**Warning** this is going to be long -- hope people don't mind!

Preliminary details... Check in: Sunday, April 27, 2008, Check out: Friday, May 2, 2008. Room 915 (Fiesta Club Room), two double beds.

This past April, my mother turned 60 and so I decided to treat her and my dad to a week in Puerto Vallarta. None of us had ever been there before, but had heard great things about the area. We were not disappointed!

Arrived at the PV airport around 1pm local time. Be wary of the timeshare people after going through customs. Don't acknowledge these people and look for the official taxi purchase window just before the exit. There is also a money exchange place in the same area -- we got our initial pesos there. Think we paid about $18 for the taxi. The taxis leaving the airport are more expensive than the ones you find in town. Some of the reviews I read mentioned walking a little ways from the airport to find a yellow taxi. These taxis are much cheaper. We decided not to do that just to be on the safe side since we weren't familiar with the city. The next time I'm there, I will opt for the yellow taxi.

Arrived at the hotel around 1:30pm. Tried to check in at that time, but was told the room wasn't ready. Was told to come back in about an hour. So, we went out and walked around the area for a bit. Came back about 2:30 and inquired again. Room still wasn't ready. They said to come back in another hour. I was ok with that, figured it had something to do with the official check-in time being 3:30. When I came back the second time, the room was finally ready. My patience was rewarded because they gave us one of the best rooms in the place! Room 915 is on the top level with an awesome view of the beach, pool, and the Malecon (boardwalk in downtown PV). The room was very clean, with two double beds and a nice little balcony, perfect for viewing sunsets in the evening. Only problem my mom had with the room was there was no tub, only a shower. The room had air conditioning -- which kept the room plenty cool if desired. The shower smelt a little musty, but the rest of the room was fine.

We paid a little extra for our room on the Fiesta Club level. Not only was it worth it for the view, we also received a free continental breakfast along with snacks and drinks (cokes, bottled water, wine) the rest of the day.

The breakfast included cereal, fruit (strawberries, watermelon, canteloupe, mango), OJ, coffee, toast, various pastries, and yoplait yoghurt (both regular and the liquid drinking variety). It was quite a good breakfast and I would always eat my fill.

For lunch, we went into town a couple days and also ate at the hotel a couple days -- Chula Vista restaurant. On Monday we ate at this great Mexican food place in town called "Pipi's". The food was awesome and the margaritas were huge. I got the chicken enchiladas smothered in green chili sauce -- quite yummy! Very fun atmosphere, complete with a mariachi band that sings at your table.

On a side note -- be sure and do some shopping at the flea market in town -- fun to bargain with the vendors! Nice souvenirs here.

The Chula Vista restaurant was very good, also. I had a $100 credit at the hotel which I was able to apply toward food. The Tuesday special was asparagus soup, breaded chicken breast, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and caramel flan all for $14. Thought this was a pretty good deal. We ate here again on Thursday for lunch . The special was Red Snapper with rice and a kind of fruit pizza item for dessert. I didn't care much for their appetizer (octopus and shrimp something or other), so I asked to substitute chicken with rice soup for that. They obliged. It was all very good. This special was also $14.

For the days we ate a big lunch, we would usually just snack on the items in the fiesta club area for supper. Think some of these items may have been samplings from the main buffet at the Chula Vista in the evenings. On Monday evening they had steak pieces along with brown gravy. There were also plenty of fruits (usually the same as breakfast) as well as some veggies (including jicama strips and cucumber slices). Drinks included cokes (sprite, fanta, and coca-cola) and bottled water. There was also white and red wine. For dessert they usually had some yummy chocolates and cheesecake pieces. We had no trouble making this into a meal. Other evenings they had shishkabob (spell?), chicken, and fish as the main entree'.

Wednesday evening we decided to eat in town at the "El Arrayan". It was voted the best place to eat in Puerto Vallarta. Unlike Pipi's, it was only open for supper. We all got the steak and thought it was ok, but not worthy of "best in Puerto Vallarta". Perhaps that wasn't their specialty. I thought the empanada appetizers were incredible, however. They provided us with three different types of sauces to dip them in. The black sauce went well with the empanadas.

** On a related note -- be sure and take the buses and not the taxis into town. They are very inexpensive (5.5 pesos -- about 55 cents) and are quite entertaining. When you board the bus, be sure and take your seat quickly as the bus driver doesn't check to make sure people are ready!

Should make a note that cokes and water bottles are available at all times in the fiesta club area. They usually served cookies as well, from 11-2 each day.

The pool area was very nice, with ample chairs. We arrived after the spring break period, so it wasn't too crowded at all. It was easy to find a lounge chair at any time of the day. The beach itself was kind of small and rocky, but still quite beautiful. It was very relaxing to lay out on the beach and listen to the ocean. There were palapas covering some of the chairs so you could get as little or as much sun as you liked, while still enjoying the beach. It was interesting to watch the beach vendors walking along the beach selling their wares. I purchased a couple of small wooden turtles from one vendor. Be sure and do some bargaining with them -- it can be fun! If you aren't interested in something, just tell them no and they will move on.

I decided to treat myself to a massage on the beach. It was wonderful, although a little expensive. $80 for 50 minutes for the "Fiesta Americana" massage on the beach. There are some cheaper ones you can choose, but I decided to indulge a little. Ask for Isabel -- she is very good.

The hotel has a nice little fitness center with two stairmasters, two treadmills, and some free weights. It is $5 a day or $10 for 3 days. Interesting note -- while exercising one morning, we spotted a peacock nearby. We got a few pictures of him. Couldn't get him to open his tail, though.

I was very impressed overall with the service at this hotel. I could tell the employees took pride in working here. During the day, there were always maids sweeping the grounds, picking up leaves, cleaning off lounge chairs. One morning I saw a guy trimming a palm tree on the grounds. The maids did a wonderful job cleaning our room and would return in the evenings to provide fresh towels and chocolates. I tipped them daily.

The checkout process was a little prolonged as they had a little difficulty processing my $100 credit, but it did get resolved. To speed up the checkout -- be sure and have someone come up to check the minibar in your room about 30 minutes before. **Warning** Regardless of your meal plan, you will get charged for consuming the snacks/drinks in your room.

It was a sad time checking out from this hotel -- wished our stay could have been longer. Strongly recommend this hotel to others. Think you will love it!