Allegro Nuevo Vallarta All Inclusive

Would have been fine-if not for the Vacation Stay sharks

Were welcomed upon arrival-they were expecting us and knew our names from the moment we got out of the taxi, however, we were whisked away by what we thought was a hotel welcome person--- it was not. She kept us for 20 minutes trying to get us to sign up for a tour for their Vacation Plan program, which they insist isn’t a timeshare. I first thought she was just a person meant to welcome us as she talked about the hotel. I was very direct, saying that we were tired and wanted to change, but she insisted that we at least take a paper with info on the tour. In the morning, we came down to ask a question - they have tables in the lobby and after a 10 min talk with a nice lady - we found that she too is part of the Vacation Plan and she convinced us to take the tour. It really wasn’t too horrible-never ask questions. I insisted that there was nothing at all I could spare for at least six months- then he was rude. During the talk he asked very personal questions about my sons relationship with his absent father. Very inappropriate. The hotel was nothing special. Bathrooms are mini. The a/c was at a mild cool, never got colder. The front desk told us that yesterday they went down & they fixed them this morning but it takes time to cool-but it was like that all week. He said the same thing about the phones on a different day, they didn’t work. The buffet staff was friendly but we were constantly waiting for our next drink and we were there in a slow time. The nightly shows are fun.

You must do the Trainer for the Day program if you want to do anything at the dolphin place - they offer discounts online and it might be twice as much, however, it is 800X better!! We were there for five hours and did two diff dolphin swims, the sea lion show and a behind the scenes tour. Our guide was wonderful and she took the best care of us all day. The price was a great deal when you factor in how much we did - and we also were given water all day, a tshirt, hat, and lunch. At the end of lunch, they give you a dvd of your day ---- which is amazing - as well as the signature photo. Our guide actually gave us 2 photos each, so we got the dvd (which we can print still shots from) and 4 photos!! To buy photos in the store, it’s 8 photos for $100.00 - ridiculous, so this package was an amazing deal!! **If you do this, ask lots of questions, especially while you are in the water. They will answer as many questions as you have (to a point) and it slightly extends your time with the dolphins/sea lions. The ziplines were amazing also! There’s a bit of climbing/hiking to be done, be prepared for a good workout! If you have any problems climbing or walking, maybe not the best for you. One of our group had a bad knee and he was really hurting towards the end.

Not Impressed

The hotel was older, not what I would want on a vacation for the price, but tolerable. We paid for internet service, but the router was having problems, and we could not get access unless we went to the executive office. The food was regular Mexican plus some US basics, except no corn tortillas. Although I only ate hotel food, followed the rules, and I have never gotten sick when visiting Mexico before, I had diarrhea for a week upon returning to the US. There is only 1 electrical outlet per hotel room--in the bathroom. You can bring your own clock/radio/curing iron/coffee maker; but it all has to run on that one outlet. The hotel is also a long distance from downtown Puerto Vallarta, consider your taxi costs to do anything away from the hotel.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

The taxi fares are regulated by zones within the city, but I could never get a taxi ride at the regulated rate--it was usually 120% even before the tip.

Not Impressed

When we got there they gave us a key to a room that already had someone staying in it. The hotel room a/c worked mildly at best. The walls were paper thin so you were woken by everything. This was definitely not a couples resort and more for families. There were children running around everywhere and screaming in the hallways and it was not catered to the out of country guests. Everyday the food was the same. Everytime you got off of the elevator there was a lady that was constantly trying to get you to do a tour so they can sell you a time share to the hotel. I was on my honeymoon and they won’t take no for an answer. I won’t go back.