Grand Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta Adults Only

Daily private events and noisy earth-moving gear

Excellent meals and service in the Asian and Mexican restaurants. (Didn’t return to the Italian restaurant after the first night, since my wife's steak was too salty to eat and she didn’t want to risk it again.) Lunchtime Shore Grill and La Cevicheria also very good. The activities staff (Efraim, Julio, Jorge, Sebastian and others) were friendly and enthusiastic, but their offerings were limited, compared to others where we've stayed, by the lack of open space on this narrow strip of property, and almost daily private events took what little was there during our week-long stay. Very nice gym facilities. Pool temperature was comfortably warm, even during this December visit. Liquor quality and selection was very good, though the mixing was inconsistent, so you never really knew how anything more complicated than well drinks were going to taste. Bars in Mexico without fresh bananas? Really?

Two large corporate conventions/events during the week we were there blocked access to the volleyball court five days (and counting when we left yesterday). A nighttime event was roped off right below our window, with massive speakers blasting us until 11 p.m., making it nearly impossible to hear the TV. They need to decide whether they want to be an oceanside resort or a convention center. Many others we talked with also felt like second-class guests, just filling the space around the conventions. Every day, heavy equipment worked on and around the narrow strip of rocks that is their "beach," right below the pools, trying to build huge barriers by piling boulders in the ocean. Horrible noise and frequent diesel fumes several hours per day. Tough to relax. (When we asked, they did let us move to a cabana bed one day when the fumes were making us sick.) Why didn’t they protect their seafront while they were doing the original construction? Now it’s been dragging on since at least August! Cleaned our room only while we were at dinner, after the room sat untended all day, and we had to ask four of our seven nights. Finally didn’t bother asking on our last full day there. Easily the worst of our 10+ all-inclusive experiences. Would not return or recommend.