First, I want to get all the other items out of the way that had nothing to do with Dreams Puerto Vallarta. Just things that made the trip what it was. I did not include them into my rating of the resort.
1. Itravel2000...We booked
more +the trip for 3 families through them, 2 from Saskatoon, Canada and 1 from Ottawa, Canada. Indira made sure everything we wanted was done for us. There were a couple problems like mix-up on the ages of the kids, but she fixed them quickly. She followed up with us right up to the last day.
2. Sunwing...Well, generally they were good. We got the Premium plus package that allowed us to reserve our seats, get extra leg room, get extra baggage allowance (30 Kg.), priority boarding (didn't happen, but was supposed to), and a few other extras. Was definately worth the extra cost.
3. The Weather... Great in PV, Terrible return.
4. Taxi's and Buses... Great. super service, as usual. Taxi: 60 pesos Dreams to Malacon, Bus: 6 pesos Dreams to Downtown.
5. PV Airport...I really think it is time the Airport authority restricted or (better yet!!) removed the time-share sharks. They are a serious blight to a beautiful city. I am not kidding, something has to be done if tourism means anything to the economy! I talked to so many people who have said that the time-share sharks are about the only thing that they hate about this city. What does that tell you?
6. The Malacon...So clean, scenic and people-friendly. It doesn't matter the time of day (or evening), safe, secure and friendly. Again, the only blight is the time-share sharks. sigh.
Now, on to Dreams and our holiday.
We arrived to a chilled glass of champagne, cool towels, and smiles. All three families are iprefer members. The other two wanted to upgrade to the preferred tower and, as there was nothing available through iprefer, they paid a reasonable fee for the upgrade. With 2 kids each, they got rooms on the penthouse floor and the one just below it. Super view, lots of space for the family. They were very pleased with the upgrade, both said it was worth the price. They were happy with the internet in the room. I was thrilled with my room in the club (dreams) tower. Room 1111: ground floor, grass patio with lounge chairs, great view and location was perfect. What a joy to wake up to the crashing of the waves in the morning. I got 1/2 hr. free internet per day as an iprefer benefit. I had to go to the main lobby, but it wasn't a problem. Shortly after we arrived at our room, there was a knock on the door. We opened it to a smiling waiter with a complimentary fruit tray. We thanked him, closed the door and within 5 minutes another one came with a complimentary bottle of Tequila. We still don't quite know why.
Dreams PV has a great security system. No bracelets are required. Everyone who comes into the resort are signed in. If you go shopping or whatever, the staff documents your coming and going.
There are 5 restaurants, all top-notch, no reservations required. My favorite was the oceanic, you must have the Spanish coffee, OMG. great. The World Cafe has super food, something for everyone. The food really is fantastic, especially for an all-inclusive. Others have said that they would pay high prices for the meals at Dreams. I would believe that. But don't be in a hurry for your meals at the ala cart restaurants, remember the Mexican minute can last a very long time. My one grandson loved the hot dogs and Kraft dinner. My other grandson loved the cheeseburgers. Milk and juices readily available. As well, the room service was fantastic. The kids could sleep in and still have a hot breakfast delivered within minutes of ordering.
The various "theme" nights were, in fact, disappointing. This is one place that Dream's fall short of the mark. The entertainment crew was great, but the evening entertainment was not. Carlos was awesome, and I really mean that. My very shy 3 year old granddaughter fell in love with him (he is a dad, himself, and truly enjoyed the hugs from my granddaughter) The beach volleyball was great, I saw many people doing water aerobics, scuba lessons, salsa dance lessons and other organized activities. Movies on the beach or by the pool is a cop out. A cheap substitute for real entertainment. That is even more disappointing because it is virtually a "captive" audience." You have to take a cab to go anywhere in the evenings.
The 4 kids that were in our group (two 3-year-olds and two 5-year-olds) loved the Explorer's club, especially the older boys. They made many things there (pinatas, sand castles, cookies), they sang, dances, watched movies, made friends and had people who really like kids to watch over them. We felt very confident with the club. You had to sign the kids in and out and they give you a pager, no adults allowed, great, caring supervision and generally fun. The kids loved it there. The monkey dance was great.
The service is one of the things that make this the best place in PV to stay, in my opinion. From the front end to the cleaning crew to the entertainment troupe to the maintenance crew to the restaurant staff, etc, etc. These people really know how to make you feel special. And tipping had very little to do with it. One example was when I was walking to an elevator and there was a lady washing the floor there. She stopped what she was doing, smiled at me and walked to the elevator to press the button. Just like that. I was so surprised and impressed. I wish I would have gotten her name as she really deserves recognition.
The other big draw is the beach. No doubt that this is the best beach in all of PV. I bet that when the waves are gentle it would be an awesome place to swim. But, personally, I enjoyed the majesty of the huge waves. They took your breath away. But dangerous if you are a novice.
The staff were constantly improving something. Whether it was sweeping the poolside, raking the beach, pruning the beautiful plants or cleaning the room.
To all the people who say that the front desk staff are rude or unwilling to help, I say that me and my family had no problems. They were so helpful. There was nothing that I requested that they did not try to help with. Sometimes, as with room upgrades, it is not possible but they tell you so very pleasantly. Also, we exchanged dollars to pesos regularly and not once had any issues with wrong change.
I have itemized other thing that make Dreams PV The best:
1. More choices of Brand name beverages than any other AI
2. Best choice for children's club (3 years up)
3. Friendliest service from all levels of staff
4. Arguably the best food for an AI in all of Mexico
5. Greatest, best-maintained, "private" beach in PV.
6. Daily letter under the door with the info about the day's activities, when, where, etc,
Now the things that need attention:
1. Evening entertainment needs to improve.
um mm, well, that's about it.
I would like to mention a few people who have made this trip as enjoyable as it was:
Salvador, bartender at the marlin bar on the beach who always had a smile and remembered exactly what we wanted.
Maria at the world Cafe who made the best omelettes just the way I wanted it.
Joaquin at the front desk who made us feel so welcome and helped with everything we wanted
Jessica from the Explorers Club who made my 4 grand kids feel welcome and special
Carlos from the Entertainment crew who loved the hugs from my little granddaughter.
Date of Stay: 02/10/2010
Children in Party: 4
Accommodations Dining Kids Play Area Money Value Pool & Water Fun Staff
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Dreams Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa
