).

Would I go back - maybe or maybe not. However, overall there was more positive than negative.

My wife and I enjoyed our stay at Samba during March break. the staff really do make this resort. We have stayed at many different star rated resorts ranging from 3 to 5 star in 5 different counties and have never had such great staff. it is evident that the staff are very happy with their employer. We would like to make special mention of five out-standing staff. Reyes, the waiter in the Buffet, and Salvador, Roberto, Fermin and Andres, who worked as bartenders and wait staff.
The ala carte restaurant was excellent and we went 3 different nights, Mexican, Italian and then the Mexican night again. The restaurant was not too busy while we were there, so we could have eaten at the ala cartes every night if we wanted to. You could always find something to please at the buffet.
Our room was on the first floor on the Riu Resort side. It was not a fantastic room, but we didn't spend alot of time there. You could hear the entertainment from the Riu til about 11 pm.
If we went again, I would book a balcony room on the pool side.
The beach was one of the best we have been to...you can walk for miles and the boogie boarding was fun.
There seemed to be alot of native Mexicans staying at the Samba, which we enjoyed, as the Mexican people are among the most friendly and affectionate people we have every had the pleasure to meet.
If there was anything that could be improved, it would be the reception desk. One of our friends wanted to change her room, and reception was not very accomodating, and there was seemed to be a language barrier with the ladies that worked there. Rosario managed to change her room eventually, but not without numerous visits to the front desk. Also, the vendors were numerous on the beach, but were not overly persistent.
All in all, hats off to Samba, a great small-sized resort.

As always there are pluses and minuses. I wasn't expecting a luxury hotel, and that is not what Samba Vallarta is. Overall, though, I would go back.

The food, I thought, was excellent in the buffet. They're not afraid of spice, and there was lots of flavour. Breakfast was great - omelet bar as well as a fresh quesadilla station. Bacon is at the omelet bar, which I didn't discover until the second week. Otherwise you're looking at wieners for breakfast meat. But, lox and bagels every day, lots of fresh fruit, salsas, eggs, and chiliaquiles. The pancakes, french toast, and waffles are a definite miss.

We ate lunch at the beach bar mostly. They have a burger grill and pizza. The burgers were good.There is also usually guacamole in the fridge (ask at the burger bar) and different kinds of ceviche and chips are also available. The ceviche was really good.

Dinner was a different theme every night. Mexican night was fantastic. The other nights were also quite good, although they changed the rules on the beach barbecue from one week to the next, leaving us looking for dinner one Tuesday and then, having thought we knew our way around the next Tuesday, finding that we didn't have the required reservation.

Bar selection was excellent, as were the staff. The buffet staff seemed a little disorganized. Rather than having assigned tables, it appeared that the staff would just help the people at whichever table happened to be nearest, which meant that some meals we had extremely attentive service and other meals not so much.

The a la carte restaurants were ok. Food was fine, but not that much above the regular buffet in quality. On one occasion at the Italian a la carte, the waiter was trolling for a tip before I had even finished my coffee, which I found very distasteful, having planned to tip as I was leaving, which is my usual practice.

The room was clean, although there was a musty smell near the doorway which was unnoticeable anywhere else in the room. The AC worked well, as did everything else in the room (well, I can't speak for the TV - didn't turn it on at all). I would have liked a fridge and coffee maker in the room though, and there was none, although there seemed to be a spot for a fridge. I would gladly trade the TV for a fridge. We had a balcony room facing the Riu resort at the end of the hotel nearest the beach. It was quiet and comfortable.

The beach was spectacular and there was always room under a palapa. Boogie boards were always available and there were no time limits. I did find the water activities guys less than useful. They were never near the beach hut, and I tried repeatedly to get a kayak but was unable to do so most of the time because there was no staff there. Eventually someone was there and showed no interest whatsoever in assisting us other than tossing us a couple of mangy lifejackets pulled at random from a rack. My girlfriend's jacket was way too big for her and mine smelled like urine. I would have told the staff that, but they were nowhere in sight when we returned the kayaks.

I would definitely go back to this resort, provided that the price stays reasonable. I care more about the beach, the food and the beer than the room, as long as my room is clean and comfortable. If you are the sort of person who wants luxury accommodations though, this is not the place for you.