My husband and I just returned from a week-long trip to Casa Velas. We echo everything that all the positive reviewers have said. The food is outstanding (best we've ever had - ever), the rooms are beautiful, and pools and beach club are pristine. We've experienced all this at other all inclusive hotels before, but for us, the thing that set Casa Velas far above the rest was the unprecedented service that we received throughout our entire stay. From check in to check out, we received warm, personalized service that we have never experienced before. From the moment we arrived, we were able to instantly settle into rest and relaxation knowing that everything was taken care of and there was nothing to worry about. The staff is so friendly from Rangel (the concierge) who rounds the main hotel and beach club to make sure everyone is having a good time and all needs are met, to Jorge, our daily waiter at Emiliano who greeted us every morning with an enthusiastic smile and asked us how we were doing and what we had planned for the day. Jorge even helped us by giving us a restaurant recommendation on the day we planned to visit the downtown boardwalk (El Malecon). The restaurant he recommended was outstanding and we were so excited to report back on our experience the following day.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. We came home so relaxed and refreshed thanks to this wonderful hotel and the staff who went above and beyond to make our experience as memorable and special as possible. We will definitely be returning in the near future!

Oh I also wanted to mention that there were no problems with the hotel not being right on the water. We actually enjoyed it. The view from our room overlooked the golf course and it was beautiful. Also, we went back and forth from the hotel and beach club and even Velas Vallarta and never had to wait more than 2-3 minutes for a shuttle. It was a really nice way to get out and about and ask questions to our driver in route.

This is our first time at a Resort that is not located directly on the Beach but is was definately never an issue. Casa Velas has their own Beach Club at the beach with a lovely infinity pool and huge comfortable towels. Just show up at the Lobby anytime and the Concierge will immediately have you transported. It's a very quick drive to Casa Velas Beach Club but we also enjoyed the 15 minutes stroll past the beautiful homes in the area. Quite simply, if you are looking for a place to unwind, relax, breath and catch up on your reading while enjoying the warmth, this is the Resort. There are no loud pool aerobics. Rather than a Buffet there is a beautiful al la carte restaurant where the dress is casual...be sure to try the Mussels ! The service is unbelievable and so is the food. The Staff make you feel like royalty. All inclusive, premium everything with room service included. We had breakfast promptly delivered to our room every morning to start our day and never felt so pampered. Honestly, you wouldn’t have to move from your pool/beach chair/bed all day as the staff is promptly there with drinks, menus, lunch, dinner etc. It’s a small well maintained and very clean place surrounded by a golf course. There is a warm plunge pool on the balcony of each room to enjoy at the end of the day with a relaxing drink. Highly recommended.

This was our first visit to Puerto Vallarta. We completed a trade for a week using RCI.

THE GOOD: The food was very good. Unlike some people who have posted comments we found that there was a very large selection of food on the menu. They are also willing to accommodate special orders. For example, they serve a filet mignon with a small lobster tail on top. You could instead ask for two lobster tails and whatever sides they had available anywhere on the menu. The guacamole is the best I’ve ever had.
The dessert selection was limited however, while we were there they switched to serving ice cream in a waffle bowl which was a nice touch. And, although it isn’t listed you could also order fresh fruit for dessert. You can order Mexican, Spanish or other coffees made and served tableside although the menu doesn’t mention it. I think the trick is just to decide whatever your heart might desire and then ask for it. We got beautiful prawn cocktails for lunch that weren’t on the menu. We just asked. The wait staff were all friendly and very professional.
The private Beach Club is wonderful. The infinity pool provided a beautiful ocean view. It wasn’t crowded. The staff there were particularly attentive, bringing chilled ice water to everyone lounging in our around the pool. The pastrami sandwich was not a winner. The tempura was and the sushi wasn’t.
No children.

THE BAD: The Fiesta [Sunday night at the Velas Vallarta] wasn’t great. There was a large variety of food but it wasn’t particularly interesting or tasty. The dancers and mariachi band were entertaining. The MC who had men from the audience up on the stage competing for a bottle of tequila by making fools out of themselves was sophomoric.
There is no hot water for showering. If you are really lucky you might have some slightly tepid water.
The pool area at the resort needs repairs. There is a lot of cracked tile and concrete.
Staff doesn't keep guests well-informed. Due to a special event, the Beach Club was closed for an entire day and evening. We heard about it from another guest who happened to overhear the waiters discussing it.

THE UGLY: Our room had a Jacuzzi tub/shower combination that was crawling with some kind of larvae or worms. We complained and every day they were cleaned out only to return every night. Ewwww!
We had traded for a one bedroom [one and ¾ bath] and were given a studio at check-in. It smelled terrible, made my eyes water and my husband nauseous. When we returned to check-in and balked we were told that RCI traders only get studios. The woman running check- in then said she was phoning RCI and put me on the phone with a man. He told me “RCI members get only studio units.” I was sure this wasn’t really RCI so I finally asked the man “Is this RCI?” It wasn’t. It was someone else in the resort. Then she told me that the resort doesn’t have one bedroom one and ¾ bath units. She eventually phoned the ‘real’ RCI and spoke to them in Spanish and then put me on the line. The RCI rep said “The resort says that they don’t even have one and ¾ bath units.” I said “Of course they do because I’ve seen reviews of them and you have them described on your website.” RCI again spoke to the desk clerk and low and behold, [they must have run out and constructed it] we were given a one bedroom one and ¾ bath room. It’s a good thing, too because there is no way that we were going to shower with the worms in the Jacuzzi of the full bath!