Holiday Inn Puerto Vallarta, 5 de Diciembre

Where to begin. We checked into the hotel and went to our room, only to discover several hours later that the A/C did not work well. We complained and were advised by management that in 6 months they were going to be replacing the units with new ones. Not that it would do us any good, since we were only staying for a week. Then my family and I went out on the balcony and closed the sliding door so we could keep whatever coolness was in the room inside. The slider became jammed and we could not open it. I had to jump from our balcony (5th floor) to the neighbors balcony and let myself back into the room to try to get the slider open. I could not and maintenance had to be called (again) and it took them amost an hour to get the slider off the track so my wife and 2 small children could get back in the room. We ultimately switched rooms (after management had told us they had no other rooms in the entire hotel earlier) to another room with horrible air conditioning in another wing of the hotel. The food was poor at the buffet, as it was the same dishes 7 days straight. And if you had the all inclusive package as we did, you only found out when you arrived, that the hotel restaurants did not allow children in, so you had to eat at the horrible outdoor buffet for every meal. The pools were not clean, and the service was horrible at best. The hotel was in major need of a remodel or an implosion ( I recommend the latter.) All in all it was a horrible experience and we left 2 days early because both our kids got sick. (One with a bladder infection and ear infection, and the other with impatigo) I'll never go back to Puerto Vallarta. I've been to Cancun and had a very enjoyable experience, but this Holiday Inn had no customer service and did not cater well to Americans.

It may not be your ultra fancy delux resort, but it was very nice. The ocean view and the beach were great. The rooms were nice and clean. Staff was courteous and quick to respond to all of our needs. The facilities are beautiful and the food was delicious. Very affordable and at a great location. It was not to far from the entertainment and shops and fairly close to the airport. I would definately recommend it.

The Holiday Inn is truely a wonderful place for all ages. The young children have their own club to go to and experience fun all day long. Teenagers are provided w/ volleyball, basketball, and many other fun entertainment while gettin to meet new people from all around the world. Adults enjoy baking in the sun or sitting under the shade at the bar looking out at the tropical paradies and paragliders. This is the place for any vacationer. The weather is also perfect everydat, sunny and 85�.

When travelling to another country, it`s always helpful to watch what appeals to its citizens. Holiday Inn Vallarta was a big hit with both my Mexican and American friends last summer. My Mexican friends weren`t familiar with the hotel chain, but they fell in love with it because of its value (the Peso isn`t as strong as the dollar). Everybody loved all-you-can-eat and -drink price for the same rates as other hotels offered for just the room. The food and the entertainment is "hotelly" but we loved experiencing interesting dishes from both cultures. Our youngest group member was 6 and our oldest was over 50. There was something for everyone. Even the teenagers enjoyed stay. The beach is immaculate but the surf is dirty not because of pollution but because it is near a river whose flowage empties next to it. There is always something going on. I recommend an afternoon of sailing with the guy down on the beach! I live in Maine and would give anything to be there this holiday. My Mexican friends spent this Christmas here. That should tell you something.

I think that the Holiday Inn Puerto Vallarta is a great Value for the Thrifty traveler. It offered a wonderful Beach, Great Service, decent rooms and a very nice pool area. The food ok not fantastic but again for the money not bad. Entertainment was about the same and again not bad. I will visit again soon.