With just four weeks to Christmas and seriously behind with my shopping, I had this brilliant idea. I suggested to my husband that instead of gifts (to ourselves and the kids) this year, we should splurge on an all-inclusive vacation. My husband, who has always been the cautious and what-if half of us, took a bit of convincing (all of 10 minutes) but our kids, who have never been, were instantly onboard when we finally decided it was a go.
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Photo courtesy of Crown Paradise Club Puerto Vallarta
I chose Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a number of reasons:
Direct flights were available with WestJet and the flights times were prime. I prefer early departures and late afternoon returns to maximize my stay in destination.
I have been to Puerto Vallarta once before when I was 18 (yes, a lifetime away!) so I know from first-hand experience that the city is tourist-friendly and many resorts are young family friendly.
The price tag for a 5-day all-inclusive vacation for a family of four came to less than CAD$3,200 taxes included. How could I say no!?
Travel Tip #1: As soon as you exit the passport control area, you will find yourself going through double doors and a horde of people asking you if you need taxis, rooms, tours, etc. To the left will be a bank of desks. These people belong to the timeshare sharks and will try to lure you over to those desks at all cost. They will offer free car rental, free tours, and even a free stay for the duration of your vacation. Don’t be fooled (unless you want in on the timeshare)! The trick is to keep walking through the L-shaped room until you pass through a second set of double doors into the public area of the airport. That's where you will find the taxi desk if you need one and your tour/travel rep if airport to hotel transfer is included with your vacation.
Prior to our arrival, I read up on some recent reviews so I knew what to expect and what not to expect. The Crown Paradise Club Puerto Vallarta is an older property and it shows in the structure and decor. Despite that, the resort exterior and grounds were well maintained and clean. Check-in (and check-out) was quick and effortless on an iPad. The staff at the front desk were friendly, helpful and most of them spoke rudimentary English.
We stayed in a moderately sized standard double room which featured two double beds, a 32” LED flat-screen TV that had a mix of English and Spanish channels, a large bathroom with shower and separate toilet enclosure, a small balcony and free wifi. Our bathroom appeared to have been renovated recently, creating a bit of a contrast from the rest of the room, which had a chain-like feel with its generic decor and bland, neutral furnishings. While the beds were comfortable, the bedding was seriously outdated. The mini fridge was empty but for two cans of Coca Cola on the day we arrived, but housekeeping made sure it was stocked daily thereafter with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including juice boxes for our kids. Wifi was really spotty in the room but surprisingly full strength out on the balcony.
Since we were up on the third floor, our balcony overlooked the infinity pool with the waterpark to our right and the beach to our left. The balcony doors were not soundproof so we were prepared for some “disturbances” from late night entertainment, or so we thought. On the two separate nights where there was a beach wedding held on property, the noise level was barely tolerable until midnight. Thankfully, our kids have mastered the ability to fall asleep in all sorts of environments. My husband and I took advantage one night and danced to Ed Sheeran’s Perfect in our room while the kids slept.
Designed as a family-friendly resort, the property boasted two pools, an adults-only hot tub, and a kids' waterpark. The main pool was constantly busy with upwards of 20 people from 9am to 9pm daily, mostly locals, so we avoided that pool during our entire stay. We enjoyed the infinity pool as it was less crowded and used primarily by foreigners like us. It was unfortunate the advertised beach view was obscured by loungers and beach huts. The waterpark was our winner—nine slides including a toddler frog slide, a pirate ship, a castle and a mushroom water spray. The waterpark was surrounded by neatly manicured grounds and a small playground. We were there for hours each day! Conveniently, there were washrooms and outdoor showers around every corner.
We made use of the Kids Paradise Club on two separate occasions and would have used it more if the caregiver spoke better English. Our kids had trouble understanding her and being understood.
We sought out the Teens Paradise Jetix Room one evening after dinner and were disappointed. Like the property, all of the equipments including the ping pong table, foosball table and air hockey table were extremely old and literally falling apart. The website had advertised video games, which when inquired, was broken and not available. The advertised movie room was non-existent.
With four restaurants, there are a variety of cuisines to choose from, including Italian, Asian, and French. Settings range from casual to sophisticated, with reservations, dress codes, and age restrictions enforced at some dining areas. La Palapa is casual, buffet-style and open for all three meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner options were switched up daily so we were greeted with something different each day. The kids buffet options were, however, repetitive and consistently overcooked to the texture of cardboard. Our kids stayed away from the kids buffet corner after the first day, but frequented the self-served soft ice cream machine a few times a day.
Reservation was enforced at the three à la carte restaurants, to be made the day before. Fujiyama, which features Japanese cuisine, was decent. While the menu was very limited and focussed primarily on cooked food rather than raw food, the taste was flavourful and presentation was on point.
La Piazza features, as you guessed it, Italian in the form of family-style dining and offers a kid's menu. We expected large family-sized portions for sharing and were surprised by the incredibly small portions. In addition, the temperature was lukewarm at best. The impeccable service made up for our disappointment in the food.
Mine and my husband’s favourite was Sans Soucis, the sophisticated French restaurant. Food was delicious, presentation was superb, and the staff were very attentive, with the exception of the dining room Captain. An older fellow, he was none too obvious with his discrimination. He was arrogant and rude to us, but friendly and all smiles with the Caucasian patrons in the restaurant. He frequented all the tables asking how their evening was going but never wandered over to ours. We were the only Asians dining in Sans Soucis that evening, and otherwise treated courteously well by the rest of the staff. We were tempted to return for a second evening but regrettably decided not to.
There were five bars strategically placed around the property so you can’t go far without a drink. Bartenders were quick and friendly. There were lots of variety on the menu, a revolving special of the day and a separate menu featuring alcohol-free cocktails for kids.
Lastly, this resort's location on a stretch of beach just south of the cruise ship dock offered a secluded feel. Our kids loved waking up and seeing cruise ships docked just on the other side of the property. While the beach was busy, it was still fairly wide and clean. We tried to inquire a few staff about equipments for non-motorized water activities but no one seemed to know. After the fourth attempt, we gave up and resorted to building sandcastles and wading in the ocean. Beware, you cannot go five minutes on the beach without being approached by locals selling grilled shrimps on a stick, necklaces, beach wear, etc.
All in all, we had a wonderful time in Puerto Vallarta and can’t wait to take another all-inclusive vacation in the near future!
Travel Tip: While all-inclusive vacations are inclusive of taxes and gratuities, it is a good idea to bring small change in the local currency or USD for additional discretionary tipping. We generally added a 80-100 pesos tip to our server at the à la carte restaurants and reserved an amount to our housekeeper at the end of our stay.
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