We were at the Royal Suites (the adult only side) Dec 30 to Jan 6 2012. Overall it was a positive experience, with some caveats. We liked the friendly service of the staff, we liked the remoteness of the resort, beautiful, sandy beaches, lovely well kept grounds and because the resort was remote and no other resorts on the Royal Suites side, you felt a degree of privacy, rather than being jammed in. You could walk along the beach in our private cove, without any other resorts or buildings. We liked the food and variety and we found that we were eating at the Punta de Mita restaurant, which was private to the Royal Suites, which also has a private bar and two pools, all much quieter than the Palladium side. We took advantage of the water sports, we surfed (good surf) and we sailed a couple of days. We also thought that the Punta di Mita restaurant was better than any of the a la Carte restaurants. The staff at the Punta di mita, were friendly, courteous and well trained. Also the rooms were spacious and clean (subject to my further comments) and everything worked including the hot water and a/c, and the beds were comfortable and again it was quiet.
It is useful to realize that you are looking at about $40 each way for cab fare to get to Puerto Vallarta because you are 30 miles or so (1 hour) from Puerto Vallarta, and you should have enough small cash to cover the tips; we should have got pesos at the airport to be better prepared as we found that getting cash was problematic, as the ATM in the hotel is expensive and some Cdn bank cards don’t like these machines much. Also on the negative side is the quality of the house wine – it was not drinkable, so that if you wanted to enjoy a glass of wine at dinner you had a buy a bottle of foreign wine. I know people shouldn’t go to these all inclusive expecting a wine experience, but we actually thought the resort, holding itself out as 4/5 star does itself a real disservice with its house wine. We did note that by Cdn standards the foreign wine was not expensive.
The other negative was the fact that, we found our sink area, including our toiletries covered in small insects. Housekeeping of course, generously applied Raid spray to the area, with our toiletries in range for the residue to settle on. The insects were getting into this area through a break in the caulking around the backsplash, which was just a case of neglect. We were cheerfully moved to another room, but nothing else was done to make us feel better about the situation, no apology, etc, which in our view was not good enough for a self styled 4/5 star.
Our compliant isn’t that there bugs but that a 5 Star resort should not be renting a room with such maintenance issues. It seemed the management viewed the insects in a room as an acceptable part of an experience at their resort. But really who finds it acceptable to have to kill insects on your toiletries before you can use them?

I just returned from an eleven day vacation at the Royal Suites Punta Mita by Palladium. It was a combination New Years 2013 and Birthday celebration. It was an outstanding trip, to say the least. I have traveled extensively in Mexico and have enjoyed a multitude of "all inclusive" properties and the Royal Suites did not disappoint. First of all, the staff was fabulous. From Omar (our private butler),Miguel, at the front desk, Roman, at our private restaurant.....and I cannot forget Mayra (our maid) and Angel (who spoiled us rotten)....in fact, the entire staff made us feel welcome and special at all turns! Did I mention the bartenders?!?! FABU!!!
Our junior suite was lovely...I made use of the spa tub numerous times...watching movies,having a cocktail or two while the hot water bubbled my cares away. Heaven! Chocolates on our bed every night with the turn down service...yummo!
As guests of the Royal Suites (adults only), we could enjoy both sides of the property as the Palladium side is for families. There are several ala carte restaurants to try. Reservations were never an issue and I would highly recommend the Mexican one for a gorgeous sunset dinner, and the Italian one for a lovely pasta dinner...however, I loved our "private" dining on the Royal Suites side. Always wonderful for all meals and the view is just amazing. You will be spoiled! Also, if you want a cocktail made a certain way.....just ask! I loved the pina colada with a dark rum float.. and the bar staff will bend over backwards to make you happy.
The Spa was very nice. The massage therapists know what they are doing and the private facilities of the saunas, jaccuzzis, and pool were clean and beautiful.
The beach is very interesting...it's really not a swimming beach at the Royal Suites, but next door at the Palladium there are wide spans of sand and waves. Great surfing. You will not be harrassed by vendors on these beaches.
If you are looking for a bit more adventure, grab a cab and head to Punta de Mita, La Cruz and my absolute favorite....Bucerias. You will enjoy great fresh Mexican seafood in quaint restaurants and bars. Great shopping is also there....Don't be afraid to venture out if your Spanish is not good, most people speak English....
All in all, a wonderful trip and I recommend trying the Royal Suites. The staff is there to make your stay wonderful.

We just returned from a trip in December to the all inclusive Royal Suites Punta Mita. We have been there several times in the past few years and keep coming back for several reasons, one of the uppermost being the wonderful, caring staff at this resort. Cesar is the new manager there and he was very nice and accommodating. Jesse was very attentive on our arrival as he was the rest of our stay. All the staff there are amazing and many feel like family to us. We usually eat in the restaurant right there because we enjoy the food and people like Alfredo (a real gentleman), Carlos, Hector, Miguel, Angel all treat us so well and we feel they are our amigos. The bar staff can't do enough for us and again Marcario, Oscar, Roman, Valeria (sp) are like good friends. (I wish that my Spanish was as good as their English). Can't say enough about ALL the staff. That combined with the beauty of the Bahia de Banderas will have us coming back again and again.

Kelowna, B.C.

Our 21 and 23 year old daughters and ourselves went to Mexico for Christmas this year. Our first time away at this time of year. The Puerto Vallarta side was recommended for Christmas because of it's typically warmer weather. It did not disappoint!! 30-33 degrees C every day!!

The girls wanted the adut only side, and we must say that after touring the whole resort - both sides - we were very happy that we were staying on the Royal Suites side. From the service, pools, available loungers, meals at the Royal Suites Restaurant, the bar, towels by the pool, little treats brought around the pool.....beyond perfect!!! We always sat at the same table in the open air restaurant, and were served by Hector or Angel. Bar service was Miguel, with pool side service by Roman or Miguel. We can't say enough about these fine people!! Friendly and attentive. Sure missed them the few times we tried the a la cartes on the Palladium side. So much so, that we never went anywhere else for breakfast or lunch :) Jesse, the butler, was also very attentive to the RS guests. Checking to see if we needed anything.

The shows on the Palladium side were par for the course at a resort. We ended up not staying up for them for the last few nights - too much sun and "frozen fruity things" so bed was welcomed more. On our last night, we went down to the RS pool and enjoyed a late evening swim, followed by a coffee with Bailey's. So nice!! Should have done this every night!!

We enjoyed our spa visit as well. The energizing exfoliation was the perfect end of trip treat for our skin!!

As far as the beach went,it was rocky by the Royal Suites with rock extending all the way through the sand in parts We knew this from pictures and reviews, so it was expected. There was also high tide each morning, so the walkable beach was that much smaller. But it also made it interesting to investigate. We also watched the surfers and body boarders at the section of beach where the waves were breaking the best. It was fun to play in the waves, but watch some rocks under the water. Hence, we spent most of our time at the RS pool. Again, expected, so not a disappointment.

We went on two tours. One through Sunwing, and one I booked myself through Trip Advisor reviews. The one through Sunwing was Rhythms of the Night at Los Caletas. Great show. Stunning views with all the torches. Great buffet. But the process for the tour made you feel like a cow being herded for branding. Herded to the seating area for the show. Herded to your row bench to sit down. Herded back out for dining, which was organized by how many were sitting at your table. So all the 3-4 person tables were together, the couples together, and the larger parties together. We ended up in a very nice location to eat, right by the water. So it was beautiful. But just the 'herding' was bothersome. The buffet was great and well worth it. Then you were to be at the docking area when a bell sounded to board the boat again. The guys on the boat back were very good at providing entertainment - but perhaps could have mentioned that they did have blankets aboard, as many people were sitting there shivering.

The other tour was a whale watching tour through Ocean Friendly. Look them up and book with them!!! Small tour company, and owner (Oskar) is an oceanographer and a photographer. 13 people on our boat. Educational and comfortable...and great sandwiches on home baked bread!! Don't book with anyone else, unless you are looking for a booze-cruise. Oskar knows whales and you will come away from the tour learning so much about whales, their migration, the singers in the pods, moms and babies....Awesome tour!!

All this to say that we thoroughly enjoyed the Royal Suites Punta Mita. Being treated like royalty never felt so good!!! Thank you to all the wonderful people who work there!!!