Riu Jalisco ClubHotel

1 reader found this review helpful

I just came back yesterday from a 4 night vacation at the Riu Jalisco. Overall, we got great value. The rooms were nice and the included in-room liquor was a great touch. The facilities were really nice. The food was typical of all-inclusive buffets. Not too tasty but great variety. The staff was very attentive and hard working. My biggest complaint was the pool. They have two wonderful pools. One for the family with waterslides and one adult with a fantastic swim-up bar. My brochures indicated that the adult pool was strictly for adults but when we got there it was full of screaming kids, even right at the bar! When we complained, management told us they had just changed the rules and now the kids were allowed in the adult pool. It makes no sense, specially when there's big fun pool with waterslides for the kids. I will probably choose another hotel with adults only swiming pool for my next vacation.

1 reader found this review helpful

"We (myself age 39, mother age 69 and daughter age 15) stayed at the Riu Jalisco from March 28 to April 4, 2008. When we arrived at the airport we were greeted with our Sunquest representative just outside of the building. On our way to the hotel he explained that the resort was a very popular retreat for Mexican tourists so if we could bare with the weekend crowds, everything would be back to "normal" come Sunday (We arrived on Friday.) The 700 room resort was booked solid! Families, young adults, and couples of all ages all there to have a good time. With the multitude of guests and two tour buses arriving we decided to let things work themselves out and have a drink at the bar until our room was ready. Leaving our egos at home and keeping in mind this was not the Four Seasons (which we certainly could not afford a weeks stay with unlimited meals, snacks, drinks, activities, etc...:)) allowed us to simply fit in and enjoy being on "Mexican time." The hotel itself was absolutely breath taking. Our room was very nice, exceptionally clean and adorned with towel critters and a fully stocked mini bar. We had a lovely view of the ocean and courtyard, although this made early evenings a little noisy. We tipped our housekeepers well and they kept our room spotless. Other than the housekeepers the vast majority of the staff spoke fluent English and were very accommodating to our requests. We tried to use the little Spanish we new whenever possible and practiced the words and phrases that were introduced to us by the staff. Manicured resort grounds were lush and ever so beautiful. As an avid gardener I took home many new ideas. Occasionally one would spot one of the resident iguanas sunning himself on the grass or at poolside near the rocks. Food was abundant offering a large selection and good quality. Breakfasts selections ranged from freshly made fruit juices, fruits, homemade breads and doughnuts, made to order omelets, eggs, various meats, yogurt, Mexican specialties, pancakes, the best French Toast in the world, potatoes, etc...Coffee was really good. Lunch consisted of a huge variety of western typicals, salad bar, grilled meats and vegetables, tortillas, seafood, an array of desserts and self serve soft ice-cream, etc... Dinner service was outstanding with the most amazing buffets or sit down service options. Truly there is something for everyone regardless of how picky one is. Service was excellent and drinks were very good including the wine. Evening entertainment was always amusing and encouraged audience involvement from all ages. The beach was beautiful! Golden sand (literally flecked with "gold," warm waters, seaweed and rock free, gentle waves made sunbathing a swimming a favorite activity for us. We took in a couple of excursions booked through our Sunquest rep which both exceeded our expectations. The dolphin swim was amazing. The animals were so gentle and the pools crystal clean. The evening fiesta was a real treat and well worth the price.

We just had a fabulous holiday in Mexico. The hotel was fabulous, food to die for (have put on loads of weight!).The staff were really great.
We were a bit worried after reading awful reviews for this hotel, all I can say is they were talking rubbish. We wish it wasn’t so far away or we would be back tomorrow!
Also Puerta Vallarta itself is lovely. We saw dolphins in the bay on numerous occasions, also pelicans and lots of other birds. There were iguanas in the hotel grounds. Also excellent trips to go on.