We just returned from a fantastic week in Old Puerto Vallarta. The San Marino Hotel was the place my wife and I chose for our first time to be "Warm in the Winter".

We realized, after weeks of researching, our destination would have to be the Charm of the El Centro District and the Romantic Zone. We knew going in that the San Marino was only a three star but we found most of the reviews were, for the most part positive. We weren't disappointed. It was above what we actually expected. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The hotel and grounds were impeccable. The location is at the beginning of the Malacon where the pier is located. The only draw back would be the food. Stick with the breakfasts and if you don’t mind a hot dog or a burger for lunch then that will be ok too. The suppers left lots to be desired, the only night we ate supper at the hotel was on Wednesday when they hold a weekly Fiesta. In case you are not aware, this is a gay friendly district, as is all of P.V. which is not a problem if you are open minded.

The best feature of the San Marino is it's location, within walking distance of over 50 restaurants and the entire downtown. We walked to most destinations....along the entire Malacon, Lady of Guatalupe Church (a must see) and many more interesting cobblestone streets. Be sure to stop in at Oscar's just off the Malacon and enjoy a superb strawberry daiquiri....yummy! We also stopped at other places and found them to be just as good.

A great meal in P.V. can cost as little as 200 pesos ($20 CDN). Don’t forget to tip as tips are their main source of income. After speaking with the locals we learned that the average income in that part of Mexico is 40 pesos per day. As with most places in the south ...the better the tip the better the service.

The city is very safe and at no time did we feel threatened... but the timeshare salespeople wont leave you alone. Just say no thanks and keep walking. A word of advice when going through the airport , and any hotel lobby is to beware they are everywhere (hide your wristband). We ended up using them to our advantage by accepting a "tour" at a new complex. We booked it for a Sunday when a good portion of the shops are closed anyway and ended up getting a fabulous breakfast at a five star resort, two tickets to a zip line tour in the jungle, a dinner for two at one of the most romantic locations in Bandaras Bay - Los Caletas. We also negotiated two tickets to the Bullfights and they paid for the taxi both ways (make sure to get both ways). It ended up being an interesting city tour through the mayhem of Mexican driving.... They promised to only take 90 minutes of our time but we ended up spending almost 3 hours, including the breakfast. We refused to buy into the timeshare but received, what we "negotiated", about $400 (CDN) worth of excursions for 3 hours of our time. We then spent the money we saved on beautiful silver jewellery (which there is a lot of) but we bought from an actual jewellery store. Beware of the cheap stuff sold by street vendors. The shopping is unbelievable and every vendor is more than willing to haggle to a "fair price". This constant bartering can grow on you and before long it becomes natural....and quite fun.

The zip line tour was at El Eden....the climb is difficult but well worth every step, the jungle is beautiful. The "Rhythms of the Night" tour to Los Caletas was very romantic. The crew on the 45 minute boat ride, entertained us there and back. Once we reached the cove, we were treated to a fantastic feast followed by a beautiful interpretation of an ancient Mexican wedding ceremony. This remote cove does not have power and was lit by tikki torches and candles. We do recommend you arrive on the first boat (about 5:30 pm) to see it in the daylight and enjoy a beautiful sunset while eating. The later boats arrived in the dark and in speaking with others, totally missed the beauty of this place. We also attended the bull fight ... nuff said... we won't ever attend another one!

All in all, we chose the San Marino Hotel for it's location and we would definitely recommend it to anyone. We did not spend much time in our room as there was much to discover and see. The room however, was impeccably cleaned everyday, the chambermaid always had a smile and a friendly "Olla"as we passed in the hall. The linen and towels were clean and replaced everyday and a daily $3.00 tip goes a long way.

We will definitely be going back.

This was my 20th trip to Puerto Vallarta, and once again it was over the top. I have stayed at the San Marino 6 times over the years. This was my Mom's first trip to Mexico. My Dad just past this last Dec, so I thought I would take my Mom to PV well..... SHE loved it and fell in love with San Marino. The staff from the front desk to the waiters to the cleaning staff made us fell like Queens. When I told them about my Dad they showed My Mom so much love, I can not thank them enough for the best time. We have already made plan to go back in Nov.
Thank you all at the San Marino what wonderful people and an awesome hotel.
Teresa

This hotel was just fine. The food was a bit scary at supper eg. beef tongue one night but we got such a good deal for a 2 week stay i didn't think we could complain. We ate out every night as the restaurants in the area are terrific, brazil, cafe de ola only to mention a few. The hotel staff are the best, Jose & brother Luis are exellent entertainers. Victor the bartender is always willing to make you more than one drink because the bar lineup was always long, so had to make it worth while. Rosie the maid was always willing to get what ever you needed. The location is the best. Will be back.

We stayed at San Marino Feb 2-16, 2008 and there were 8 of us in total, 4 rooms. We were all very satisfied, clean rooms (418, 419, 425 & 428), 418 moved to 228 oceanview the last week. Note, you can hear both this hotels music and the hotel next door (hotel infront of pier)....they have live music and it can get quite loud till 1:00 am...rooms are better away from the ocean and you still get oceanview. Staff are quite friendly...thanks Rosie for keeping our room clean everyday and Jose and Luis...brothers full of entertainment...can they dance...Brandy and Erin really enjoyed their company to the bars at night. Overall we enjoyed our stay at San Marino....the location is the best. we'll be back again.