Hotel Playa D'oro Reviews

Arrived at the hotel after an extremely long journey - landed in Cancun to go through immigration, after an hour back on the plane to arrive in Puerto Vallarta to have every single piece of luggage hand checked. (we were informed on our holiday that this does not happen to the Americans or Canadians).

The hotel was clean and the staff were friendly. Towels were collected everyday - but dont expect them back until 5pm on ocassion.
We asked for a quiet room which we did have apart from the corridors echoed so much I was glad I took my earplugs!

The entertainment was non-existent and consisted of the much mentioned keyboard player who sang the same songs everynight in the same order which totally drove us to sleep.

The karaoke was the best night pulling in the guests but this only happened twice a week. The factory club across the road was included in the all inclusive, we went once as the entertainment only lasted until max 11pm when they then tried to get everyone to go to Carlos OBriens/Senor Frogs in the town to spend more money on drinks. Nothing else happened after that time.

There were three restaurants, Kon Tiki which was very repetitive and we ate the same thing everytime we attended, the food also didnt change from lunchtime to evening - which was worrying. We also found because of this there were no desserts left at evening time.

The japanese restaurant was really good and we ate there alot, the staff were really polite and friendly. Be warned however, your clothes smell of the cooked food and burnt oil when you leave.

The Ibiza restaurant was great the first time we went but the second time the vegetables tasted of seaweed which put us off.

The other annoying thing we found was that music was played everywhere - from breakfast at 7am in the restaurant, loud round the pool all day and again in the evening when we ate dinner. Same music for two weeks - and not that discreet!

We didnt sunbathe on the beach due to the fact there were no sunbeds only chairs and the beach sellers were extremely annoying, one asking you to buy things every few minutes, even when you were trying to eat at the snack bar or drink at the beach bar.

The gym was well equipped although the treadmills didnt work for the whole two weeks we were there.

There is a good beauty salon which offers cheap massages and manicures.

The best thing about the holiday was the weather - two weeks of glorious hot sunshine. When it was supposed to be cloudy (as the weather forecast predicted) the clouds followed the hills either side of the bay, leaving the resort in full sunshine.

Overall we found that we preferred the carribean as it had a much more relaxed and friendly atmosphere, as such we will not be returning to Puerto Vallarta.

The first of only two minor warnings is about the flight, flights to Puerto Vallarta (PV) are not 14 hours as advertised they seem to be 16. Ours was 16 and we spoke to guests that arrived the following week who had also had a 16 hour flight. We re-fuelled in Dominican Republic which took an hour. Unfortunately we were not allowed to disembark which after a boring 10 hour flight (rubbish entertainment on way out) we were slightly disappointed at. Other than that, good flight with friendly crew. The tourist card was given to us to complete while on the flight, however, on arrival in PV we were given another form to complete in relation to foot and mouth! Getting through the airport is slow (took about an hour) as there are no scanning machines so everyone's luggage is hand checked both on arrival and departure.

The hotel was very good, clean, set in attractive grounds and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The First Choice rep was also very friendly and helpful. We never saw any evidence that any rebuilding work had taken place as experienced by others. The rooms were of a high standard too, very clean and if you are travelling with First Choice they have a complimentary bottle of champagne waiting for you (although we have to say, it wasn't very nice!). We asked for a sea view at the time of booking and were very pleased when we went out onto the balcony to find we had one. We were not near the main pool at all and even the kids pool was far enough away not to bother us.

We have to agree with all other reviews about entertainment. However, we were told about the Factory Club (a club across the road that hotel guests could go to free of charge) at the welcome meeting along with everything else that was included with all inclusive. The Factory Club had live bands and shows which were very good and drinks were included as part of the all inclusive deal. Kids were allowed in for the shows but had to leave by 11pm when the club turned into a nightclub - apparently. The hotel has regular karaoke in Margarita's Bar, the keyboard player and not much else really. Occasionally there was a CD on it the background, sometimes English, sometimes Spanish, but quite often it was just the TV so didn't really get you in the mood for anything other than an early night. There was a bar by the beach which most people went to if they were staying within the hotel, this had a nicer atmosphere and very low background music.

The hotel has 3 restaurants. Kon Tiki Food Court which was buffet style, Ibiza an a la carte restaurant and a Japanese restaurant the name of which we can't remember (that is by no means a reflection on the restaurant or food though!). You had to use Kon Tiki for breakfast but apart from that we stopped using it after the third day. The food was very nice but VERY repetitive, basically the same every day. At the beginning of the holiday wine was available (in taps) but they were turned off. Other guests we spoke to said they were never turned back on. Ibiza restaurant was excellent. You had to book in the morning when you went for breakfast but it was worth getting up a little earlier for. They did a different international cuisine each evening which was always well presented, excellent service (waiter service) and wine. The Japanese restaurant was also very good. This has both hot food and sushi. This was waiter service too but only after you'd ordered. You had to order the hot food from a menu board at the front of the restaurant and tell the waiters which table you were sat at. The food was very good too, fried rice, and lots of it, came with everything! We didn't try the sushi bar. Kon Tiki is open during the day but you can also get burgers, hot dogs, pizza, chips etc from a snack bar by the beach. This same snack bar turned into waiter service with a different menu in the evening if you wanted to eat outside. There was also a pool party and beach party each week where tables and chairs were put by the pool/on the beach and the BBQ was lit up.

Beach was very good, not crowded at all. The sunbeds are free and on checking into the hotel you receive a card to exchange for a towel for the beach. You had to return the towels by 7pm and get your card back to use again another time. Beach vendors are a pain and seem to be approaching you literally every few minutes and this continued throughout our holiday. None were pushy though and after a polite no thank you they walked away. The beach bar was excellent too, your glass was being re-filled as soon as it was empty!

We went on a number of trips while we were there all very good - horse riding, sierra madre safari, swimming with dolphins and hard rock cafe. Out of all of them, the one we'd probably do independantly was the hard rock cafe. We didn't drink loads the night we went so it would have been cheaper for us to have got a taxi into town another night and just pay for our drinks. Sierra Madre and swimming with dolphins were excellent. The dolphin swim is expensive but worth the money.

Overall it was a very good relaxing holiday and we'd definitely go back to Puerto Vallarta. It's an ideal place for couples, families or friends (but not somewhere you would find large groups of friends) with a nice mix of little or lots to do depending on how you feel.

Playa D'Oro is on the main beachfront hotel strip about 5km from the old town of Puerto Vallarta (PV). Don't expect to be in real Mexico at this all inclusive hotel. The only Mexicans you will see are the (very friendly) staff and the throngs of beach sellers. The hotel caters mainly for American tourists, many of whom we found rather loud and arrogant.

Having said that, the accommodation is of an excellent standard and set in very attractive grounds, much nicer than the many high rises. The rebuilding work mentioned by others is complete and the hotel is now immaculate. We saw no sign of workmen other than routine fixing. We saw a video of the hurricane damage last October when the sea washed away the restaurant and flooded the ground floor. It is quite incredible how they have got it up and running so quickly. Rooms are spotless and have showers (not baths as in brochure). Most rooms look out over one of the two pools with varying degrees of sea view. Be warned however, some look out on the car park and wasteland in front. There is an excellent children's play area, a noisy main pool with games going on all day and a quiet pool. If you want peace and quiet you won't get it if your room overlooks the former two as many do. Entertainment is confined to a dull keyboard player and regular Karaoke, which must have irritated far more people in surrounding rooms (us!) than the few who were listening. Apparently the Factory Club over the road has live bands and shows but nobody told us it was included in the hotel price, we found out on the flight home! In fact there was no written information on what was included, you were left to find out for yourselves!

The food in the newly refurbished and extended buffet restaurant is generally very good with much choice but we had major issues with the buffet food being left out for long periods of time, occasionally covered in flies. We too observed the staff brushing off flies and leaving the food out. We complained to the restaurant manager, the assistant manager, the (new) First Choice rep and the guest relations officer but none of these did anything about it other than covering the fruit at breakfast. We did, however spot a hotel inspector taking samples so maybe something will get done. It didn't inspire confidence.

There is an excellent brand new 'a la carte' restaurant on site. The food here is beautifully presented with excellent service (seems to be run independently). There is no extra charge but you have to book in the morning. There was usually ample space. There is also a Japanese restaurant with Sushi bar but we didn't try this.

The beach is good, although you won't find the fine white sand and turquoise sea of the Caribbean coast. More sunbeds and shades were appearing (all washed away in storm). The beach vendors are a real pain and will not leave you until they get a 'No Thank You', even if you are asleep or in conversation. Expect one every five minutes to start with, they do get the message after a week!

A ten minute bus ride takes you into the charming old town. This is full of characterful bars (Arndale's being a favourite) and very lively at night. The bus drivers are manic. You are fairly safe on the bus but watch out when crossing, we saw a very nasty accident. All journeys cost 25p (UK). Climbing right up the hill (keep going up steps when the roads peter out) gives great views. Prices for most things are about 75% up to full UK prices. We felt very safe wherever we went in Mexico. They are very warm, friendly people

Excursions are (as ever) best booked independently. Take a local bus to the Coach terminal where you can go pretty much anywhere. We took a five hour trip to Guadalahara, Mexico's second City for £30 each return. Stayed at the beautiful old 4 star Hotel Frances for £30. Don't miss Tlaquepaque, very ethnic and near the main bus terminal. Best deal we found on hire cars was in the big circular internet kiosk in the shopping plaza outside the cruise ship terminal (next to the hotel). £30 per day inc insurance for an open top Beetle with unlimited KM (see the Canadian guy, they don't advertise it much) Beware may companies restrict KM. Drive north up the coast and get away from the tourists, there are many beautiful deserted beaches on the way to Punta Del Mita. Sayulita is worth a visit as is Bocca De Tomatlan on the south side. We booked our boat trips from one of the two kiosks outside the circular internet café. £20 buys a day trip to 2 isolated beaches plus snorkelling at Los Arcos (rather murky). Lunch, breakfast and open bar are included. A horseride to a waterfall is an extra £7.

This was our first experience of 'all inclusive'. I don't think we'd repeat it. We missed eating out and mixing with the locals. Why travel this far to stay in your hotel? If it's your scene then this hotel has the potential to be very good but they need to get their act together on the details. We'd go back to PV but next time we'd stay 'room only' downtown.