Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta

Longing to return to Hard Rock Vallarta made me realize that I never did review it here. We had never been to an all-inclusive resort before, so I really can’t compare it to any of the others, but I can say that this was by far the best vacation either of us has ever had in our lives. If you’re considering an all-inclusive resort vacation, make it happen. In fact, if you’re considering a cruise, do this instead. Every single time. And if you are doing an all-inclusive, go ahead and choose Hard Rock Vallarta because it’s amazing. We walked up and down the beach quite a long way, and Hard Rock seemed to have the best beach area, although the entire stretch of beach is incredible with amazing weather and water temperature. The sand is an impressive golden color that sparkles in the ocean water. The pools are great, but we didn’t even use them much because the ocean was so much fun and so pleasant. When we got out of the water, we didn’t even bother drying off, because you exit the water a perfect temperature already. I’ve been to Southern California beaches many times, but I am forever spoiled by Puerto Vallarta’s beach now. The grounds are impressive and clean and the the entire staff is great. All of the nightly shows that we attended (Michael Jackson, Illusionist, and 80’s rock concert) were tons of fun. Honestly we also spent a ton of time eating popcorn and drinking soft drinks while shooting pool in the evenings. The only slight disappointment we had was the Brazilian rodízio-style restaurant: Ipanema. That restaurant was actually one of the reasons we chose Hard Rock over other resorts (plus the overall vibe we got from their website and the reviews) because we love Brazilian rodízios, but this one was just not good. The meat was just kind of bland and seemed to be low quality cuts, and the linguiça (big sausage) was really gross. Also, the breakfast was only so-so. BUT, everything else was really good, especially Zen! In fact, we never ended up trying Ciao because we just couldn’t pull ourselves away from going to Zen (3 nights in a row 😬). We also loved that we didn’t have to worry about packing any “dress code” clothes or making any reservations, and that room service is included, which were other reasons we chose this resort. I know I’m forgetting many other things that I should be gushing about. I really just can’t recommend this resort enough.

We travel to Hard Rock Vallarta annually and usually stay for more than a week. This year we visited January 26-February 6. The beach is wide and beautiful. Sunsets are amazing. Each visit gets better. What amazes me the most is the genuine warmth of the staff. Everyone is friendly, helpful, and kind. We see many of the same employees year after year, they remember us and call us by name. They see thousands of people during a year, yet still remember us. Our butlers, Gerardo and Miguel were so helpful. Alan helped too. They contacted us about a month before arrival and worked with a vacation planner named Tony who arranged everything (excursions, special activities, dinner reservations) for us prior to arrival. They communicated with us a few times each day by sending the daily schedule of events through an app, setting up our bali beds with extra chairs, and visiting in person just to check on us. Beach service was provided by Canario and Juan. Both of these gentlemen provided excellent service and are so friendly. Servers in The Market, Luis, Francisco, Lalo, Esme were quick to anticipate our needs and provide anything we needed. Norma, the supervisor, is top notch, making sure everything runs smoothly. Ciao servers Fabiola, Jesus, Guadaloupe (morning) and Gilberto, Annie, Luca (evening) provided great service and fun interactions. We met Samuel (Sun Bar at night) on our first trip many years ago and stay in touch between trips. He even contacted us when COVID-19 took over the US to make sure we were safe. Mayber in Caffeto is so pleasant and helpful. We visited this year during the Super Bowl. The resort did a great job making a party. One of the waitresses (don't know her name) was exceptional. She wore an Eagles 19 shirt. Everything about this resort is perfect in our opinion. We've been members of Hard Rock/Palace resorts since 1996. All the resorts have something special to offer. Each visit to Vallarta reaffirms our opinion that it's the best in the group. We're counting the days until we can return.