Grand Velas

Because the resort was all-inclusive ( pp), we didn't have much desire to leave the resort and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing as the service and food at the resort was top-notch.

Definitely splurge and take advantage of the spa facility. This was a highlight of our time spent on the resort.

Quick Tips:

We wouldn't recommend the snorkeling trips. We were on a large boat but there were so many people on it, it felt cramped. Also the continental breakfast they advertised consisted of apples, pears, and a roll. If you were lucky, you got a banana. The boat went to Los Arcos for 20 minutes of snorkeling. We were given a mask, snorkel, and a life jacket, but no fins. There wasn't much marine life and you had to worry about getting kicked in the face by one of the hundreds of other snorkelers. Then you get the choice of being dropped off on a beach for three hours or go further up the coastline for a hike to a waterfall. You have the choice of hiking on foot or going by horseback (.50 pp). We opted to walk, but we never got to see the view around us because we were constantly looking at the ground to avoid stepping in horse poo. The waterfall was ok but not as nice as ones in Hawaii. After the hike, we had lunch, which was included. We couldn't wait to get back to the tranquility of the resort.

Best Way To Get Around:

We didn't need transportation much on this trip, but when we did, we only used the taxis. From the airport to the resort, I think it cost , but the return trip to the airport was . The one other time we used a taxi to go to the marina, the cost was each way. We met a couple who recommended the buses from Nuevo Vallarta. They said that it only cost each way per person and that the buses were very comfortable (like Greyhound buses) and air-conditioned.

The rooms are beautifully decorated with their own temperature controls and luxurious bedding. We originally had a one-bedroom suite with two queen beds and two bathrooms on the second floor. All rooms at the resort have ocean views. However on our second day, a family with small children checked in the room adjoining ours and we asked to be moved the next day. They were able to accommodate us with a room on the seventh floor (MUCH nicer views because you can see the surrounding city from the hallway and beach from the patio). This was also a one-bedroom suite, but with one king size bed and one bathroom.

All of them have a small refrigerator which is stocked with sodas, beer, water, and liquor. We found out though that if you drink your four beers in the refrigerator, they won't bring you any more until the next day. You also cannot order beer or wine with room service. They also have a small basket of snacks (like doritos, potato chips, peanuts) which they restock every day.

We only had one bad experience with room service. When you order, they say that it takes about 45 minutes. Well, after about one hour, we had not gotten our dinner, so we called and they said that they had lost our order. The woman was not very helpful so I called the concierge. We had to reorder our food and it took about 15 minutes to get the food. We were disappointed that no one apologized to us for their mistake. Also, the room service menu for dinner is somewhat limited.

Besides the daily beverage/snack service, they also had maid service in the morning/day and a turn-down service in the evening (but no chocolates on the pillows).

This is our experience, but we felt that the second floor crews were better (absolutely perfect) than the seventh floor crews. On the seventh floor, there were instances like they didn't replenish the toilet paper and we were completely out, they didn't have water on one of the days or replenish the snacks, and they didn't resupply the complimentary toiletries one day. These may seem like small things, but when they strive to be a 5-star resort and we had already experienced 2-3 days of flawless service, these things stood out.

Best Things Nearby:


Best Things About the Resort:
It cannot be reiterated enough that the service is excellent at the resort. In particular, we thought the wait staff at the two fine dining restaurants and pool were great.

The spa was great too. We took advantage of the spa facilites, which included a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and other pools before we had our couples massage. The spa facilities were beautiful and well-kept.

We thought the gym facility was the nicest we've ever seen and used it many times over the week, which we normally don't do while we're on vacation. The room is spacious with plenty of cardio machines along with free weights and other exercise equipment. They also had pilates and yoga classes that we did not take advantage of.

Resort Experience:
When you first arrive, they have you sit on comfortable lounge chairs in their open air patio and serve you fruity drinks and cold wash cloths while you check in comfortably.

One of our criticisms was how they hook you into their timeshare presentation. After having been on a couple of things, you'd think we'd know better; but when their representative promised that it wasn't a sales pitch, we agreed to go on it. Having talked to other couples, we actually feel lucky that we were not given the high pressure that they were subjected to. We did get a couple of boobie prizes for going to the presentation, some of which were worth it and some that weren't.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

We ate at Frida three of the seven nights we were at the resort. It was never full on the nights we were there, which we thought was a shame because we thought people should really have taken advantage of the food and service there. The service is what you'd see in the finest restaurants.

The first night we had fish entrees that we were disappointed with because did not taste fresh. But the other nights, we had meat entrees that were delicious. We were fortunate enough to be there the week that they switched to their summer menu and so had more variety to choose from. The beef filet and lamb dishes were some of the best we had all week. Also they have a decent but not great selection of wines that are included in the all-inclusive package. They do pour generously though. Maybe desserts are different in that area, but we felt that the desserts were the weakest course of an otherwise excellent meal. The tableside making of the Mexican coffee is definitely worth ordering it.

The views of the sunsets from the restaurant are beautiful.