Villa La Estancia Beach Resort & Spa Riviera Nayarit - All Inclusive

At meals and by the pool, music set a relaxed mood, lively at the pool and calm at dinner. The service throughout La Estancia was amazing. Jesus/Angel and Santana were attentive, remembered my family from day one, and were always ready to help. Everyone we met, from the gate staff to people in the elevators and around the resort, greeted us and asked if we needed anything. It was my first time in Mexico, and staying at La Estancia was wonderful for my family. Our clean, well-maintained room overlooked the courtyard and had an ocean view. The resort was peaceful, away from the busy city, but only a 10 minute cab ride away. We had an inclusive package, though it only covered breakfast. We paid separately for other meals and drinks at the restaurants and bars, and the prices were reasonable. 100/10 would recommend.

We booked a 1 bedroom suite, but when we arrived, they said it had been sold because of overbooking. They offered a double queen with an ocean view, which I initially accepted, but once I saw it, I was angry. It was three times smaller than the suite, and I didn't care about all-inclusive or ocean view. I wanted the larger room. We'd gone from a 3 room 1 bedroom suite of 1300 square feet to a motel-like room with 2 queen beds and 500 square feet. This is supposed to be a luxury resort, but it hasn't felt that way. The staff were as nice and professional as they could be, but either I'm an outlier or the service is just bad. We drove, handed over the keys, then sat there for 10 mins because we didn't know what to do. The valet finally told us to walk around and go up. There was no bellhop, so I wandered the first floor and had to go around back to reception to ask where to go, then dragged my bags to the room. This whole experience left a horrible taste in my mouth. It's nice that the staff are trying to fix it, but charging the same price for such a dramatic downgrade is off-putting. Booking a room as part of a wedding should have been stress-free. Take my experience as a cautionary tale.

The only bad part was having to leave. We had a great time with our friends and siblings, and La Estancia exceeded the memories we had from our first stay nine years ago. That first visit was where our love of Mexico began. We've since stayed at most of the other resorts and become members, so returning was a real treat. At the pool, Jesus, Cesar, and especially Daniel took great care of our group of 12, making sure we were comfortable and close together. Raul was a great pool waiter, and Luna is the best bartender we've had at any of the resorts. The swim-up bar is the best part of this pool. The iguanas were fun to see until food arrived. One jumped onto my lounger looking for some. They're easy to chase off, but persistent. Jerry (Gerardo) greeted us on arrival and reminded us why we love this place. Alma and Emily were great too. Rafael and Enrique made the two birthday evenings special. We also tried the beach massages, which aren't affiliated with the resort. They were relaxing for the price, especially with the sound of the waves. One evening we did a great taco crawl in Bucerias, and another just off the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta. Those were the best we've been on, with Vallarta Food Tours. Until next time!

We came as a family in mid-October for a break before fall fully arrived in Denver, and I’d put the stay at about 3.5 stars. We’d read all the Costco reviews before booking. The pool was our favorite part. La Estancia was less crowded than Las Flamingos, and staff set up loungers, brought plenty of towels, and moved the umbrellas. The servers were friendly and got to know us; ours looked after us over several days, and we tipped him generously. Poolside food was good, though the cocktails seemed a little weak. The gym had lots of equipment, was kept cool, and was mostly quiet except in the mornings. Check-in started warmly, with an introduction to the property and some early tips about restaurants and activities. Then we were sent to another desk, where a woman began pitching a timeshare. She offered a free breakfast, despite our all-inclusive booking, and discounted $50 massages for my wife and me. They said it would take 90 minutes, but we had to say no at least six times. A “manager” came over with a sweeter offer, though I can’t remember what else was included, and we still had to refuse several more times. Reception seemed less friendly afterward. The bellhop showed us and our bags to the room and gave us a thorough tour. We tipped him. The spa was very expensive, about the same as or more than prices in the States. Our kids wanted to try massages, and this was the only place with a kids option, as long as an adult stayed in the room, so we spent about half a day there. For the four of us, all the services came to around $700. I also tried the massage huts just north of the resort. They seemed a bit sketchy at first, but that impression didn’t hold up. Plenty of other people were there, and the massage was great. It was $35 for an hour, plus I tipped $25. It was much better than the resort massage, and the woman checked that the pressure felt right and that I was enjoying it. There were plenty of good and bad points. I’m not desperate to return, though I’d consider it. From our research, other places seem like they could be about the same or a little worse. It’s important to know what you’re signing up for.