We probably should have switched the order of our destinations. It was still the rainy season in Puerto Vallarta when we arrived on September 22nd. We had planned mountain biking, kayaking and other excursions. At the beginning of our week, it rained during the day and we went to the gym at the Westin where we stayed.
Our room (720) at the Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta (Paseo de la Marina Sur #205, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48354 Mexico, Phone: (52)(322) 226 1100) had a good view. We recommend this hotel. Our room was large and had a 2-person (with small rear-ends) comfortable chair. It also had a desk and a king bed that did not jiggle. There was a mini fridg and a coffee maker. The bathroom was large and had a tub as well as a shower. Unfortunately, the lighting in the bathroom was not strong enough. We had a balcony and the storage in the room was good. The pool and beach area were huge and the ocean was inviting—too bad that September is the rainiest month in Puerto Vallarta. The resort fronts on the Bahia Banderas and we were upgraded to a full ocean view. We sat at the beach one day and went in the water a couple of times--although there were signs posted that there were jelly fish and sea urchins.
Breakfast was not included in our very reasonable $90 per day rate and so we went to El Palmar downstairs some days, to restaurants on the street in front of the hotel and also next door to the Raintree Club. All were about the same price for the a la carte items we ordered. We have only one criticism: we hate paying for Internet. The charges for Internet at the Westin are high and annoying ($765 MXP for 3 days or about $12 US a day). But Dimitri had rented a device for this trip to Mexico and we were able to get our own Internet. We also learned that we, as SPG Preferred Members who had booked directly on the spg.com website, we were entitled to the free in-room Internet.
When we used the Westin gym, we wanted to shower in the spa but learned there was an extra charge. We spoke to Marta, the rooms manager, and the fee for the spa was waived for us during our stay. On a day when there was a little sun, we would either sit by the pool or go to the outdoor Jacuzzi. When we sat by the pool and the music was too loud. Marta (the rooms manager) had the music turned off entirely when we mentioned that we didn’t like it. We wanted the Jacuzzi to be as warm as it could get and Marta made that happen too (she said that 38˚ C was the max). Wow, we were very impressed with her customer service and guest relations.
We like that the sheets are ironed at the Westin and that there are real glasses and cups to use in the room. The air conditioner worked well—it maintained a constant temperature (which we find to be unusual in hotels). While the hotel is 25 years old and looks it, the maintenance is good. It does need a total remodel, however. We liked our stay and how friendly, helpful and welcoming the staff was.
We do not recommend the mountain biking company that we chose. It was called Eco Ride Bike (Miramar 382, Cerro, Puerto Vallarta, 22-279 12 www.ecoridemex.com).
We hated this bike tour (called Vallejo) and do not recommend it. Our guide, Hannibal, had no “people-skills,” was severe--the opposite of light-hearted, had no sense of humor, no interest in us and did not tell us about the areas we were passing. The description of the ride said “cobblestone and terrain” but did not warn us that about half the ride would be on bone-rattling cobblestone. The villages we passed near the Cuale River were not quaint or pretty and there was too much garbage on the sides of the road. When we finally got the dirt road portion of the ride, we started a long assent. That was too much for us especially since their website said this was a ride for all levels (therefore including beginners). We told Hannibal that we did not want to go further (and we were not going to ride back on the cobblestone). He had no idea what to do and he said he could not call a taxi because he did not have cell phone service (he didn’t even try). He asked us what we were going to do—and in an angry tone of voice no less. We said we would hitchhike with the next truck that came by. He asked us angrily what we were going to do about the bikes. We said we would leave them with him to figure out. He then asked us angrily how long we would wait for a truck to come by. We said, “as long as it takes”. Minutes later a truck did come by and we asked in Spanish if they would take us back to the city. They agreed and Hannibal asked them if the bikes could be put in the back of the truck. They agreed and he gave the driver the address of the Eco Ride Bike tour office. The truck brought us right to the door and we gave the driver a big tip (and a huge thank you). We then had a confrontation with Brittany the owner of Eco Ride Bike about what we should pay for our horrible experience. Both Brittany and Hannibal got pretty nasty instead of commiserating with us that we had a bad experience whatever the reason. After a bit, we paid half (after all we were out only half the 3 hour tour) and we left.
We created restaurant reviews for Puerto Vallarta and highly recommend Tintoque there. Also, breeze through the photos we took in Mexico by clicking here.
No comments:
Post a Comment