We brought a group of 30 guests to this resort Oct 19-26 for a slo-pitch tournament. Overall, a great resort. A few things they do very well but also a few things they should improve. Personally, I would stay here again. We have stayed at the Fiesta Americana next door in the past and The Friendly has a better night life than Fiesta.

It was difficult to communicate with the group coordinator. We wanted to do a group welcome cocktail but we weren't able to arrange this. They just sent a list of the activities for the week. We just did our own thing in the lobby. We had a local friend make us a cake and the hotel staff did help us out with napkins and a knife to cut it at least.

Check in was quick and easy. It went well given we had 15 or so rooms. The front desk staff were very kind and polite. The only major issue was that they couldn't find the reservation for one of our passengers. They eventually found it. Some of our guests ended up with 2 double beds and they were able to switch to a room with 1 king.

The rooms were clean and spacious. Our air conditioner couldn't keep up as it was very hot outside. It stayed between 25 and 27 degrees in our room all week. There is plenty of storage in the dresser for all your clothes. The safe is likely not big enough for our laptop, so I'm glad we left it at home. We used it for all our other valuables, without issue. Our housekeeper, Nardi, did a great job on our room. However, we did not have any drinks in our fridge. We left a note and asked for beer but never did receive any. Other guests in our group did have pop, water, or beer in their fridge at least. We stayed in an oceanview room which was a good decision. A beautiful view of Puerto Vallarta and great view of the resort. I would highly recommend this room category. Everything was in good working order in our room. Unfortunately the adjoining room doors let all of the sound pass between rooms. It can be quite loud depending on who your neighbour is. The beds were fairly comfortable but I found the mattress protector was loud and crinkly.

We were off the resort quite a bit so we only had a few meals here. We mostly ate at El Palmar. Their breakfast buffet is excellent and they also offer omelettes. We enjoyed sitting on the patio for breakfast every morning. If you go early it is not as crowded. After 9 it gets busy. We ate there for supper twice and they had a good selection. The service at El Palmar was excellent. We snacked on pizza, nachos, burgers and fries each day. A great addition to the restaurant so you can sit around the pool and eat or take it to your room. Another great option for late at night is the Villa Linda. One of the bell boys let us know that Villa Linda is open late (until 5 am) for snacks. They offered tacos, ribs, kabobs etc. Overall, we found the food to be good and a nice variety. We didn't have time to try any other restaurants. The Coffee Bar is a nice touch, but I would love to see them offer an iced coffee option. I would just go to the bar and get a cup of ice and pour the Carmel Macchiato over ice.

The adult only pool was closed when we arrived as they were doing some renovations. We didn't mind but it would have been nice if they would have said adults only in the smaller pool so we could at least have some quiet time away from kids. There were A LOT of families at the resort while we were there. It wasn't terrible but an area where kids aren't allowed would have been appreciated. They did eventually open the adult only area but it didn't open until 1:00 most days, even as late as 3:00 other days. There is no swim up bar but the waiters do come around and serve drinks if you are in the adult pool. Double Double and Hugo will take good care of you. There are a couple of hot tubs on site too. Great for the evenings or cooler days. Also the pools stay open late (like 10 pm) which is fantastic.

There always seems to be music playing and activities going on. They even had a DJ at the adult pool. We missed the mechanical bull but did get to participate in the (mechanical) surfing. I feel like there could be a little more for adult activities throughout the day but it wasn't bad. The only show I watched was the Circus Show. All the chairs were spaced out which was nice to see. The show was only 40 minutes so it was perfect. It didn't drag on all night.

The hotel is in a nice location. It is a very short walk to the mall and Soriana where you can get almost anything you need. The beach is decent and kept clean.

It is required that you wear a mask when you are in common areas, restaurants, snack bars etc. It wasn't terrible though. If you forgot a mask when you approached the towel stand, bar, or snack bar, they would turn you away and ask you to get a mask. Slightly inconvenient but completely understandable. We were just happy to be on vacation. Just remember to bring lots of masks with you.

I'd also like to note that the hotel seems to be doing constant upkeep, repairs, or renovations. It is nice to see how much work they put into the hotel. We also watched them set up for 3 weddings I think. All of them were set up differently. It was nice to see.

We had one passenger who required medical services for an ear infection. The hotel arranged a doctor to come onsite. It seemed to be an easy and positive experience. They took good care of him. It cost about $200CAD for the visit, including antibiotics.

The biggest disappointment for me was the gym. I went one morning at 8:30, there was no one else there so I hopped on a treadmill to warm up. By the time I was done there was one other guest using the dumbbells (standing right in front of the rack) so I went to use the multi functional gym and realized it was out of order. I went back to try and use some dumbbells but another couple came in and it felt crowded with only 4 people. Also there is no air flow in the gym and it was very hot. I just left and never came back to the gym all week.

Overall. our experience here was a positive one. I would definitely return to this hotel. For a smaller resort, they had a lot to offer. The staff are amazing and will make an effort to keep you happy. They are what make this hotel so good. Thank you for a great trip!