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

My family enjoyed the Velas Vallarta.THE RESORT. The Velas is beautiful and very conveniently located north of downtown with a commanding view of the ocean. It's right on the beach, so if you want to swim/play in the sandy and sometimes rough surf of the bay you can. We stayed in a 3rd floor room which was nice for constant trips between the room and the wonderfully designed pools (easy to use stairs or elevators) and also high enough to get a great balcony view of the lush resort grounds and the beach and bay and get away from ground floor noise. The AC is strong and quickly cools the room if needed. There's not much beach or town to explore by foot beyond the resort area  you have to cab or bus it. We did not do the all-inclusive and were glad we did not. The guests we spoke with at the resort did not seem to be getting the full value of it. We did not experience the timeshare sales pitch hassles that others describe. At the resort we were never solicited like others who posted their opinions here. The all-inclusive folks have to wear a wrist band that identifies them; this may be what attracts the timeshare salesmen. To go downtown from Velas it's about $4 (45 pesos) 10-15 min. cab ride, and even more fun is the 4 peso bus ride (pick the bus up at the marina, which passes about every 15 minutes). The Velas is also only a few minutes from the airport.PUERTO VALLARTA. We learned very quickly that there's not a whole lot to explore and do in Puerto Vallarta that isn't tourist-driven (cheesey restaurants & street vendors), so we were happy to spend most of our time at the resort. We were solicited many times while downtown for tours and timeshares but easily waved them off with a "no thanks." If you take a boat charter from the nearby marina (5-min. walk from Velas), you can see a whale or two and dolphins and rays and snorkel and troll for fish... a good well-rounded trip for about 100 U.S./hour if you bargain  and make sure you know in advance what kind of boat you re signing up for (size, amenities e.g. cabin/shade/toilets for the kids). There are also fishing trips for sailfish and marlin and tuna but I didn't get the impression the sportfishing was all that wonderful out there. One restaurant note... best meal was Le Kliff restaurant, south of town. Need a rental car or cab to get there, but WOW what a view and phenomenal menu. Also good is Las Palapas right on the beach in the Old Town section of Puerto Vallarta. Get reservations for both.KIDS. The Velas worked well for us because we had young kids and wanted to spend most of our time in one place. They were fully entertained by the pools and kids club activities, which are probably most appropriate for up to age 8 or 9. The staff was great and very responsive. If you're going to make maximum use of the unit's kitchen, which we did because of kids in our party, you'll be thrilled to know there is a Wal-Mart grocery store a few minutes from the Velas which is easy to get to by cab or bus. Kids can borrow boogie boards and beach balls and such from the kids club.BOTTOM LINE... if you want a vacation with good amenities, nice grounds, great for kids, & easy access to the sights, the Velas could be the perfect place.If you're seeking a location with lots of opportunity for exploration and 'real life' Mexico, P.V. in general is probably not the place. Hope this has been helpful

March 26-April 2 Hi there. We just returned from one week at the Velas (all inclusive plan, 2 adults and two kids)and had a great time. We had a time share through RCI. Our room was exactly as we expected, even better. The staff was excellent, the food was very good (even though after a week it was nice to eat at other restaurants). Three fiestas were included with good entertainment and great food. The staff was excellent, the beach great for boogie boarding. Housekeeping was great, they did an excellent job of cleaning our room DAILY. We had a fridge stocked with beer, coke, water, orange juice, milk, butter, jam, bread, apples , cereal and yogurt. It was replenished daily. We usually go to Hawaii at spring break, but this year decided on something different and are happy we did. One has to remember that this is Mexico, not USA or Canada. If service is a bit slow, it's a cultural thing (they don't jump like we do) or maybe you have been a demanding jerk. These people make very little money. We saw very few people tipping. If you have an uptight, anal, demanding personality, don't visit Mexico. But if you are a genuinely nice person looking for a fabulous vacation ( and not griping because of the mandatory all inclusive) visit the Velas, and remember a little goodwill goes a long way. Oh, one more note about the time share sharks. Just say no. Have some (---), be polite say no and walk away. These people are persistant because they get a big payoff if they hook someone. I'll bet you are persistent when you are at work and a big bonus is on the line

Two of us stayed at Velas Vallarta (marina), one-bedroom suite, AI. Never was bothered by time sharks, food was terrific at both restaurants. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. I don't know what some of the other folks (negative comments) were expecting; i.e., time share people everywhere (I never saw one) and terrible food. Am planning to return this November for another fabulous time in paradise at the Velas

We just returned from a fabulous week at Velas Vallarta. Everything was waiting for us on arrival, including the most beautiful arrangement of flowers for the wife's birthday. Checkin was quick and easy as everything was all printed out and all we had to do was sign for the suite keys. Everyone from the waiters, to the maids, to the guards were pleasant and spoke everytime we would pass bye. We had the All Inclusive as required by RCI, and that worked out the best. No need to go anywhere for anything and every meal except one was outstanding. We even had the pleasure of eating two meals at the new Grande Velas, which is located in Nueva Vallarta rather than Marina Vallarta. The food there was even better, but we would prefer to stay and return to the Velas, as it has a much friendler atmosphere and you don't feel you have to dress up all the time. We are ready to go back and take family and friends. A car was waiting for us at the airport and bypassed a lot of the 'sales' vendors. At the Velas, as soon as we told the first salesperson that we were taken care of, no more questions. Two of the salepersons that we got to know, even took us out on the town for drinks one evening with their wives. We made many new friends and several were on their 5th, 9th and one even their 15th trip back to the Velas