Description: I’ve been fortunate to have made such a wide range of friends over the years from all over the world. All with different likes and dislikes (which to me is the whole point in HAVING friends). Those who know me well know that I’ve acquired a rather "champagne" taste when it comes to travel and the accommodations that come with traveling. But those who REALLY know me also know that I came from a family with little to no money who could never afford such luxuries. So, since traveling is my biggest hobby and narrowing down fantastic, interesting and unique accommodations really challenge me, I am always open to new experiences. Now that I can afford upscale travel I definitely want the best I can get without going overboard in a way to drastically change quaintness and comfort for pretension.
Several months ago, some good guy friends asked me and my partner to join them on a trip to Puerto Vallarta over Thanksgiving 2009. My partner was unable to get away during this period so I decided to go ahead and join them. There were 5 guys total in our group…me, another partnered friend, and 3 single friends. A couple of the single guys had stayed at The Emperador on prior visits to Puerto Vallarta. They filled us in on the details which included that the place basic but clean, had minimal services, was a bit old and didn’t really have anything overly glamorous to speak about. Originally I had decided to stay at a beautiful villa on my own since they were determined to save expenses. But then I realized that I was going with friends and it would be rather bitchy to stay somewhere else. So, I switched to The Emperador to hang with the boys.
Once we arrived at the hotel I immediately realized that it was going to be interesting to say the least. The staff spoke adequate English which was helpful and the doorman (Jesus) was very pleasant and welcoming. I noticed that the lobby was impeccably kept and there was a nice fresh smell, along with a breeze blowing through from the ocean directly behind reception.
Reception basically charges most if not all of the entire stay on your credit card upon arrival (which is not unusual for most Mexican hotels). Once checked in my friends told me I could get a safety deposit box with I decided to utilize. There is no charge but the hotel stamps your credit card in case you don’t return the key. The safety deposit boxes are locked in a well secured room in Building 1 of the hotel.
On a side note, the hotel actually has two buildings (one on each side of the street). Building 1 is across the street from the main reception area, building 2 is where reception is located and on the beach side of the street. Building 2 has been recently "updated" so I was told but in all honesty, I didn’t notice anything that resembled an "update" anywhere in the hotel.
Prior to arrival I had booked a Junior Suite versus a basic room. I HIGHLY recommend the Junior Suite. It offers a much larger room with a balcony and an outdoor kitchen which included a stove, sink and fridge. Additionally there is a nice table and chairs if you choose to dine outside. There is also a living room area and separate bedroom space with a king bed, desk, open closet. The mattress to the bed is basically a mattress sitting on a cement pedestal. Very odd and the bed was very hard and uncomfortable which was a major disappointment. I didn’t sleep well the entire stay. The bathroom was very small with a standup shower and no bathtub (which was fine for me). The junior suite was sparse, a bit run down and certainly NOTHING to write home about. But I will say that housekeeping changed the linens everyday (which I love) and they were always really clean. While the bathrooms are pretty old, they seemed "surface" clean and the housekeepers always washed down the walls, shower, walls, toilet, vanity, etc (just don’t look to hard). They left plenty of towels and bathroom supplies and I never found myself going without. And, they mopped all the floors in the suite every day. Still, I always felt like I couldn’t let my guard down. I was never barefooted on the floors and always put extra towels down in the bathroom. Not to mention, on two separate occasions I saw what I thought was a cockroach in the room but it wasn’t a big deal because we’re in a beach town and it’s just bound to happen in climates such as Puerto Vallarta.
There is a restaurant in the lower part of the hotel but it’s not associated with the hotel itself. However, I did eat there once for lunch and it was quite good and the prices were more than reasonable.
There is no wireless service in any of the suites or rooms. It’s quite unfortunate in this day and age and frankly, a hotel of this size should certainly catch up to the information super highway. In fact, it may sell more rooms but to be honest, I didn’t really mind not being "plugged in" during our stay. The hotel lobby has two desktop computers available free of charge that always seemed to be free when I needed them. I do believe there is Wi-Fi in the hotel lobby but I forgot to check.
The hotel requires you to wear an orange wristband during your stay. We found a get-around by stretching the band in a way to slip it off the arm when going out for dinner or out for the evening. It is mainly used during times outside on the beach so you can use the chairs, umbrellas and part-take in the bar services.
Overall, I would give this hotel a 2.5 out of 5.0. Mostly for the general (and very basic) cleanliness and a place to put your head at night but for no other reason. If you’re looking for just that I would recommend The Emperdador. If you’re looking for anything above that spend a little extra for one of the other many possibilities for upscale service. I have already found some BEAUTIFUL, new, modern places for my next visit that were only $50-$75 more a night! But, I did enjoy my visit to Puerto Vallarta and really enjoyed hanging with my friends so it was worth a little "basic accommodations" for good fun with friends.
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