The Grand Velas Experience

Best Things Nearby:
Well, the best things are on-site. I never left the resort because it’s not necessary to go somewhere else. I didn’t even go to the beach because in my opinion the beaches in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta are horrible (there’s nothing like the Caribbean waters). But with the incredible pools, you won’t even miss the ocean.

Best Things About the Resort:
I like everything at the resort. From the moment you arrive, you are treated with the best service possible; the check-in process in efficient and very quick. Everybody is very friendly and they make you feel right at home.

You will feel totally relaxed at the resort. It's very peaceful and it's never crowded. Since it's all included, you can just relax by the pool and the waiters will bring you drinks and snacks at your request.

Resort Experience:
The accommodations are very nice, luxurious but not exaggerated; overall, it’s one of the best units I’ve stayed at.

The room I was assigned was a one-bedroom unit. It was a very large unit for a one-bedroom; it had a very nice balcony with ocean and pool views (all the units have ocean views), a mini bar with sodas, beers, and chips stocked every day, and two big screen TVs. The furniture of the units are very nice; I think they brought almost all of the furniture from Bali. The beds are the best; the quilts and the pillows are also very comfortable, and I have never slept better in my life. The only thing that I missed this time I went was the Jacuzzi. Last time I went, I got a studio unit and all the studios have a Jacuzzi, but the one-bedrooms only have a normal tub and a shower. The one-bedroom unit also has a small dining area and a small table and chairs on the balcony, so you can eat something while you watch the ocean from your unit.

This is a small resort, so you don’t have to walk a lot to go from one place to the other. They have a very well equipped gym with a lot of high technology exercise machines; they also give classes in yoga and tae-bo. The SPA facilities are very nice, and there are a lot of different areas for the different treatments given at the resort.

If you like to party and go to bars and discos, this is not the resort for you since almost all the nightlife is far away; you would have to take a cab or rent a car to get there. There is a nice bar on-site and they play jazz music there. They also have pool bar and bartenders are nice.

The only thing I don't like about the resort is that a lot of guests feel they are rulers of the universe and they are not friendly with the other guests. I'm not saying all of them are like this, but when I went, it was like this.

The food is more than excellent. The Frida and Lucca restaurants can't get better -- they simply have some fine chefs there with original and very creative ideas.

I really recommend this resort to people who really care for good gourmet meals, great service, SPA facilities, and luxurious accommodations.

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

Frida is a Mexican restaurant with a French influence, so the menu may seem kind of weird when you are reading the different dishes. The restaurant is very original and it is kind of small. They also have the outdoor dining part, but only if it's full inside do they open that part. On one of the walls, they have a list with the prices of all the things they bought for the decoration of the restaurant.

The waiters really give an outstanding service and they are always paying attention to what you need at all moments. The restaurant is also open to people not staying at the resort, so it has prices on the menu and let me tell you that it's very pricey if you’re not going the all-inclusive way.

Frida is considered one of the best restaurants in the Vallarta area, so if you’re staying here, don't let the opportunity to eat here go by! DON'T FORGET TO MAKE RESERVATIONS; THEY’RE REQUIRED IF YOU WANT TO DINE HERE!!!

This is one of the best things about the resort, you have to visit the SPA at least once and you will fall in love with it. The RCI members have an aquatherapy treatment and a free half hour back massage included; the only thing you have to do is make the reservation for it and that’s it.

The aquatherapy treatment is very relaxing and it's always included before you take a massage. In the facilities, they have several jacuzzis with different temperatures, a sauna, a Swiss shower, steam room, etc.

There are a lot of different massages and you can have them taken in couple or individually depending on the massage. You can also have an outdoor ocean front massage.