A great experience! My daughter and I went together. Security was firm and sufficient. Food was great. They had a good variety of food/restaurants on the property. It was busy with a lot of families there at the time. Covid testing on site was helpful. Drinks were good.
Just returned from a week at the Riu Jalisco. This was our third stay at a Riu so we had high hopes but we were obviously spoiled at the previous two (Riu Palace Mexico and Riu Palace Riviera Maya) as we were most disappointed with this resort.
Pros:
The view from our room of the fountains
The pools had some nice character
Beds were comfortable
Cons:
We only had waiter service at the pool twice during our stay. Other than that you were in a lineup.
No waiter service at all on the beach.
Service in general was quite poor but we wondered if they might be short staffed.
None of the staff were particularly friendly which is unusual.
Food was definitely not up to the usual Riu standard. We only went to the buffet for dinner once, not impressed. Italian and Asian restaurants were our favourites and they were just OK.
The resort is definitely in need of an update and they weren't on top of maintenance issues.
No fault of the resort but we really did not care for the wind that would start up around 11 am and not let up for the rest of the day. Might be alright in the really hot summer but not in March. It even whistled through the lobby bar when we came down for our pre dinner drink. I guess that's an unfortunate part of being on the Pacific side.
If anyone still cares about masks for Covid, they were virtually non existent in the guests. All staff were wearing them. The resort says that masks are mandatory when you're inside as is the use of hand sanitizer. Definitely not so.
We will not be returning.
Dear Sylvia R,
Thank you for taking the time to let us know your feedback about your stay.
I would like to take this opportunity as well, to thank you for your loyalty as a guest. In case you do not know yet, there are several advantages and discounts for a Riu Class Member, you can check all the information here:
https://www.riu.com/en/riu-class/
It pleases us to learn you enjoyed the views and the pools.
However, we regret that we were not always able to meet your taste with the food served at our restaurants, but we are glad that the Italian and Asian restaurants fulfilled your expectations.
Nevertheless, we will forward your remarks about what not satisfactory to the management in order to apply the appropriate adjustments.
Yours sincerely,
Hotel Riu Jalisco
Online Reputation Manager
I traveled to multiple resorts over the years and I was expecting a better experience for the week I spent with my family at the Riu Jalisco Hotel (Mostly considering that they are a 4.5/5 stars resort.)
Pros:
• the most important: food was amazing at all restaurants/buffets, lots of choices too, great quality produces.
• very clean rooms/common area/washrooms.
• lots of chairs available both at the beach and pools.
• loved how everything is well displayed on the map, easy to get from one place to another.
• Beach was amazing, loved the scenery, the fountain/garden, the architecture….
• covid test easy to book and fast to do, a bit more pricey than at the airport (got our results 20h later) only con is that there is no limit on the time slot you book, so if everyone chose 9am you better get there early otherwise you will wait in line for a while.
Cons:
For us the most disappointing was the restaurants, not the food, but the staffs and the way things were set up! Also the wait (too many line ups, wait lists, and late staffs)
• we were informed that NO reservations were needed for any “à la carte” restaurants, but we rapidly found out that we had to go do line ups at 6pm every night to get on a « waiting list » and if the waiting list was at full capacity we couldn’t eat there that night. The worst was the Steakhouse restaurant, very hard to get in and we had specific time to eat. I wish they told us, very disappointed on that. P.S. When we tried to complain (in a very respectful way, always) the staff was a bit rude and didn’t want to help, acted like they didn’t understand.
• They also have very big amount of tables available in the restaurants at night, but made people wait in lines outside for 30min to 1h, I believe they don’t have enough staffs or they want people to eat at the buffet instead.
• One night we ate at the Mexican restaurant “Doña Adelita” on the menu it was mentioned: “main course with table service.” After sitting at the table for a while we asked a server if we could order our meals, she informed us that is was buffet only and no meal were to be served at the table… Again, disappointed by the misinformation!
More cons…:
• we love to play/watch the afternoon games at the pool, but they were so boring and repetitive. I have never seen a resort entertainment team do the same game 3 days in a row. One day they even decided to not do any, apparently because nobody wanted to play the day prior… In my opinion, it doesn’t require much to create fun and entertaining pool games.
• we are morning people and love to be at the beach by 8am, the towels stand open at 9am, most days nobody was there on time and we had to wait until someone came running... It’s already opening not that early so I don’t understand why they can’t get a staff to be there on time. Because of that I tried to get a new towel at night when I was leaving the pool (for the next morning), but they wouldn’t give me one, they insisted on a card only. I then started asking the lady in Spanish and she gave it to me a couple times. I have never had issues with towels stand at any other resorts I visited before!
• The temperature in the room was very hard to adjust. Too cold, too humid…
• I was sharing a room with my sister and was surprised to find out that our washroom didn’t have a door, my brother and his girlfriend apparently had one. It wasn’t that big of a deal for us, but we wished they considered that for us.
• Shows at night were okay, we loved the Michael Jackson one. Some were less entertaining than others. You have to get there early if you want a seat.
• Nobody spoke French, only Spanish and 80% English. I am bilingual myself, but some members of my family aren’t, and it made it difficult. Lots of French Canadian on the resort as well. I was surprised to not see one single person speaking French, it’s my first time seeing that in a resort!
• Everyone was on time or late, never early. (Restaurant says open at 6pm, staffs was there at 6:15pm, Towels open at 9am, staffs was there at 9:15am, etc.)
Overall we had a good/okay experience, I probably wouldn’t give this hotel more than 4 stars due to the multiple little disappointments we had throughout the week. It’s the little things that makes your experience amazing! This resort clearly didn’t meet our expectations! We usually travel to Dominican Republic and will most likely stick to that for the future!
Dear Lizon P,
We are delighted to read that you found food at restaurants and buffets, the location and the resort amazing.
We also thank you for your remarks on the cleanness, since it is one of our priorities.
Moreover, we are pleased to know that beach and pool layout was of your satisfaction, as well as the accessibility. Thank you for highlighting the Michael Jackson show.
Nevertheless, we do take note of your discomfort with some of the staff members, your comments will be passed on to the management department for further improvements.
Furthermore, we take into consideration your remark about the room and the department in charge will be notified.
Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Yours faithfully,
Hotel Riu Jalisco
Online Reputation Manager
This isn't my first ever written review on a resort in which I've been - but I want to preface this by saying I'm not as well travelled as some, but I have experience at multiple resorts throughout Cuba and Dominican Republic.
We just returned from 7 days as our first time in Mexico. Everything went well, we travelled with Sunwing and everything was as expected. As we booked a private transfer from the airport our check in was quick and painless. Having just worn a mask for several hours since entering Pearson airport, I was eager to get to a private space in order to remove it and get settled.
Our family room was clean, a single king and a bunk bed for the kids. No issues - however; at night we found ourselves a little cold (couldn't find the thermostat unitl the second night as apparently I wasn't very observent). The included blankets in the room were in a sealed bag to keep clean -- but upon removal they had an odour that my wife described as strong urine smell. I didn't personally oblige to smell it, so I will leave it at that.
In spite of having our green 'clean' door tag out ever day, we our room was turned over infrequently. We keep a disorganized room, that is on us -- but beds not being made up and stale towels for showers were another issue as a result. This also meant our stock of fresh bottles of water will not tended to. Considering the only other option for bottled water was the front desk -- it was a challenge to be sure.
We're a passive group, so the infrequency bordered upon not complaining and complaining. So although we take some responsibility for not correcting it, we also know the expectation of 2 days between restocks for water (not spirits or beer) is a too long.
The remainder of the facilities were 'okay'. Not great, not bad, just good. Like all resorts the buffet can get a little tired after a while but that's to be expected. The a la carte restaurants were also good for the three we tried, but because they don't have a reservation system, we had to line up up to 30 minutes before they opened to ensure a premium seat to our liking.
The availability of drinks was ... poor. I'm not one to travel with massive insulated containers for my drinks as in the past, getting refills has never been an issue. Any delay due to crowds has never been excessive or prolonged. At this resort, however; I would change my stance. Having to stand in line for a drink for extended periods was noteworthy and you had to know what bars were open and when. Navigating from one bar, then to another, and then another based on time of day was excessive and considering the size of the resort, could often mean quite a lengthy walk between locations.
Poolside waiter service was also non-existent. Two days total there was someone and only observed a single pass each of those days. For reference, we were at the pool all day every day with breaks for a walk on the beach or for lunch
A single coffee bar off the main lobby was fine, except they are also the home of the Sports Bar and resulted in lines of mixed people wonting a drink refill or a coffee to perk them back up. In past experiences elsewhere, the specialty coffee locations were dedicated to that service and it alone. As we love our coffee, this basically reduced our consumption to whatever we grabbed in the morning as we were unwilling to walk all the way from poolside to the coffee bar mid-day. This may be arguably for the best to reduce our consumption, but -- annoying equally.
Mask wearing was negliable from the visitors, regardless of the destination, indoors or not. Staff wore them at all times I noted, sometimes below the nose -- but better than nothing I suppose. Any sort of infection control was also non-existent -- I would often see unused coffee cups being removed from 'dirty' tables and given to new tables without any concern of a wipe down or disinfection. I'm pretty laid back from a COVID concern, but it is strikingly noteworthy considering the world we live in.
A lot of guests we had the priviledge of meeting to compare notes, as it were, all asked if we were tipping in effort to get increased service levels. To which I reply -- we do -- but aren't the expectations of a daily cleaned room, access to fresh water and reliable and steady drinks a bare minimum of service? Is that not the service we paid for at minimum? Should I not be tipping for a service well provided, not for service I've yet to receive?
As I suggested at the beginning of my review. This resort was 'fine' -- but looking back at our previous stays at other locations, I would be leary of suggesting this location to friends considering the multitude of amazing experiences we've had elsewhere. I'm also growing weary of the 'due to COVID' excuse. We're two years on in this pandemic. It's no longer a reasonable expectation to have a reduction in service levels while proclaiming to be fully operational. Either be open and operating at maximum service levels, however that may look -- or ensure your prices reflect that. The guests deserve value for their visit and that was not honored for our stay. With the literal hundreds of other hotels in Puerto Vallarta -- it's not a gamble a resort should be making.
Dear l_sweet80,
Thank you for taking the time to write a candid review about your experience at our hotel.
We are truly sorry to hear that you had a disappointing experience during your last stay with us, as our goal is to always provide our guests with genuine and personalized service.
Your comments have been shared with our team to study to take corrective measures where necessary as we hope you will consider giving us another chance to welcome you soon again and restore your faith in us.
Greetings,
Hotel Riu Jalisco
Online Reputation Manager
Spent a week at Riu Jalisco and was blown away by the resort, the staff, the food. Great location and the resort follows the same configuration as others, which makes it easy to navigate.
We visited all the restaurants which were excellent. Our favorite was the Mexican.
The only (slightly) negatives were the beach as the water was stirred up and lots of black sand was suspended in the sea water, as well as the beds. The bed was 2 double beds and I guess we are spoiled at home with our 'real' one piece king size bed.
The room was a bit smaller but we just slept in the room, we hit the beach or went exploring in PV or to Mismaloya. We rented a car and also explored Manzanilla and Palitos Verdes beaches.
Thank you to all the staff at Riu Jalisco from the cleaning staff to the waitresses, the bartenders, and the front desk staff. Truly exceptional service.
We got a last minute vacation and it was totally worth it!
