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Km. 7.5 Carretera a Barra de Navidad
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. Mexico 48390
(322) 176-0700
2BR/3BA Suite:
Rack Rate: $802 per night + tax
Our Rate: $400 per night + tax
(prepay, non-cancellable)
Booked Via: Jetsetter
Reviews: TripAdvisor
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We weren’t really looking for anything particular in a vacation destination or resort, but stumbled across this great deal on Jetsetter back in January. With that, a short vacation was born. We’ve been to Cancun, Zihuatanejo, and Cabo, so it was time to check out a new destination in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta. We stayed at Garza Blanca for 5 days and 4 nights, Wednesday through Sunday.
Location: Garza Blanca is located about 10 minutes south of the center of Puerto Vallarta. It’s about 30 minutes from the PVR airport. Set on a very quiet part of Banderas Bay, it’s set on a narrow strip of land between Hwy 200 and the bay, with a white sand beach. Cab fare from the airport is around $60 USD. Return cab fare is considerably less at $30-$40USD.
Rooms: We stayed in a very large (2000+ sq ft) 2BR/3BA water front unit on the 3rd floor (out of 7 floors) in the newest building, finished in December 2010. It included a large kitchen with granite counter tops and full-size appliances, including refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and washer/dryer.
Rooms were large in size. The Master bedroom was very large and included an oversized 5 piece bathroom with jacuzzi tub. The additional bedroom and bathroom was also well sized and included a smaller bathroom. A bathroom with shower was located in the living area, along with a pull-out sleeper sofa and loveseat. Flat screen TVs and DVD players were in every room.
The veranda overlooking the ocean ran the complete length of the unit. Each bedroom and the living room had sliding glass doors opening on to it. There was an oversized hammock, large table with chairs, plus two chaise lounges on the veranda with plenty of space to spare.
Facilities: A very large sprawling pool area, complete with in-ground hot tub and jacuzzi was great. There was plenty of room to spread out without feeling cramped. There was a small restaurant/bar in the middle of the pool area and drink service was available all day. There was also staff on hand to assist with towels and outdoor activities. Staff was also available to assist with chairs and umbrellas on the white sand beach. There was a lifeguard on duty during daytime hours. On-site there was also a spa, indoor restaurant and bar. Housekeeping and turndown service was supplied daily.
Staff: Check-in was quick and efficient. Everyone across the resort was always smiling, helpful and spoke fluent English. Drink and food service at the pool was almost always quick.
Other: While the hotel indicates that there is Wi-Fi available, be aware that the signal is very weak, even in the pool area or lobby. In the rooms, there is no Wi-Fi, internet is only available via an ethernet cable in the master bedroom. The hotel does have cables, but they’re only about 6ft long. Also be aware that the internet service to the hotel itself is spotty and sometimes, largely unavailable. During the five days we were there, we went without internet service for about 7 hours each day for three days.
Other Spending:
Cab from Airport: $45-$60 USD
Cab to Airport: $30-$40 USD
Cab into Puerto Vallarta: $8-$10 USD one way.
Drinks at the hotel: $6-$9 USD each, Pop/Soda $3, Bottled Water $1-$2.
Snacks at the hotel: $8-$14 USD each
Entrees at the hotel: $20-$28 USD each
Pros: Lots of space, very well furnished rooms. Great views, not only from the rooms, but from every spot in the resort. Attracts a slightly older crowd, so while we were there, very few children were around. Food quality was great and drink prices were reasonable. Service at the pool was great.
Cons: It is a 10 minute drive into town. There really aren’t any other facilities nearby (i.e. grocery store, restaurants, etc). Hwy 200 (the main north/south coastal highway) is just yards outside the resort. The resort is expanding across the highway, so there’s a lot of construction going on 7 days a week. The noise can be annoying when you’re outside at the pool. Food at the on-site restaurant is priced similar to food in major US cities, however, compared to local restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, can be high.
Our time at Garza Blanca was very relaxing. Even though the resort was outside of Vallarta, it wasn’t that inconvenient. We also enjoyed the small size of the resort. You always felt like you were well attended to and it was never crowded.
beach resort hotel review jalisco mexico puerto vallarta
Last modified: January 20, 2014
