Hotel Encino Malecón Centro Puerto Vallarta

My double single-bed room was fine for what I needed, but it had no fridge, which was annoying when I wanted to bring home leftovers. Hot water took about 10 minutes to arrive, so plan for that. I saw one little lizard 🦎, but it was FAST and I couldn’t get a picture, LOL. The pool area looked nice, but I didn’t use it. The ocean is about a five-minute walk away, and it may even have been warmer than the pool. I only dipped my feet in while having coffee one morning. The main draw is the location. It’s pretty central to everything near the Malecon.

The noise made it hard to sleep. On Sunday night, construction directly across from my room was grinding metal for hours after midnight. I called the front desk, but with barely any communication getting through the language barrier, nothing happened. The hotel is at the end of a street by an overpass, so it can be loud if you want peace and quiet. I also heard complaints about staff overcharging for used or dirty towels, but I kept mine clean and didn’t overuse anything, so I was fine. This could suit you if you want an affordable, safe, non-party stay in the heart of Zona romantica in PUERTO vallarta. The rooftop pool is definitely the selling feature, and the restaurant and bar beside it looked nice, though I didn’t eat or drink there. The hotel sits between the resorts and zona romantica. You can reach both areas, but the resorts just outside zona romantica are at least a 10 or 12 minute walk over the noisy bridge.

The staff were very nice, and the rooms were clean. It’s a nice small hotel with a pleasant pool area and a restaurant on the top floor beside the pool, though the restaurant isn’t part of the hotel. There’s no window to the outside. The one window opens onto the hall, and there’s no bedside lamp.

The roof is the best part of the hotel. There’s a great lounge and seating area, and the pool is a nice way to cool off. The bar serves food and has a pretty good happy hour. You have to order at the bar, but you can drink on the patio and enjoy the sunset views. The bar staff were great. Hotel staff were excellent too, with helpful local recommendations and answers to questions. It’s in a really good location, easy to walk everywhere. The bed was comfy, there was good storage, the room was very clean, and the air conditioning was excellent. There were three rooms under construction beside us, which was noisy during the day. The balcony door wouldn’t open, though at least it was locked. The toilet tank leaked, was repaired, then started leaking on the other side and left the floor wet. Nothing bad. I didn’t like that we weren’t told about the renovations. It’s good they’re maintaining the hotel, but it was booked, so we couldn’t move. I’d recommend staying here, but maybe check first whether they’re renovating.