Hacienda at Hilton Puerto Vallarta

We had an unforgettable experience during our stay the Hilton. Their staff is incredible! I wish I knew more names because they all deserve recognition! It was our first vacation south without our kids since 2007, and it couldn’t have been better! We checked in late on the Friday night and had some minor issues with our room so asked for another room, which was no problem at all! We switched to a new room and were sleeping in no time! (The beds were super comfy) they also have robes and slippers in the room! We were so impressed at the cleanliness and constant upkeep. They also include gratuities which I found the staff didn’t expect them as much as some others we’ve been to. (No pressure tipping) which we still did for the most part only because the staff were so incredible! A few names I would like to mention are - Jorge in the hacienda pool, Leonardo and Raul in the Mexican restaurant and Victor at the front desk. Outstanding! They all must really like working there because the grounds people and cleaning staff were also extremely friendly. My husband and I both felt very safe at this resort, in fact, we had forgotten to close our safe one morning after taking money out to top our cleaning lady, and we had our passports, both Canadian wallets, and over $250USD in there and not a thing was touched! Talk about tempting!! The a la cart restaurants were fantastic, but we found them slightly on the smaller side for portions, so we ordered an entree and 2 main dishes each. (My husband never had any trouble finishing them) and it gave us a few more things to try! Although it was a fantastic couples resort we would be reluctant to go there with kids over 5, there isn’t much for kids activities and no nightly entertainment. Which was fine for us, but our 10 and 7 year olds would have been bored. All in all this was the best resort we’ve been to and this is our 6th resort. We had an unforgettable vacation we will remember for years to come, you set the bar high Hilton!

We just stayed here a week for our first time and loved it! The adults only venue was perfect for us. If you want family noise and fun the Hilton next door was perfect but we loved the peace and quiet and lush landscape. Our room was spacious and fantastic with our own pool. The staff was incredible and so genuinely friendly. The food was so great- our favorite was the Mediterranean restaurant. It’s hard to believe they can provide this level of quality day after day. We even had a nice chat with the GM who could not have been more personable or genuine. We will be back. The Mexican fiesta night was also great but be sure to check out all the food stations before you fill up-ha.

The Hacienda side of the Hilton hotel is adults only, but we found ourselves on the regular Hilton side more often, as the facilities were nicer. It is easier to get from one side of the hotel to the other from the front entrance of each hotel vs the long (lots of stairs) connecting path they provide. We had a pleasant stay, however, the front-desk staff were horrible - especially Pablo; we had seen a guest yelling at him, when we initially checked-in and felt bad for him, however, this quickly turned as we communicated with him during our stay. He was rude & unhelpful and we left out check-out extremely disappointed and upset. Cons: - no hot tubs (not even on the Hilton side) - horrible front-desk staff - no atmosphere around the Adult only pool area (we definitely weren't looking to party, but there was absolutely nothing going on) - there is no access to the beach on the Hacienda side Pros: - staff around the resort (bartenders/cleaning staff) were pleasant and very helpful - the buffet had a good selection for breakfast/lunch - Skybar pool on the Hilton side is nice and has a great view Tips: - book your restaurant reservations right away, as space (and food - try to book before 9pm) runs out; it's better to have the reservation, even if you don't go. Don't bother booking at the Italian restaurant - it is not awful. - there are various tour companies on the Hilton side that are stationed at desks to assist: go early, as many tours are only on certain days (also, feel free to look online and book on your own), as there are various hidden fees - If you're under 40 (we are 35), I would NOT recommend staying here, it appears to be largely catered to 40+ and children