TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This is a beautiful hotel. The staff are attentive, kind and courteous. The hotel grounds are gorgeous - it invites you to take a stroll and just breathe. Our room had the most lovely view of the ocean - e...very morning, coffee in hand we would sit on our balcony and talk - completely unplugged from everything else. We were rested and refreshed and so well taken care of. The food was great! Both restaurants on the property give you authentic tastes of Mexico. This is a place we will return to! What a great find for us!

Velas Vallarta – A Spring Break Surprise We just spent a week at Velas Vallarta for spring break, me, my family, and the extended crew (grandparents included). Our kids’ school break landed unusually late... this year, the week after Easter, which had me worried. I pictured a resort at capacity: crowds everywhere, lounge chair skirmishes, long waits, chaos. Thankfully, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. To our pleasant surprise, the resort felt maybe half full, if that. There were plenty of lounge chairs, no early morning towel warfare, and a great staff-to-guest ratio. Everything was calm, pleasant, and easy — just how vacation should be. The crowd was a good mix of North American and Mexican guests, and the vibe was relaxed all around. We stayed in a "One Bedroom Deluxe" with a lock off studio attached. It was huge and perfect for our family of four. Grandparents stayed in a regular One Bedroom and had a much more sweeping view as they were in the central building. They were also very happy with their room. The grounds were beautiful, the beach was wide and the ocean swimmable while having enough waves to be fun and warm enough to make you forget about the pool (though we used both) while cool enough to provide welcome relief from the hot sun . We played a lot of beach volleyball; I even had a Dad moment of glory spiking a ball against my teenage daughter who plays on a club beach volleyball team! Food and Drink: We opted for the All-Inclusive package, and it was nice to be completely stress-free about extra costs. Liquor quality was what I’d call mid-shelf — think Don Julio Blanco, Bacardi, and Johnny Walker Black. Not bad at all. And honestly, does anyone really notice the difference after their third margarita? The food? Generally good and always plentiful though it had its highs and lows. Let’s just say consistency wasn’t the resort’s strong suit. One night, my father-in-law ordered a steak that came out practically mooing. It was so rare, the steak knife might have doubled as a defibrillator. He sent it back, and instead of re-firing a new one, they brought the same piece of meat back, just a bit more charred. Thankfully, later in the week during “North American Night,” many of us ordered the rib eye with a healthy dose of skepticism… and it was fantastic! Lesson learned: at an all-inclusive, you can order for two, eat for one, and roll with the punches. Andrea, the more upscale restaurant, was also a bit hit-or-miss. “French Night” turned out to be underwhelming though, weirdly enough, the carving station served up a Beef Wellington (not French!) that was so good, most of us ditched our plated entrees and made repeat runs for it instead. Sicilian Night at Andrea was much better, lots of bold flavors, no confusion. Mexican Fiesta Night in the main hall was an all-out feast. That was our first night, and it set a fantastic tone. I ate so much that evening I thought my wife would have to roll me out of there! Entertainment We were lucky to be entertained on two separate nights at dinner by the resident magician known simply as Spider. Let me just say, this guy is phenomenal. Hands down some of the most impressive close-up magic I’ve ever seen. He pulled off tricks that are still bouncing around in my head days later, the kind that make you blurt out, “How in the world did he do that?” If you get the chance to catch his act, don’t miss it. The nightly shows in the main lobby, in general, had a bit of a “budget cruise ship” vibe, fun but nothing to write home about. Casino Night was fun: a lighthearted setup with blackjack, Texas Hold ’Em, and roulette using fake money that translated into raffle tickets for gift shop vouchers. It wasn’t Vegas, but it was a good time and added a little spark to the evening. We also ventured off-property for the Rhythms of the Night excursion, and we highly recommend it. Great production value, excellent food, and a beautiful setting. Well worth leaving the resort for a night. Tip: Get the early dinner then show and catch the sunset! A few things I wish I’d known before arriving: • Dress code at Andrea: The website talks about “resort elegant, men in pants, etc”but in reality, it’s more like “please just don’t show up in your swimsuit.” Flip-flops, shorts, and t-shirts were common. • Tips: Not included. You’ll see a tip line on most receipts or tip jars at the bars. It became clear (through a few polite stares) that tipping was expected. Once I started tipping around 10%, service noticeably leveled up. Pro tip: for the beach and pool staff, slipping a bit of cash with your first and last drink order of the day goes a long way. Our loungers were kept well-supplied, and I daresay we achieved professional lounge lizard status by day three. All in all, Velas Vallarta was a fantastic, low-stress escape — perfect for families, especially if you like mixing beach time, decent food, and volleyball showdowns with your in-laws. Would definitely go back…