OYO Hotel Brisas del Pacífico

The large room was good for the price, everything worked, and I even had hot-ish water. Housekeeping only comes if you ask, but they were happy to do it. Kids were often in the pool, and the caretaker was very handy with a translation app and helped whenever I had a request. Just remember this isn't a high-end hotel. It's a good choice if you want to get away from the tourist areas. I had a motorbike, so the 20-minute ride to the Malecon was no problem. By car it might take twice as long. The hotel is two blocks off the main road, with plenty of places to eat, and there's a store across the street open until 10:00 for snacks and drinks. The residential neighborhood has some dirt roads and plenty of bustle: cats, dogs, kids, and ice cream trucks in the street. It all gets pretty calm around 10:00.

The beds were hard, though the frames felt solid, so anyone with back issues might have trouble. Parts of the place are worn: some pool tiles are missing, and humidity has made the bathroom paint peel. At night, sleep was hard to come by. On this Friday, people were out with cervezas, four different sources played loud music until 3:00 in the morning, dogs barked, and a rooster crowed from 4:00 to 6:00. Still, it wasn't a bad stay, just a worn, low-cost hotel. The place was dusty from the cobblestone and dirt road beside it. I saw cockroaches at the giant vidanta resort, but not here.

A very clean, condominium-style hotel for just $21-$23 per day, with stays paid by the day, week, or two weeks and no stated limit. The neighborhood feels nice and safe. It's a five-minute walk or less to the bus stop for downtown Puerto Vallarta, and an Uber to downtown or the airport costs under $10. There are two local grocery stores right outside, Kiosko and OXXO, plus lots of small family-style restaurants nearby. Tip: booking online is the best way to save money.

The lady who's been working there for years is lovely. The rest isn't worth mentioning. They denied us service because they thought our lovely pet was on the premises, when he was at a hotel. They thought we had brought him inside illegally. Come on, check the cameras. We respect the law.