I've been to the neighboring Riu Jalisco twice. First time at Riu Vallarta. Decided to try it, even though it was $100 more than Jalisco. Still, at $1250 after taxes for both of us it was a bargain deal so we were obviously going for price to cost ratio, rather than the best hotel we could visit.
I'd like to mention the free wireless Internet access at the lobby specifically. It was just perfect. Very reliable, and fast (1 MBIT on speedtest.net). Not in the room - only in the lobby.
New hotel, built in 2006, so the rooms and buildings are in pristine condition. If you like awesome rooms - go here instead of Jalisco. I personally don't care much about that. Grounds aren't as nice as Jalisco, with less open space and grandeur. No tennis courts here, although you can go to Jalisco and use theirs. Gym is pretty good with nice machines, bikes, and treadmills, but it lacks free weights entirely.
Massive minus is that Riu (Jalisco too) continues to use old-school safes in rooms which are tiny and use a key rather than an electronic pin code. There is no way you are going to fit a laptop in there - not even my 12.1" Thinkpad. Only a tiny 11" netbook or a DSLR. This is fairly annoying, to be honest. I hope they upgrade in the near future, as the newer electronic safes fit both...I've been to the neighboring Riu Jalisco twice. First time at Riu Vallarta. Decided to try it, even though it was $100 more than Jalisco. Still, at $1250 after taxes for both of us it was a bargain deal so we were obviously going for price to cost ratio, rather than the best hotel we could visit.
I'd like to mention the free wireless Internet access at the lobby specifically. It was just perfect. Very reliable, and fast (1 MBIT on speedtest.net). Not in the room - only in the lobby.
New hotel, built in 2006, so the rooms and buildings are in pristine condition. If you like awesome rooms - go here instead of Jalisco. I personally don't care much about that. Grounds aren't as nice as Jalisco, with less open space and grandeur. No tennis courts here, although you can go to Jalisco and use theirs. Gym is pretty good with nice machines, bikes, and treadmills, but it lacks free weights entirely.
Massive minus is that Riu (Jalisco too) continues to use old-school safes in rooms which are tiny and use a key rather than an electronic pin code. There is no way you are going to fit a laptop in there - not even my 12.1" Thinkpad. Only a tiny 11" netbook or a DSLR. This is fairly annoying, to be honest. I hope they upgrade in the near future, as the newer electronic safes fit both the camera and laptop easily with room to spare.
There was some cheesy local band in the hotel courtyard which wouldn't shut up until 11 PM, and even on the 7th floor it was pretty loud with the door closed. I could see how someone sensitive to noise could have a problem falling asleep until then. Wasn't really a big problem for either of us. The mattress was average - not horrible, but not what I would call good either.
Overall, I would rate the food as 3.75/5. Desserts weren't great, but it was a bit of a relief, as over-eating would be a problem. Food is NOT better than Jalisco - it's on the same level. Mexican dishes were great. Currently, booking the restaurants was a PITA because they only opened one per day (out of three) and it was all booked out. Steak house is good. Sometimes some buffets did seem understaffed, so they had to really work hard to serve everyone, which they did rather well. Overall, the staff was great.
Shade on the beach is plenty. Not as complete as Jalisco, but very good. Never an issue finding room at any time.
The water in PVR is freaking cold right now. If you want to swim DO NOT GO HERE RIGHT NOW. Coldest water I've ever encountered in ~15 trips I've taken to the south. It's OK to wet your feet, but not to swim for more than 15 minutes.
Overall, we were both very happy with our trip, which we enjoyed thoroughly beginning to end. However, I can see how someone who is picky could get annoyed at this and that. If you expect perfection go to a more expensive place instead. This is a good hotel for its price. I have no qualms about recommending it to others, but I would suggest considering Riu Jalisco first. The rooms aren't as nice there, but otherwise I think it's better and cheaper.More
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