It’s spacious, private beach keeps you protected from tourists and time-share peddlers. The ample two-tiered pool (with swim-up bar) is surrounded by well-positioned beach chairs…there is no fighting for a good spot because they are ALL good…many of them actually ankle-deep in the pool itself. There are three large ocean-front hot tubs, which we found especially relaxing in the evening hours…

The food at the pool-side restaurant was excellent…fresh salads for the health nuts and all of the delicious Mexican specialties for the rest of us. Don’t forget to try “El Agua Del Dia” (Water of the Day)….which is a refreshing fruit beverage that is not mentioned on the menu.

The fine dining restaurant is a beautiful setting for a romantic dinner.

The spa is top notch. I am an experienced “spa-stress” and can tell you I had one of the best spa experiences at this resort! My husband and I even got in some work outs at the gym that is filled with top-of-the-line equipment….and windows….not a cave like space you find at many gyms. The staff graciously opened the gym just for me one very early morning when I woke up with the sun!

Our villa was immaculate and beautifully decorated. We rented our two bedroom villa (number 1403) directly from the owners. We highly recommend this approach as we were able to pinpoint the EXACT unit we were staying in…and this was OUTSTANDING. The owners of the villa left a very organized book with all sorts of brochures and dining information. From booking it to vacationing in it, the whole process was easy.

We were with another couple and it was nice to each have our own separate living space. One side has a living room (we could see the ocean from here), dining room, bathroom, kitchen, and a separate bedroom with a very large and elegant marble bathroom. The other side has two double beds with the villa’s second big screen TV and its own marble bathroom. Even the “B” side of the villa is in line with the rooms of the five star hotels we have frequented in our travels. We had a phenomenal view of the sunset over the ocean from our very large veranda and we fell asleep to the sound of crashing waves every night.

We were a 15-20 minute cab ride to Puerto Vallarta (great shopping and sight seeing), which we did twice (out of 7 days). It was great to be able to do that, but each time we were glad to head back to our peaceful resort at the end of the day. BTW – the best restaurant for your money in downtown Puerto Vallarta is Las Palomas.

Even closer to the resort, is the town of Bucerias. It’s a lovely walk up the beach to this quaint and very authentic Mexican town. If you don’t want to deal with sand in your toes, it is a 10 minute ($7) cab ride. We had a great time chatting with the locals, touring the shops and sampling the surprisingly affordable fare at several seaside restaurants. My husband was excited that his favorite Mexican beers were only $1.80 each! On Sunday nights the town square opens up for their weekly fiesta. We felt very safe here just wandering around, eating authentic Mexican cuisine from street vendors.

There are so many activities available in and around the resort, from golf to kayaking, whale watching, jet skiing, scuba diving and other island excursions, that everyone can do what they want. We highly recommend this resort!

You will have a great time at this resort, just don't upgrade to "elite status".

My wife and I stayed at this hotel for five days and booked through Expedia. We were told by Expedia that we were to be given a complimentary upgrade to "Elite Status". This was even confirmed by a phone call to Expedia. The elite status was supposed to include a breakfast in bed, butler service, evening meal prepared in your room, etc. When we checked in, the concierge stated that there were five other instances of this happening in the last two weeks and that they did not have such a thing as "Elite Status" ( I have also seen the option of paying for elite status on websites other than expedia too...so beware). The manager did supposedly line everything up for us. That was when the frustration began. Not one of the things listed for "elite" status was done when or how the manager said it would be done. Unfortunately, every time they failed to do what they said, it took another 30-60 minutes conversation with the concierge. Very frustrating. We ended up just having two evening meals in their restaurant and called it even. I see on the Expedia website that they have now changed their upgrade to "elite status". It will now not start until April 15th. Hopefully by then the Villa La Estancia can get it figured out.

That being said, everything else was just great. The hotel is beautiful, we stayed in a one bedroom suite with two bathrooms. Everything was of the highest quality. Master bathroom was large enough to park a car. There was a massive balcony and all rooms have a view of the ocean and pool.

The food was very good but quite expensive. (Expect $100+ for dinner, for lunch hamburgers are $15-20, nachos $15). We saved a lot of money by going to Mega (the Mexican version of Super Walmart) and buying groceries and drinks. It is about a 20 minute walk or a $5 taxi ride from the hotel.

There are very few travelers at this resort so it makes getting a seat at the pool or on the beach very easy (no getting up early in the morning to lay out towels). If it gets too quiet for you, the Villa La Estancia also owns the resort next door (Villa del Palmar Falmingos) You are able to go over there anytime and take part in their activities, use kayaks, etc.

The hotel is quite a distance from Puerto Vallarta. It takes 30-45 minutes to get there via cab ($20) and 45min to 1 hour via bus ($1.50). We would recommend taking the bus. It stops just outside the hotel. The bus runs directly by the airport too, so we took it to airport the day we left. We wish we would have known about it for our trip to the hotel from the airport . Expect about $25 for a cab ride from the airport. DIRECTIONS TO TAKE BUS TO HOTEL: When you go out the exit of the airport there will be a pedestrian walkway that goes over a busy street, take it to the other side and look for the ATM bus (a blue and white bus) that says Nuevo Vallarta AND Riu on it. That will take you directly to the hotel.

You should note that there is currently construction going on at this hotel and during the day can get a little loud, but that didn't seem to bother us much.

Overall we had a really good time and it would have been excellent if we didn't arrive there expecting "elite status"...whatever that means.

We found this amazing resort to be first class and so easy with our 3 kids including our 7 month old! The rooms are ultra plush! You open the door to your villa which is loaded with top of the line marble flooring & baths. We found the three full baths, laundry, veranda,& beautiful kitchen exceeded every expectation. Once you vacation the Estancia way you will never go back. My 6 & 7 year olds found their way around very easily. They ran back and forth from the beach to the pool all day long. They loved the swim up bar too! The lobby is beautiful and the staff is there to serve you. We had groceries delivered prior to our arrival. They found my baby formula and had it delievered when I ran out! When the baby was sick the doctor arrived within 30 minutes of my call and even brought all the medicine. At home, this would have taken me 3 hours! The food at the resort is delicious. I love the ceviche! We will return for spring break! The spa and gym are the best I've seen. There is even a studio where I did hi/low aerobics! Running or horse back riding on this beach is also a treat! A few of our favorite restaurants that are less than 6 minutes are: Mark's, Sandrina's, Mezzagiorno, & El Pescador.

My friends and I had a wonderful time at Villa La Estancia the staff is gracious and caring not to mention very professional. Stayed 6 nights and 5 wonderful days. Would we do it again without a doubt!