Destination: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Dates: April 3-12, 2009
Travelers: Ross, Shelli, Riley (9) and Sydney (8)
Half way through our trip to Puerto Vallarta, we packed up and moved from Dreams Vallarta to the Riu Vallarta up in Nuevo Vallarta. I like to experience as much as I can for my clients while I travel, so we often switch hotels and areas. The Riu brand of hotels is definitely one of my favorites and I always, always recommend Riu hotels to my clients. The Riu Vallarta certainly is an excellent choice!
The taxi from Dreams Puerto Vallarta to the Riu Vallarta was $30. We ran into traffic by and north of the airport, so the ride took an hour. The Riu resorts are located in a secure development on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. There are only other resorts nearby, making it a quiet, safe place to stay. There are 3 Riu hotels along the shore. The Riu Vallarta is the first one, then a few resorts down in the Riu Jalisco, then a few more resorts down is the new Riu Palace Pacifico. When you stay at the Vallarta or Jalisco, you can use the facilities of either hotel. When you stay at the Palace, you can use all three hotels.
Check in at the Riu Vallarta was quick We had 2 rooms: 1081 and 1082. The kids loved having their own space. The rooms are very much like the rooms at the other Riu resorts we’ve been to. Each has 2 double beds or a king, 2 chairs and a small table, good sized marble bathroom and amenities, its own mini bar and liquor dispenser which is restocked daily. They all have balconies. We settled in quickly and felt right at home.
The beach in front of the Riu is incredible! You can walk forever in either direction. To the right are the other Riu hotels. The sand is soft and clean and there are plenty of palm trees and chairs on the beach. There are 2 pools. One pool was more for adults, with a swim up bar and adult music and activities. The other was more for kids, with 3 waterslides, kid’s music (think High School Musical, Hanna Montana) etc. They set up a make shift pool deck bar on Friday, I think anticipating for a busy holiday weekend. We always found pool chaises in the sun or shade and liked that we were close to everything (bathrooms, snack buffet, etc.) The kids swam in the pool, played ping pong when they got water logged, grabbed a snack when they got hungry, then jumped back in the pool. It was perfect!
We mostly ate at the buffets, as a long, drawn out gourmet meal wasn’t in the books for this trip. The buffets offered plenty of everything, even for Ross, who likes squid, octopus, crab, meats and a variety of odd things and for me, plenty of pastas and veggies. The kids liked the dessert options! We have always loved the food at the Riu resorts. Plenty for everyone and every taste bud.
The second day I got a call to the room. It was a Riu employee checking in to make sure that everything was satisfactory. He asked if there was anything I needed, or anything they could do to make out stay more comfortable. Nice touch. I assured him that we felt well taken care of.
Sydney wanted to paint some pottery so we bought a $12 bunny and had her paint it. We picked it up the next morning. Overnight, they adorned it with some Mexican touches and details. It was really cute and she loved it. I’m glad we did it. On Mexican Night, the kids played some traditional Mexican games and won points to buy prizes with. Riley collected the points and bought a laser gun, which has become a cat toy at home.
After 9 days away from home, we were all ready to get back to our own beds and routine. Northwest World Vacations gave us a ride back to the airport on Sunday. No charge since we were flying Northwest. We had an amazing family vacation. I wouldn't have changed a thing!