Barceló Puerto Vallarta — Hotel in Jalisco

It took almost an hour to get from the airport to the Barcelo PV, but what a gorgeous resort in a breathtaking setting.|We went with Premium and always feel it is worth it to us to be able to have a nicer room, view and all a la cartes and the extra perks. Upon arrival we were greeted by friendly staff who escorted us to the Premium Lounge area to get checked in. It did not take too long before we were in our room. We did not find the service in the Premium lounge to be exceptional as we have in other resorts. We were also disappointed that we could not reserve for an a la carte on our first night, again as we have been able to in other resorts when you are premium.|Our suite was huge and lovely, with a gorgeous pool, ocean and mountain view as stated in their web site!. The balconies are not so private, unless you sit back in your chair and don't stand up to look over the railing. But...we saw whales EVERY single day from our balcony, at different times of the day! That was magical! Our room was always cleaned on schedule and if we requested more coffee, or asked for anything it was always taken care of. We even had a cute little note from the person who brought coffee! |Being in the mountains, we found this area to be much cooler, the sun does not come up over the mountains until after 9 AM. We had to buy a long sleeve T for the mornings!|The pools truly are the nicest ones we have ever had at a resort, with waterfalls and a hot tub that is tucked away. Lots of loungers offering shade or sun or views of the ocean. Lots of activities and fun times for everyone!|The beach area is small and it is swimmable, however there are lots of boats tied up and pelicans swooping down to catch fish. It is so pretty, but we only went in the ocean once. We did walk the beach lots, walking out to the area they shot Night of the Iguana. There are shops and restaurants and places to book excursions right at the beach. |FOOD: We tried all a la cartes except Japanese, as we heard it was only sushi. We had excellent service in all of them and enjoyed many different meals. We went to the main Buffet every morning and had terrific service and delicious breakfasts. Lunch was always at Los Arcos, we always found something delicious to eat and had great service and gorgeous views!|With Premium, we got a free City Tour. It was fantastic! We were picked up about 9 AM and we returned around 4 PM. We would do this again if offered! Excellent guide, Freddie, who was most entertaining and informative!|We did not do any excursions this trip as we have been to PV before, and have gone on many excursions. We spent our days reading, walking, swimming and floating. We would go out of the resort and either walk left or right. Going left for about 10-15 minutes uphill we discovered little shops and found lots of gifts to buy! It was good workout! If you go right, apparently there is a Zoo and a couple of little stores but not too much.|Every evening, vendors set up tables, if you wanted to do some shopping. |We never went to any shows, as we go to bed early and get up early! |We would like to express our very special thanks for exceptional service by the following staff (we are so sorry if we missed anyone, but possibly did not get your name).|The ladies at the Concierge Desk, where you booked tours or a la carte. Exceptional service. ( I thought I wrote down your names, but cannot find them in my journal).|Martha our egg lady every morning, always a smile for us!|Christian, David, Moses, Clementine, Rene, Felidema, Raul, Marco, Victor and Edgar, Big Victor and Little Victor, Jesus and Angel. There is also one gentleman that was always overseeing everything in the Buffet and in Los Arcos. He was very serious, and didn't smile much, but we kept trying to talk a little to him. We did get a smile, and he did an excellent job watching over everything, which we noticed and appreciated.|I wish I wrote down or got everyone's names, but thank you to all the staff that made our trip incredible.|Would we come back...we would if the price was right. It is a long ways from the airport, and there is not as much to do here, however, if you don't like it SO HOT, and you want some shade and coolness and sun, if you want to see whales every day, all day long, and you want a picturesque and beautiful resort, with gorgeous pools, this...

Enjoyed the resort from Jan 11-18. It was our third time at the in 12 months. Because of travelling with older parents, we hesitated to follow through with the trip, though it was nonrefundable, because of the reviews about Norovirus (common winter virus). Kept watching the reviews & saw that the illness had started subsiding. We also did research & found out that since mid December, it’s been running rampant throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It’s unavoidable unless you don’t leave your house. So we decided to follow through with the trip. Fortunately, my sister started throwing up partway through day 4 & 5. She spent one evening in bed, but was able to enjoy laying on a lounger the next day despite feeling nauseous. My mom ended up getting sick on day 5 with nausea & diarrhea & spent that time in bed. Thankfully, the next day she felt well enough to fly home. Sadly, as my father was getting on the plane, he started feeling unwell & passed out. We were able to revive him & convince the crew that he could make it home OK. But poor guy was struggling to stay alert, sweating & had diarrhea thru the flight. Thankfully, we made it home. I felt fine on the trip but a couple days after arriving home, I ended up with diarrhea & upset stomach for about 20 hours which wasn’t pleasant. Once home, almost everyone we spoke with, either themselves had symptoms or knew someone who had Norovirus. Or some form of a stomach bug. They got it from just going through their daily life. So in no way are we blaming some of us being sick on taking a vacation to the Barcelo. Other than the stress & anxiety of wondering if we were gonna feel well enough as a group to get on the plane, get through the flight & make it home, our actual time at the Barcelo was awesome!

Probably due to all the sicknesses & negative reviews, the staff had really “kicked it up a notch” since last year. They were always polite & did their job. But we felt this time that they were going overboard & making sure we had everything we needed. The resort was meticulously clean. Rooms are amongst the best in Mexico. Incredibly comfortable beds & bedding. It is a smaller resort with a relaxed vibe which is great for family units & older ones. Almost everything is on one level so it’s easy to navigate. We find with many big resorts, that it’s tough to get a table at the buffet. They’re often not cleared & you’re fighting for cutlery & a drink. At the Barcelo, you are seated & taken care of right away. We didn’t find it a problem getting a table for eight to the à la cart restaurants as long as we did so by 10 AM. The steak at the steakhouse was incredible & the kids loved the fajitas. We all really enjoyed the lamb at the Spanish restaurant. You can’t beat the view. Beautiful beach & so fun to swim in the ocean And never a problem, getting a lounger anytime of the day. The views from our balconies were breathtaking. It’s nice that there are coffee makers in the room so you can start your day on the patio, enjoying your 1st cup. Having a little bar fridge that gets stocked with water, pop, diet pop & beer is a nice bonus. The shows are pretty decent at night. There isn’t a lot to do after that other than sit at the bar as things wind down pretty quick. One suggestion would be to have comfortable couches, chairs & coffee where people could go to play cards & drink in a more relaxed setting. Check out Jack Sparrow tours. Ulices & his crew are incredible. It is worth booking to go snorkeling (amongst the best sea life that we’ve seen all over the world), cliff diving, to hike up to waterfalls & to whale watch. Such good value & always a highlight for us. Look for him or one of his crew as you enter then beach. We have also enjoyed massages in the huts on the beach. $30 US a person for an hour - or two of you can go for $50 US. Have fun at the Barcelo...

Worst “Luxury” Experience: Deeply Disappointed with Barcelo Puerto Vallarta Presidential Suite. I know nothing will be done about this and the resort knows it too. But the least I can do is warn others, so they don’t go through what we did.

This was supposed to be a luxury vacation instead, it turned into a stressful, disheartening experience filled with unresolved issues, terrible food, and a management team that clearly doesn’t care.

To anyone considering Barcelo Puerto Vallarta, especially the Presidential Suite or Premium Level, please do your research and read the negative reviews carefully. The issues we faced are not isolated. What’s worse is that the management knows this and does absolutely nothing.

We stayed here from June 3–7, 2025, in the Presidential Suite, paying nearly $800 USD per night, and this was by far the most upsetting and disappointing vacation we’ve ever had.

Let’s start with the only positive: the bellboys and restaurant servers were kind and hardworking. That’s where the positives end.

The suite is advertised as over 3,700 sq. ft., but it felt more like 1,700. It seems they inflated the size by including a massive balcony with a strange, pointless fountain.

On day one, we discovered the shower drains were clogged with hair every day for 3 days (see picture). We showered in pool of water for 3 consecutive days. We had to call repeatedly before anything was done. No manager ever followed up. No apology, no compensation.

Room service took over two hours, if it came at all. The living room furniture looked like old patio furniture and was terribly uncomfortable.

And then, the worst: $700 USD was stolen from our in-room safe.

We reported it immediately to the Premium Lounge, expecting concern instead, we got hostility and suspicion. The manager interrupted us, implied we were lying, and referenced another guest who supposedly “found their money in their shoes.” This wasn't just offensive it confirmed that theft has happened before, and still nothing is done.

When I brought up other guests’ reviews reporting similar thefts, the manager brushed them off and said, “Guests lie and try to get something out of Barcelo.” I was shocked. What could someone paying close to $800 USD per night possibly gain from lying?

Eventually, a security staff member named Fernando took our statement, he was the only person who treated us respectfully. But after that? He vanished. We never heard from him again. We followed up multiple times, only to be told he was unavailable or busy. Still, no updates, no written report, no apology.

They claimed the case would be sent to head office in Spain which makes no sense, and when we asked for proof of the safe access log, they said only our code was used, but refused to show us.

This wasn’t just a theft, it was a complete breakdown of trust and accountability, handled with zero professionalism. It honestly felt like the managers had handled this many times before and simply waited out our stay, knowing once we left, we’d be powerless.

As for the rest of the resort:

No authentic Mexican food, everything tasted like it came from the same bland kitchen.

No beach or poolside service.

Diluted drinks.

Tiny beach.

No “private zones” or “elevated Premium amenities”, it’s all marketing fluff.

If this is what the Presidential Suite experience is like, I can only imagine how they treat guests in standard rooms.

We left feeling scammed, disrespected, and deeply disappointed. Avoid this resort...