My Husband and I went down to PV with our two children (ages 9 and 6) July 12-20th. The weather report before leaving predicted thunder storms the whole week - but the weather was beautiful the whole time we were there.
With the reviews so mixed, I was a tad nervous about what our experience would be like at the Fiesta Americana. After a short cab ride (10 minutes from airport) we pulled up to this beautiful resort. Check in was quick and we were given our keys within a few minutes. I booked the club level which costs approx. $40 more a night on Expedia. They give you a second key which you insert into the elevator before you push 9 to gain access to the club level. Booking the Club Level was a good call on my part. Unlimited bottle water and sodas were available on ice from 8am-8p.m. There was also danishes, yogurt, bread, meats, cheese, juice coffee, tea available in the morning (VERY helpful since I was traveling with 2 children and it took the hassle out of eating breakfast at a restaurant.) Cookies were layed out in the afternoon and hearty appetizers and wine in the evening. They do tend to serve the same things over and over again so I was a bit tired of the selection by the end of our trip! My Husband just reminded me of an interesting thing that happened the last 4 days of our stay... suddenly the container holding the chilled water and sodas disappeared. When we asked we were told that you now had to ask for beverages. I'm not sure what that was about.... but a tad annoying. New guests arriving didn't even know drinks were available. If drinks are not displayed on the table when you arrive - ask for them!
The room itself was beautiful. I'm not sure what the other rooms look like, but ours had a shower so big all four of us could have fit in it. The view was spectacular! The kids enjoyed watching the fireworks each night from the pirate ship. Only a few complaints... the first was the air conditioning. The humid air required that it be on but the highest level it could be set on was 28 degress c. I was freezing all night long! I guess I could have asked for a blanket so I won"t complain too much about it. Another issue was the band that played in the open air lobby every evening until 11p.m. We were on the top floor with our windows shut and it was loud. I can"t imagiane how the noise was at the lower levels! It wasn"t enough to complain about but I guess I was surprised considering that most guests staying at the hotel during the time we were there were families with young children. There wasn"t a large crowd down there!
The beach and pool area were amazing - especially if you have young children. The beach water was calm as can be and they enjoyed building sand castles and floating in the water with their water toys. The pool is HUGE but only 4 feet deep. It was great because my 6 year old could stand up in it. I did my research and knew it was off season. The majority of the guests at the hotel were native Mexican families on vacation. Most people spoke spanish but that didn't seem to distract my 6 year old son from making friends! Actually, many of the children had learned English in school. I would recommend bringing a Spanish translation guide if you don't know basic spanish. Everone at the hotel speaks english but you will need it if you go some places downtown or to the mall across the street (NOTE: if you do go to the mall to shop or see a movie, cross the street at the intersection in front of the hotel as it isn't safe down the road.)
We didn't venture into downtown as much as I expected we would. It had its expected tourist type spots - Senior Frogs, Hard Rock Cafe, etc. The sand sculptures and stautues on the malecon were fun to photograph. We ate at PiPi's one afternoon. The Tastada Salad was yummy. I would recommend Pi Pi's to eat - although they cater to tourists, it is family owned, clean, air conditioned and the staff was very friendly. There are vendors and flea markets galore downtown. I only bought a shell for my office as I wasn't interested in anything else.
The food in the hotel was average. We live in the culturally diverse San Francisco Bay Area so there are a lot of great Mexican restaurants. I was expecting even better food and was let down. The nacos were gross - chips smothered with too much cheese and beans. Where was the chicken? guacamole? sour cream? salsa? My kids loved the quesidillas ($9) served by the bar area by the beach. The cheese burgers were juicy and huge (although $11) The restuarants in the hotels were pretty dead (only 2 0r 3 tables being occupied) considering how many families were staying in the hotel. Most people must go into downtown for dinner but the warm rain that often began at 6p.m often discouraged us from venturing out. We ordered pizza from Pizza Hut one night.
We didn't rent a car in PV (nor would I recommend it as people seemed to drive a tad crazy.) I went down there prepared to take the bus everywhere but after seeing the buses, ended up taking cabs. I probably would have been a little more adventourist if I didn't have my children with me. I guess I liked that the cab driver could drop me off right in front of where I wanted to go. I wasn't sure where to get off the bus!
We swam with the sea lions in Nueva Vallarta one day which was a great experience although expensive! $75 per person plus $22 cab ride each way from the hotel)
Over all, I was very pleased with our stay at the Fiest Americana. I am so happy to have discovered this cheaper alternative to Hawaii! The hotel itself reminded me of the Hyatt in Kauaii. If this hotel was in the states, it would easily be $300-$400 a night or more. Off season, I paid around $120/ night for club level! A real gem to find despite the few minor complaints. Nothing is perfect, right? This hotel came pretty close! We will be back.
