Riu Flamingos Hotel

The white party was so much fun, and Aranza deserves a shout-out. She made water aerobics enjoyable enough that I joined almost every day and looked forward to it, which I never expected. The resort was very clean, with super friendly, helpful staff. We never struggled to find pool or beach chairs because there were lots of them. There are six pools, including two large ones, a bar pool, and two kids' pools, so it never felt too crowded.

Bring a travel umbrella, because the beach has absolutely no shade. More à la carte restaurants would also help, since getting in was difficult and they don't take reservations. Even with those drawbacks, I'd highly recommend the hotel. The recent renovation looks great, and the resort is clean and modern with truly amazing staff. Aranza, who led aqua gym and stretching, was always smiling and seemed to enjoy what she did. Jakie, the Italian restaurant hostess, was friendly and professional. When mussels weren't on the buffet at lunch, cooks Robin and Ramses offered to make some for me. Armando was also a favorite, always smiling and friendly as he brought drinks around the pool with his cart.

We spent a week here with friends and had an incredible time. The beach was lovely, with good waves each day for the kids to play in the ocean. I enjoyed browsing the local vendors there, bought a couple of things, and had a massage. We walked to Busarius one day and felt safe, then took an Uber into PV another day. Iguanas were around the resort, and the pools were great. The ICECREAM SHOP was incredible!!!! We had lunch daily at the pool restaurants. The tacos were great, and my kids gave the hotdogs five stars. At dinner we tried the Steakhouse, Agave, and the American grill. The Steakhouse was good but not amazing. Agave is a Mexican à la carte restaurant, though I was surprised to find it was a buffet. The American grill had great mac and cheese and chicken wings. Mostly, we ate at the buffets because it was easy with kids. The food was really good. My child has an anaphylactic tree nut allergy, and I felt completely safe at the buffets thanks to their excellent allergy labels. I checked a couple of uncertain dishes with the chefs, who were great. Our ocean view suite was incredible and giant, with a huge bed, two bedrooms with queen beds, and two bathrooms. Everything felt safe, and we used the safe every day without a problem. Housekeeping was wonderful. The bartenders were great, especially Angel, and the pool cart servers were attentive. Johny and Armando kept finding us every day. The entertainment staff were incredible, especially Carla, Xianna, and Mike. The Michael Jackson show was really good.

With several pools, a kids' water play area, and water sports rentals on site, there was so much to do that we hardly needed to go anywhere. The resort's lovely 2025 renovation made a wonderful setting for our family holiday, which included a beautifully done wedding. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the place was meticulously cleaned. The many family activities and top-notch entertainment crew were a highlight. A cab to Bucerias took about 15 minutes and cost us about 100 pesos. We went to Fat Boy Seafood, which was top notch. The market in the Plaza closes around 8, so it's best to get there earlier if you go. We'll definitely return!