Great hotel and location. We were on the 8th floor. Fabulous views. All kinds of restaurants close by so there is no need to do the all inclusive. We were out and about most every night and never felt safer. For your drink and food needs while on the beach Roberto and Chan were alway there for us. You do have to get up early to get a palama, otherwise sleep in a get an umbrella instead. We brought travels checks and cashed them at the hotel.

We were given room 223 and later 220. The a/c in the first room didn't work (but had a bad case of mold around it), in the other the fan had a loose piece that clattered and couldn't be used at night. There was also a bad leak from an unclear source in the bathroom that left a large pool of water almost constantly in the room. Maintenance did nothing and the front desk was unresponsive. (The room move was due to coming in a day earlier than planned.)

The location is great, as others have said. Beachfront. Close to great bars & restaurants.

I love the sound of the ocean. In our room when the tide was high the ocean sounded like two trucks crashing. It was loud. Loud enough to wake us at night when the tide was high. We ended up wearing foam earplugs.

The 'Romantic Zone' is the gay neighborhood. I expected a hotel with a gay clientel to be a bit better on service, but it wasn't. Getting a drink by the pool required a good sized tip to assure any attention at all (although prices were reasonable..15pesos for a beer). To get a palapa on the beach, tip up front...without a tip up front, they'll give you an umbrella and a couple of chairs that you can put where you want.

The rack rate for this hotel was 990pesos. For the room we had, we wouldn't have paid half that. I won't stay here again.

The views from the Superior Rooms facing Conchas Chinas are without a doubt FANTASTIC! I've been to this hotel twice (February 2001 and 2004). The balconies are large and the views incredible. Nothing better than watching the sun go down and the extraordinary hue of colors steaking the sky and the sun sinking into the pacific horizon. The rooms were very tropical looking..white tile, white wash walls, beds were built onto white concrete frame/headboards with firm mattress. I slept good. I was like a kid in a candy store with the balcony view. This hotel is right on Los Muertos beach.

I wasn't too impressed with the breakfast food. The fruit was good but the sausages looked like weiners. Most of the time we ate out at the Brasilian steak house etc. I recommend dinner there...not just an eating experience.. more an event. They give you multitudes of different meats to eat.

The nice thing about this hotel is it's located in the Romantic Zone which is within walking distance of fabulous restaurants, bars and shopping. You don't even need a taxi if you're staying at this hotel. However if you want to go to Nuevo Vallarta, or to the Marina area...you need a taxi.

Rent a car and visit Mismoloya, the old set of "Night of the Iguana" movie (Ava Gardner, Richard Burton, Debra Kerr, Sue Lyon) it's fascinating. Also go to "Chico's Paradise" for some authentic Coconut Pie. We drove as far as San Raphael and it was a nice drive.

I went on Diana's ocean tour and saw humpback whales and dolphins surrounding our boat. Paco's Paradise was "interesting" lots of nude people sunbathing. The Isla Marietta's was pictoresque.

Take your camera......the sunsets are the most romantic and best in the world. I love Vallarta.. The old zone is the best place to be in my opinion. I've been twice and will definately visit again.

I booked a Superior Room for 6 nights. I remembered that the hotel's website claimed that that type of room was on floor 6 and 7 but my room was on level 2. Unfortunately, during the weekend, nobody was able to find out if I could change to a more attractive room, and so I had to wait until Monday. The rooms are somewhat old fashioned but after the succesful roomswitch I had a wonderful oceanview (floor 3). The beds could be a bit softer though. The rooms are not soundproof (the waves make a nice sound but it can be quite hard so earplugs are not an unnecessary luxury).
Some negatieve points:
hotelstaff at reception, breakfast restaurant and bar were not very friendly and also not very efficient. Quality of breakfast could be better. There is no shower by the swimming pool, and the toiletrooms there are very small and not clean.
To end with the positive: the hotel is in an ideal spot at the beach of Old Vallarta. The lobby is beautiful and, if you get the right room, you have a wonderful view.
Advice: when you book online make an agreement about which room you want in order to avoid disappointment after arrival.