Read Reviews of Vela Vallarta, a Family Beach Resort in Puerto Vallarta

We were really somewhat disappointed with our stay at the Velas Vallarta for a number of reasons. First I'll list the pros of this hotel. Pros: Top-notch customer service, especially in the restaurants. Nice grounds, spacious rooms, good beach, great breakfast buffet, fantastic food, good location, really comfortable sleep. Cons: Only two restaurants to choose from. The pool wasn't all that great. Room decor and furnishings are a bit dated and not very luxurious, minimal offerings in the mini bar, poor quality alcoholic beverages - very stingy with the alcohol, poor menu selection (more about that below). One of the things we liked least about this hotel was the fact that it had only two restaurants, and what made that worse was that they were themed. In other words, one night would be Mexican night and another Asian night, and so forth. You were only able to order items for the theme of the day. We would prefer to order what we want, when we want. We were really wanting a good Mexican meal and were disappointed twice while at the hotel. The day we arrived they were having a Mexican Fiesta buffet with entertainment. The buffet was mediocre at best and the entertainment was so-so. Then we waited for Mexican night at the Andrea restaurant and were again disappointed. The food was good, but it wasn't what we were expecting or wanted. It was contemporary Mexican food. It was very delicious, but we were really in the mood for a more traditional Mexican meal. In order to get that, we had to go to a restaurant outside of the hotel. And finally, we were very displeased with the quality of the alcoholic drinks available at the hotel. The piña coladas were made from a mix and if they had any alcohol at all, I certainly couldn't taste it. There margaritas were somewhat better, but they were pretty stingy with the tequila there too. Overall, we were not pleased with the all inclusive feature of this hotel. We will not be coming back

I would not recommend this place as a high star experience. They try but come very short. It was crowded and did not have consistent service. No activities for teens after hours. All focused on little kids. Lobby is sad and dark to walk into, very depressing. NO Spa to speak off. IT's just old massage rooms

Staff are amazing (shout out to Rafael and Monica in the beach side restaurant). They take very good care of you and genuinely want you to have a good vacation. 5 stars. Grounds are well taken care of. 3 pools, 1 with a swim up bar and a lazy river. They could benefit from some slides etc for the kids. 3 stars. Food is OK, not great just OK. But this might be because we're a vegan family and they have limited options. After 1 week we'd tried everything off the vegan menu. 3 stars. Kids activities is a little fragmented. We have a 4 year old and an 8 year old and they catered for about 50% for each of them. Compared to other resorts we've been to, the kids center could use some improvement. 3 stars. Rooms and the hotel itself is definitely a little dated and showing signs of aging. Our ceiling fan was loose on the ceiling so we had to turn it off at night otherwise it was too noisy to sleep through. 2 stars. Overall, we had a good vacation but I'd probably look at other resorts for our next trip

We stayed in building 2, 7th floor, which was an excellent location! It was a suite with a lovely beach view with a balcony and small, equipped kitchen. It had a king bed and a pull out couch. The bed was comfortable and the room was fine - clean, but a bit dated. The bathroom was nice and the water pressure in the shower was awesome! The food at the resort was our least favorite part of the experience. It was okay. There was less variety of any other all inclusive resort we've stayed at in Mexico and the dishes were just "okay." The fruit was delicious and there was always salad available which was a plus. The Andrea (requires reservations for dinner) was our favorite spot for breakfast and dinner and we usually ordered by the pool/visited the buffet for lunch. The nature was the star of the show at this resort. The whole place is small, with easy access for a stroller, walker, or wheel chair. The kitchen in the suite would make it easy for people preparing bottles or special foods for those on a limited diet. Another plus of this resort was it's easy access from the airport. And a local shopping area (the Marina) within 15-min walking distance. Though we didn't visit, it also seems that the downtown area of town is quickly and inexpensively accessible. I would recommend this resort for people (families or couples who don't mind lots of kiddos) staying for a short visit. I would recommend tipping servers regularly (not necessarily the norm at other all inclusive resorts)