Almar Resort Luxury LGBT Beach Front Experience

My partner and I were in PV for the day and we decided to try a massage at Almar Spa. This was our first time trying Almar spa. My partner and I had a wonderful massage by Diego and Ibra, let me tell you, we had an amazing experience. Besides being very handsome, both of them were very professional and you can tell they are very well trained and know how to give the perfect massage. We were offered a massage beachside (they have the massage tables near the beach) or in a private room. we chose the private room as it was hot outside and we wanted AC.||Both of them were very attentive to our needs, focusing on problem areas and asking if pressure and technique were to our satisfaction. They were very friendly since the first interaction with them and they made us feel so confortable during the entire session. After the session ended, they went over some of our problem areas and how they treated and focus in getting those knots and tension released. Loved the experience. Will be back soon.||I strongly recommend a massage with Diego or Ibra, you won’t be disappointed.

The room was very nice and the property itself is well maintained and thoughtfully laid out. However, there are a few areas that could be improved to make the guest experience better. Upon check-in, it would be helpful if the staff explained more clearly that guests must wait up to 30 minutes for their room to be checked before departure. While this is something you initial at check-in, it’s easy to overlook when you’re just asked to sign off on multiple hotel policies. We also had a late flight and inquired about the possibility of a half-day rate to shower and freshen up, or even using the spa facilities with a paid service, but were told no to both options. It would be great if the resort could be more accommodating in situations like this. Lastly, while the resort is beautiful, the staff could benefit from additional friendliness and hospitality training. Overall, it’s a very nice place to stay, but there’s room for improvement in guest service and communication.

1-Star Review — My Personal Experience at ALMAR Luxury Resort Aggressive Mafia Style Reaction. Queer-baiting tactics at Every corner, just say no to the 1 hour meeting for there horrible membership. Not worth what they are giving you for free. You’re there for fun not to buy more stuff, they will say, “ you don’t want me to get a commission”? I just had one of the most uncomfortable experiences I’ve ever had at a hotel, especially after spending over $5k for the weekend plus additional charges at the beach club and pool. 2 cabana days and drinks all day. We even took everything off bed and linens out in pile and left cash for the room cleaner. When I was checking out, I told the staff I was running late and needed to leave. They already had my credit card on file, and I hadn’t used anything from the minibar anyway. Instead of letting me go or doing a quick check, I was told to sit and wait 10 minutes while they inspected it. When I said I didn’t have time to wait, five staff members dressed in black approached me and insisted I couldn’t leave until they checked the minibar. The whole situation felt extremely aggressive and unnecessary. It honestly felt intimidating and “mafia-style” in the way it was handled — that is simply how it came across to me in the moment. After all that, the minibar was completely fine. Everything was there. The whole thing turned into a big, dramatic scene for absolutely nothing. After the money I spent and the way I was treated, I can confidently say I won’t be returning, and I’ll be telling friends who ask about PV to avoid this place. Something so simple should never turn into an experience like this. We did stay at this resort last year. Spent even more money. And thought it was good. So we came back and got this service. On our way out. I’m just there for fun and good service. I didn’t care about anything free. My time is worth more.

Just returned from 5 nights and 6 days at Almar Resort in Puerto Vallarta, and such a disappointment. Had booked to arrive Tuesday before Thanksgiving and returned this evening, Sunday. Let me breakdown my assessment: First of all, Almar is apparently planning to convert to a Vacation Time Share type arrangement in one year. So if you book, expect to get a hard sell to go through the orientation in exchange for a free massage, meal credit or future stay credit. But you have to site through a one-hour pitch. SORRY! I'm hear to vacation. Get away from me with that BS. Second, the property is actually nice. The location is right on the beach, although it is a bit of a hike to the central gay strip. Not unreasonable, but still. We had the ocean view suite with a king bed and hot tub in the room. Loved the room, great view. The hotel in general is well maintained. The "Luxury" resort is a bit of a stretch, but 4-star facility. The photo I posted is from a cabana (extra $150) next to the infinity pool, which in turn has a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean and the beach below. Note, Almar also owns the Mantanar which has beach chairs and additional bar and food, which we did not try. The food at Almar is mediocre, at best. We had the breakfast included in our booking. If we were closer to the main area, we would have eaten elsewhere, The food EVERYWHERE - the top, Eden, it's bland and boring and beautifully presented. But, good god, the food is bland and boring. It's also impossible to get a decent coffee there. The coffee in the room is trash. The coffee served at the Top Bar with breakfast on the 13th floor is weak and lukewarm. EVERY day. I complained and asked for something hotter and stronger. Received a double espresso, at incremental charge of course. Stronger, but still not hot. Had to walk to the main area to find a coffee shop - not Starbucks - for decent coffee. Massages are heavily marketed. At that check-in orientation, the time share sales pitch, at the experiences desk, and unrelentingly as you sit by the pool or 5th floor bar (near the pool). Gorgeous, flirty speciments of Mexican masculinity approach and emote and give you tastes of the pleasure to come with back rubs. GORGEOUS men! But probably none of them are gay. Maybe that's an attraction? The massages - I confess, I had 2 of them - were good massages. The masseurs (Eden and Ibra) were handsome, froendly, flirty, and gave great massages. There was never an inference of happy ending, but the come on at the Eden bar is pretty hot. If you want the massage, I recommend them, but plan to pay US prices and finish yourself later. Service - this is a mixed bag. Most employees are courteous and responsive (bellman, housekeeping), but others are lacking. The "concierge" was not available to offer dining recommendations despite 2 calls. The last one she put the ohone down after asking when I checked in (maybe to see if they had put me through the orientation). After several minutes, I hung up. The concept of a concierge is ingrained with a "luxury" hotel. Not here. They replaced them with a marketing team masquerading as concierge. Would I recommend this hotel or return? No. Not really. Like Casa Cupola, it is not located close to the main areas of interest. Almar has a better beach location, Casa Cupola is clothing optional. I'd look at other options if I were to return to PV for a 3rd visit.

We arrived and we're taken to a beautiful room on the 2nd floor. Nice room with a week stocked mini bar hot tub inside the room. We were on our honeymoon and we pretty excited. Until the construction started. It sounded like a jackhammer coming through the walls. That night, my husband became sick and the next morning he needed some rest, but the construction started again. I went to the front desk and Angel managed to get us another room in the 5th floor. It was not as nice of a room, but quiet. The next day my husband was feeling worse, so I asked if we could stay another night because they have a doctor that comes to the hotel and we wanted to utilize that option. They said they would have to move us to another room but it was going to be $100 more totaling $309.00 US Dollars. We decided that was WAY too much to sit in a room sick and we were going to find a quieter place and find a clinic. Just as we were leaving the doctor showed up and we had already checked out..He told the cab driver to take us to a hospital that was all the way at the Marina. The hospital was nice, but charged us what we would have paid in the US. We've had other experiences with doctors and hospitals and felt they directed us to a place they knew would overcharge. Angel at front desk was nice and Javier the Bell man was nice. The bartenders were nice. Overall, the rooms were nice, but not worth 200+ - 300+ per night with the construction going on. They should disclose that there is going to be a jackhammer going off all day. The drinks were really expensive. More than you would pay in the US. The beds were comfortable. The rooms were clean, but could have been cleaner. The food was good.

A perfect setting right on the beach with great views over the ocean. We had a large airy room (described as a suite) with a sea view. For those into self catering, a fridge, microwave and 2 ring hob are provided. Breakfast was served in the roof top open air restaurant but service was a bit hit and miss. The infinity pool was enormous and beautifully warm. Plenty of sunbeds around the pool. Sadly, the pool bar service was poor. The staff seemed happier standing in a group chatting than attending to customers. ||We were dismayed to be subjected on arrival to a very hard sell to take out resort membership. Our repeated assurances that we had NO interest were simply ignored.

I had a great stay at Almar Resort. The rooftop pool has amazing views of the bay, and the drag shows at The Top Bar are always a lot of fun. The food at Mantamar Beach Club is really good too, especially the fish tacos, the breaded shrimp taco, and the masago roll. We also appreciate having a Nespresso machine in the room, and we always bring our own pods. The rooms are comfortable, the recent upgrades look great, and the Romance Suite had a big, spacious shower that we loved. Looking forward to coming back.

I didn’t stay at Almar this visit, but I went to their Mantamar Beach Club for the first 2 days of my visit with friends. I decided to get a pedicure, which I had done once before. Those services are performed in the spa area of Almar. Arci was the massage therapist who did my pedicure. He was friendly, charming and very professional. His pedicure was great, but his massage skills on my legs and feet were incredible. I am a diabetic and have constant issues with my feet. After his treatment the skin color of my feet looked better than they have in years - and 2 days later they are still showing major improvement. If you’re visiting Almar or Mantamar, I heartily recommend asking for a massage from Arci. You won’t be disappointed if you want a skilled and professional experience

I wanted to find a relaxing, laid-back resort for our first ever visit to Puerto Vallarta and came across the Almar Resort. Billing itself as the LGBT Beachfront Experience, I thought this might be the place for us to chill out. In many ways this is an awesome place to stay. Located on the beach at the south end of the Zona Romantica (Romantic Zone), the hotel tower has undergone an extensive renovation along with the addition of a smaller modern building called Mantamar. The existing tower rooms are well appointed and pleasant although a bit bland in their design. They feature walk-in showers and separate space for the toilet, with dual vanities as well as a separate mirror and vanity with bench seat for personal care. Rooms also feature a microwave, wet bar and mini refrigerator, although the fridge is mostly filled with purchasable food and beverages. Our room on the 12th floor had a sweeping view of the bay and beach. The rooms in Mantamar have a more modern and colorful vibe with similar amenities. Some rooms have a glass shower exposed to the rest of the guest room and the rooms are also adjacent to the beach club. These rooms are intended to be the "party" area and the beach club pool and club reflect that intent. The older tower has the Eden pool on the fifth floor with an infinity pool, hot tub and swim-up bar. There are cabanas for rent if you want to spend the day hanging out. It is more relaxed and a nice break from the thump-thump-thump pounding music at Mantamar. That said, to each his own: you can choose the experience you want here. The food at the Eden bar is delicious and a highlight from our stay. We ordered the ceviche, tuna sashimi and fish tacos: all were executed with care and were very good. The pool food is a hidden gem at this hotel. The infinity pool faces the ocean and is sparkling clean. During our visit we enjoyed meeting several other guests on vacation; everyone was kind and fun to talk to. The main tower features a rooftop bar, called the Top Sky Bar. On the positive side, the views are incredible here and is an awesome place for a drink. However, the food is truly awful and ranges from barely edible to total crap. I had a hamburger that was cooked on the surface but raw inside. My husband ordered a bruschetta that looked more like a slice of toasted Wonder bread with some salad fixings scattered on top. We also received a complimentary breakfast that was better but still flavorless and skimpy. Some aspects of our stay were not pleasant unfortunately. The business office has a very antiquated system in requiring a paid security deposit for the room as well as a deposit to cover expected food and beverage charges. Most hotels simply let you place a credit card on file to cover incidentals but that is not allowable at this property. The most annoying part of our experience however is the timeshare presentation. They bill it as a "membership" but let's face it: they are connected to RCI, one of the big players in the timeshare industry so make no mistake, membership functions as a timeshare would. The presentation is insulting in that they very boldly tel you that the only reasons that people don't buy in is that they either 1) don't understand the package (i.e. you must be stupid), or 2) they can't afford it. The high pressure tactics don't work on me having been in sales myself. I know the game and I wasn't biting. Despite this unpleasantness, we did receive two massage appointments in the hotel spa. These were very good and professionally done and were a nice introduction to the spa services available. For those fitness minded individuals, there is also a gym. The spa is located adjacent to the Top Bar on the top floor of the hotel. I think this property works best for men as the majority of guests were male. I did see some women couples hanging out at the pool, but not sure how comfortable they were with the male-oriented atmosphere. Overall, it was a good stay at this property, but they lose a star for the bad food in the Top Bar and the ham handed timeshare presentation. Recommended.

This place is awesome. It felt luxurious but was very affordable. The staff was great, the food fantastic the menu for room service was all night long. The view from the rooftop club and shows there were fabulous. It's located i right on the beach and at the edge of restaurants and nightlife in Zona Romantca, so they're all a quick walk away, or you don't have to hear and deal with that at all. Perfect escape.

Beautiful place - very overpriced rooms Front desk staff are flat out rude Beach staff was great - beach food is amazing Super over priced massages

Someone in the Almar staff likely housekeeping) went through the wardrobe, unzipped our bag, found the interior pocket and took all of our cash. Since we were staying here for several more days we bought a bicycle lock to keep them out. We reported it management but they failed to do anything to make it right. It put a damper on our anniversary vacation.

There is Zero customer service. My husband and I have been owners for 18 years and the past 4 have seen a drastic decrease in every aspect of service and amenities. It sounds little, but we are no longer listed on the 'welcome board'. Others are, but not us for some reason. I've even asked and they don't seem to care. Our requests for room preference also go ignored even after requests made months in advance. For example for a room that is not by the bar because of noise. The list goes on. If we were not owners, I would not go back. There are much better values, with better amenities, and most definitely a higher quality of employee elsewhere.

Reservation representative, especially the manager named Erika was not helpful and less than sympathetic on the situation. The airlines had canceled the flights due or a global IT outage. When explaining the situation to the hotel, they could have cared less and still charged for the accommodations without offering at least one night credit. Unless you're looking to loose money, I do not recommend the Almar Resort in Puerto Vallarta...shameful.

Te reto a que encuentres un lugar para leer un libro aquí. Boom boom boom, everywhere, all the time...before breakfast until late... Unless you're accustomed to living in a disco, you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere to relax except in your room with noise-canceling headphones.

If you are a gay man - GO for it. If you are a straight woman you can forget you exist! I came with a group of 25 for a birthday celebration. We were excited since it was our first time. Meaning the females. My friend & I were not greeted with a friendly smile or greeting more like the help! I informed them that 3 other ladies booked partial ocean & were given a room the 2nd floor with no view. I expressed how I emailed the hotel a week before & no response. "Mar" stated we are fully booked. I stated I should get the room Im paying for. I was dismissed. We left our CC with a $250 hold for inessentials in the room or bar. Nope didn't matter. Anytime we ordered something we needed to pay up front with a card or money because they claimed our card was not on file when we showed proof of our $250 hold receipt. Breakfast is included. Well you are allowed one choice from the menu. You can order additional but for a cost. Don't order the eggs it's probably ONE scramble cold egg. Order the pancakes it'll fill you up for an hour. The beach area the service was excellent. Irvin was a complete doll very attentive & friendly. Again I had to go get my CC because I couldn't charge it to the room. At 10am i asked for bottled water for the room & tidy up the room. At 5p I called to inquiete why wasn't our room tidy up with water clean towels. They stated we asked too late pass 3pm. That's when I lost it. We had been at the beach since 10:45a we turned the sign at 10am. Our room no partial ocean view but 2%. We had full street view. The bed with hair ! The balcony full of hair. Would I come & stay here again?? NEVER!!!!

My stay at this hotel was an absolute nightmare, primarily due to the concierge, Tayna. She was nothing more than a relentless timeshare trap, offering no real assistance whatsoever. When I refused to purchase a timeshare, the staff became outright hostile and rude. They wouldn't even let me bring my own water to the pool and demanded that I buy overpriced water from the bar to take my necessary medication. They also refused to let me use my own bottle of water from the room. Upon arrival, they forced me to sign a contract in Spanish, refusing to provide an English version. When I explained that I didn't understand, they claimed it was just for the room deposit and would be released when I left. I don't appreciate shady practices like this. The service was beyond atrocious, and nowhere on their website do they disclose that this is a timeshare operation. This place is a complete scam. Do not fall for it! Avoid at all costs!

We actually were stupid enough to purchase membership at Almar in 2012 before construction even began. We heard horror stories about these timeshares never working out, cant use your week, never availibility etc. They seemed to have solution for that in contract. Point system per weeks that you can save/bank use any time. AA+ membership for additional cost promissed guaranteed reservation, points not expiring etc. Once resort was open, two years later, they withdraw all those contracted benefits. Do not buy membership at this place. Better off making reservation if you want to stay there None of the perks they promise will materialize. Once they have your money , there will be always an excuse why you can't get what you were supposed to. See contract page of AA+ benefits supposed to recieve, and see email whats left. Reservation no longer guaranteed, your weeks expire after 2 years. Use it or lose it. Better off just making reservation when and if you want to stay here. Cheaper too if you do the math . There are other , better options now in PV for gay travelers.

This place gets a solid 3 stars. The room we had was spacious and clean. The room had a great view. Staff for the most part were pleasant and helpful. The pools were amazing. The proximity to the beach is great. The location to all of the night life in Zona Romantica is great. The food at the hotel was decent but pricey. The downsides: The first thing when checking in is the disclosure about the extra fees, which you can have in your room and when, the items not included in your stay and check-in and check-out times which they seem to be very strict about. Caveat don't show up a minute early and don't leave a minute late. If you like club music expect it all day everyday no matter what room you are in. Do expect a very heavy handed time share pitch. Do expect watered down drinks that aren't cheap. Do expect if you sit by the pool to be asked by every masseur at least 10 times if you want to book a massage. And do expect to pay an arm and a leg despite the price on the price list. Do expect to wait 20 minutes at checkout for them to check the mini bar. The long and short of it, if you want to stay at a gay hotel this is it. You are definitely paying for the gay. If you want to stay some place that has good value, this is not necessarily the place.

We stayed first week of October 2023. Birthday celebration and had family and friends join us. The hotel is a lovely hotel and the staff are incredibly kind and helpful. However there are a number of issues we experienced. First off, the hotel isn't very accessible for people with disabilities. The few ramps accessing the property are often blocked by cars or motorbikes. The ramps inside the hotel such as the one to the rooftop is so steep and has no handrail even my able bodied partner struggled to help me up the ramp. None of the stairwells have handrails and when it rains the bridge ramp from the lobby to the rooms is closed. Causing me to have to sit in the lobby until the rain is over. The room we booked was a partial ocean view. However we were placed in room 606 above the 5th floor kitchen and had to listen to the exhaust vent run 24/7 and smell the grease from the kitchen, so sitting on our balcony was never pleasant. The bed was also so saggy that my back was in pain the whole trip. We also rolled into the center of the bed as there was no support in the mattress. The queen beds advertised are actually full size or double beds, not queen beds. We asked for a new mattress or room and were told there were none available. We asked for a shower mat for the floor as it's like grease lighting when wet. The hotel doesn't offer any shower mats. So we used towels. We sent out our laundry for wash and fold. When our laundry came back, the two shirts with food dropped on the front was still there and one pair of shorts we had forgotten to remove a tissue from the pocket, still had the tissue in it and yet the tissue was intact. The laundry wasn't washed but we were charged for it. When we checked out, we were told one bottle of water had been used in the mini bar. We never used anything out of the mini bar, we only used the two free bottles of water left in the bathroom each day. In fact we even used the water from the tap and never had an issue with the water at the hotel. We had friends who stayed the first part of the trip at the hotel with us until they moved to another hotel because similar issues with their room. They were charged for a bottle of water used from the mini bar they never took. They also tried to charge them for a missing iron in the room, plus they wouldn't refund any portion of the remainder of the hotel fees paid when they departed early because of the inconveniences, they stayed in room 704, also above the 5th floor kitchen roof and had to smell and listen to the exhaust fan 24/7 and they had construction in the room next door, so they were listening to hammering and sawing for hours each day when they would be in their room. The hotel should make guest aware of construction going on and block those room from being occupied. They should have also offered to move our room to another partial ocean view room when we asked or given us an option to upgrade at least to another floor if a similar partial ocean view room wasn't available. In short, not a great experience for us.

Stayed over a week during early April 2024. I'd say it was "fine" and nowhere I'd rush back to. Pro's: - Room was clean and they were on top of cleaning daily - Good security (this can be a bit of a con if you wan't to have guests) - Bed was comfortable and they were replacing the couches while we were there, which is a needed update. - The fifth floor Eden Pool was great, we spent a lot of our days there, it was a more chill alternative to Mantamar - Beach front views, if you get a good one, and that is a coin-toss - they are marketing those rooms to timeshare owners and so you may get a view of the roof of Eden or the Mantamar club. - Nice to have access to breakfasts in the morning and the food on property is good. - Staff are friendly and responsive. Con's - They had an issue processing my Amex payment. I got an email asking me to email my security code, which is not a secure way to transmit information. I called instead, but that's a risky practice. - Loud at night, especially on weekends. I'm a light sleeper who turns in relatively early. This isn't the place for people like me as the Blue Chairs and Almar noise plus Mantamar and pool noise is just overwhelming. Forget listening to the ocean waves. - Hand held shower that wouldn't switch over to the overhead shower head. I'm tall that so was less than ideal. - My A/C didn't work for a couple of nights. No one really explained much to me about why, it ended up being a glitch with the door sensor. Spending two nights with no A/C wasn't great. Workers came at 10 PM one night and just sort of left without fixing it or the desk saying anything. - Housekeeping doesn't refill coffee or tea, or stock the minibar with additional waters (they do leave more for the bath though). So you end up getting your own. - Be prepared to spend more for food and drinks here. The food is good but the drink up-charges are significant when compared to any other option on the beach. We went to Green Chairs to meet friends and paid about 1/3 what we were paying at Almar for a margarita. They were no different in quality. So in short, it's an okay spot, not one I'd rush back to. I have stayed in VRBO's with a beach view before and would likely go there instead.

Almar Resort is listed as a Luxury LGBT Beachfront Resort. True to it's name, it faces the Pacific Ocean and gives large access to the beach, dazzling beachfront view, and complimentary access to Mantamar Beach Club through the use of a non-removable wrist band that they give you on day 1. I also appreciate that this is adult only, so there are no kids running around the 2+ pools that they offer within its premises. The large amount of not-so-good reviews are due to the fact that they have been moving at a glacial pace at construction, access to certain parts of the premises, their strict policy on no-guests for those who are looking for 'visitors' to 'enhance their stay', and for their attractive yet utterly unhelpful staff that are very good at the check-in process but horrible when it comes to anything else. When it comes to nice accommodations, beautiful rooms, and convenient location, the competition (including Casa Culpa) aren't able to compete. Very important to book this place a great 4-6 months in advance to ensure you get consecutive days in the room choice of your preference. My favorite is the Mantamar Front Row Suite. Despite it being a bit more flashy and having a comic book theme, I enjoy that it's right next to the pools, nearby the bottom level exit, and has a jacuzzi within its room. Depending on the type of room, availability, popularity (i.e. Pride events or New Years), and days of the week, prices would range from $110-$300 per night for a room.

Almar canceled my reservation the day before I arrived. Why? Because I failed to respond to the single email they sent informing me that essentially they don't accept the AMEX card they allowed me to use when booking the reservation. Their booking site accepts AMEX, then they send a single email asking for a different card. Clearly, Almar is avoiding AMEX service fees at your expense. I was 1 of 14 in our group. It was sorry so sorry ..."why don't you try to add yourself to one of your friends reservations?" I ended up canceling the trip entirely because I ran out of time to figure out alternative accommodations. Almar provided no help. As it turned out, my 13 friends all experienced nearly two days of no water. That meant no toilets and no showers. Almar told them it was a neighborhood issue but that was BS. I've stayed at Almar previously. Don't let them fleece you just because it's branded "GLBT". There are FAR better options in the Romantic zone. Try Pinnacle.

We've stay here numerous times in the past (and I'm actually the YELP Duke of the property) but the attitude this places gives is just unacceptable. My partner recently had back surgery and I have a severe ankle injury which stairs are difficult. So we walked in to use the elevator to get to their Mantmar beach club. They refused to let us use it and said to use the stairs. These stairs are treacherous and with the issues we have it's a real problem. Why they won't let someone use an elevator to one of the their attached businesses is a joke. I guess if I had said we were going to the TOP they would have to let us so what's the difference? Well I told them they would be getting a bad Yelp review (which previously was a 4star from me) after the treatment they gave us. We are soon to be local residents and I'll happily spend my money elsewhere.

Made fraudulent charges to my credit card for things that we did not purchase. No hot water, no electricity for two nights, didn't get the room we ordered online, front desk help sucked. Definitely will not stay again and do not recommend. Very scandalous resort.

Huge disappointment on so many levels. We booked online knowing that we might not get the best room. But also not expecting to get the worst room in the house since it was a Monday and maybe 1/2 full. Photo is our view. Then we went up to Sky bar. Ordered two margaritas as it is their happy hour. Two for one. They brought four margaritas and insisted that we pay for all. We felt scammed which is always a bad feeling. Asked to talk to the manager both days. No reply. So I would say if you have tons of money to throw away and don't mind being ripped off by a staff that is trained to scam this place is for you. And management that is so below par. This could be a good fit otherwise. Stay away give your money to good people who do not rip you off just because you're in a gay environment.

It's a party hotel that definitely caters to men. We are a lesbian couple and did not get an equal level of service. The pool wait staff was amazing and it had a beautiful view, but the front desk was the worst. The doors were thin and we could hear everything. We asked to change rooms and they refused. My wife broke her hotel wristband band and they kept giving us the third degree cause we didn't keep it. They also suggested we walk 4 blocks down the steep cobblestone streets in the rain rather than telling us there was an elevator that would take us down to the same place. DO NOT get anything from the mini bar, the prices are not displayed and they charged us $100 usd for a half of bottle of champagne . Oh and they will do a sweep of your room for damages, make sure you carve time for that so you don't miss your flight! If you're looking for a bunch of dudes where you can hear role playing through an adjoining door all night, go for it. Good luck mi amigos!

(My visit was the week of September 20th, 2021) I absolutely loved my stay at the Almar. Perhaps I was lucky enough with most of the complaints in prior reviews to no longer be an issue; however, I 100% recommend staying at the Almar! This hotel has not only beautiful views but the service and staff are top notch here. Upon check-in they'll offer you a complimentary beverage but there will be an attempt at a mini timeshare presentation. Gotta respect the hustle though lol. Pricing was more than fair than the rooms and there's something for every budget. My partner and I decided to splurge for our first stay (we stayed at Almar before and after our all-inclusive stay at a different resort) in their Grand Almar Hydrobath and Terrace Full Ocean View and holy fudge were the views breathtaking. This particular room has two patios for use, l'occitane amenities, a jetted hot tub, multiple storage, and two bathrooms with showers. My partner loved the nespresso machine but be warned they do charge per pod which wasn't much. The pools and landscape are breathtaking here and the staff is always maintaining the grounds. I really loved the saltwater pool with swim-up bar! You can also order food there so that was great. One perk about staying at Almar is how you have access to the Mantamar dayclub pool. This place gets poppin and the fact you're saving about $25/$30 per person per day for access to Mantamar alone is reason enough to stay at Almar. Mantamar is accessible to the general public. Make sure to double check if your stay includes complimentary continental breakfast which has coffee, juice, fruit, and toast. The property is LGBTQIA-oriented and is very queer friendly!

This was a relaxing and wonderful vacation overall, however the Almar LGBT Resort had positives and negatives. It's located in Zona Romantica - about 35 minutes by car from the airport. This was my 50th anniversary of my last trip to Mexico. The location is quite nice, and our eighth floor room had a splendid view of the spectacular ocean scenery and the infinity lap pool. The front desk staff was welcoming and friendly and upon arrival you get a colored braided bracelet to identify the 'level' (purple, black and silver), each identifying certain particulars. We had access to the very clean and well kept gym (I do not believe it is wheelchair accessible as you access it via a staircase, and its oddly tucked away behind the spa front desk) - I went once during our stay, but poked my head in a few times and I was the only person ever in there. This was humpback whale season, so we managed to see a few from The Top Bar & Restaurant on the 13th Floor - as well as seeing gorgeous (and close) fireworks shot from a pirate ship at night - spectacular. I will review the restaurant separately - but it was a mixed review (great for breakfast!). We had dinner during a sparsely attended and honestly low energy drag show where I had a terrible drink which they refused to refund. Because we were there for the first time we were offered a sales pitch (which was actually great, informative and sales gent was very nice) to buy-in to a condo/time share. We agreed to it and they gave us two free (15 minute) back or foot massages and a credit for 1500 pesos (or $75.65 USD) which was basically cash to be used for meals or other services - and we had a nice meal with it. For me the Mantamar Club was NOT for me - too much thumping pumping music and everyone in speedos and thousands of vendors selling everything from sombreros to manoes on a stick to jewelry to massage services (so much of that!!!). I spent most of my time at the 5th floor lap pool - that was quite pleasant, and the lounge chairs were somewhat comfy - and they have an endless supply of freshly laundered towels. If you want to upgrade to a cabana I heard they cost upwards of $500/day. That seemed a bit excessive. If you come here order the shrimp tacos from their Red Fish restaurant - they are sumptious. Oh, I mean it. The bar drinks were sort of hit or miss - so I stuck with agua frescas which were refreshing. My only gripe with my experience had to do with their spa, Serenity (top floor walk up). The lady at the front counter was very nice and friendly, but there was some miscommunication between my wanting to apply the coupons that the concierge (Carlos) gave to me and the massage therapist who checked me out. So when I was paying and gave a tip it cost me, get this, $185 USD (!!!) for a 60-minute back only massage. It is excessive, and was to expensive. I was confused by the price list and how it applied to what service and the cost. Now, I cannot complain about the actual massage itself, the therapist, Charlie (Carlos) was friendly and provided a fantastic, relaxing massage with a little aromatherapy at the beginning and end - and the warm towel at the end was great. I felt almost ready to go to sleep aftwerwards. Still, this massage would cost me less than $100 with tip here in the US. If they added a parafin wax foot dip and a facial for that price I could see it, but alas. I did manage to get a second 15 minute back massage in a lounge chair (not preferred) at the poolside (w/coupon) from masseuse Zeus. His smaller stature made for quite a surprise when I asked for strong pressure - I thought he was going to break me - a strong man in a small frame. Worth it. The few other things that seemed inordinate were the electricity going out for many hours on the day before we left and we had to use the stairs and no internet in certain areas. Also, when you are in the back of the resort walking into town the street that leads there has way too many random people offering drugs and massages. I felt mildly irritated, however no one accosted us too too much, it was just being asked five times on one block was 'team too much'. As an artist and former curator the art in lobbies and rooms seemed a bit outdated, cliche or blingy, that could use a modern touch - however the grounds are lovely with the big shell fountain and the flowers/bushes and other elephant/banana leave plants and palms. The infinity lap pool was heaven on earth. The housekeeping/cleaning staff do an amazing and often thankless job, we made sure to tip them every day as there were different people every so often. The way they folded the green throw everyday, a new shape, genius! It's those little touches that make a trip like this even more special. They did a thorough job cleaning and making beds and providing turndown service. Big thumbs up to them!

Luxury, comfort and relaxation are not words I would use to describe Almar. Let me start off by saying that this place was a nightmare from the beginning of my vacation. I had paid for an ocean front view and they gave me the low level with the view of a sea shell water fountain.. I thought this was going to be the worst issue, was I wrong. I went to the reception area on three separate occasions to asked to be switched and each time I would just be given a blank stare until it was finally done two days later. To elaborate on how awful this was, we checked in on a Friday and left Saturday morning for an excursion that we came back filthy from Saturday night to TOO NO RUNNING WATER. The hotel left notes saying they were doing some work and that it would be back by the morning time. Did that happen.. NOPE! We went a full day with absolutely no water. By Monday we had ice cold water trickling in, by Monday night it was gone again! Received another note saying that a specialist from Mexico city was flying in to fix the situation, but wouldn't arrive until Tuesday evening.. what else was arriving Tuesday evening, A HURRICANE. I knew instantly that nothing was going to happen and they would blame the hurricane on all the issues. They somehow kept checking people in to the hotel not explaining to them severity of the problem. People were told, "It will be fixed later today". Everything I would see someone new checking in I would tell them to run! I ultimately had to check out and save whatever was left from our vacation. This place is awful!!! I WISH I would have listened to the previous reviews. THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I MADE.

Please people don't come to this F place! Believe it or not today October 7th, we been without Water Service for more than 24 HOURS long! We can't use the bathroom, brush our teeth, or take a shower! This is unacceptable! This is Unhealthy! Terrible!!!

I stayed here for 6 nights and I need to say, this is NOT a luxury resort. However, the customer service from the staff makes up for 10x over! They were kind, attentive, and never hesitated to help in improving our stay. The rooms were outdated but the view that came with them was extraordinary. Excellent location to the beach club, local activities, restaurants, and shopping. Food was very good and affordable, I wish the breakfast menu was a little more comprehensive but that is a tiny concern and didn't really affect anything. The only issue I had was how we had to put deposit down onto our rooms when checking in for credit. It was very confusing, not only to me but everyone we talked to. I've stayed at resorts around the world and I'm accustomed to charging resort charges to our room and receiving an itemized receipt when checking out. The checkout process was lengthy, and the charges were not explained or presented to us in a manner that made any sense. The resort really needs to update its procedures, it makes it very annoying to carry a card around when enjoying the resort. I would come back again to see if things improved once renovations have completed.

Welp, so far this planned 7 day stay is off to a rocky start... Upon arrival to check in we were pleasantly greeted. As we waited to be checked in in the couch area one displeased guest came in to the front desk slowing down our check in process. Shortly after that guest was done another displeased and outwardly angry guest came to the front desk grabbing the attention of the whole reception team further slowing down our checkin process which led us to joke that another and we would be out. After being checked in and before being shown to our room we were given a virtual tour as well as a time share sales pitch... other Yelpers make mention of this in their reviews so we were aware this would be part of the process. Upon our first night on Sunday construction continued until midnight, mind you we were well aware that construction noise would be a thing during our stay but we were told hours would be from 08:00 thru 18:00 Monday through Friday with it ending a little earlier on the weekends. The next day on Monday for a noon drink and dip in the pool we stopped by Eden Pool & Lounge Garden. The majority of the servers were pleasant (one kept mentioning about getting it on with my boyfriend). Our few hours there were bliss. Shortly after signing our bill we descended down the elevator for the beach when I noticed I was charged for 3 waters, not just the 1 we had, honest mistakes happen I get it. We go back up to have that revised. Going back down I then noticed that the prices for our drinks went up, after having had the extra waters removed, now at this point feeling taken advantage of we went to the front desk where they phoned the staff to make sure it is fixed and revised by the time we head back. Yes I overlooked and signed for the incorrect charges both times but I feel as though this is just common practice. After a second night of construction proceeding after 18:00 I called the front desk staff to see what they could do, after a few hours of back and fourth around close to 23:00 Antonio was able to find us an amicable solution and moved us to another room away from the construction without additional charges with his supervisor's approval. The rest of our stay was pretty uneventful. We avoided any further drinks or food at the Eden Pool & Lounge Garden after our first visit. The night room service menu was pretty limited (as far as vegan options) but the guacamole and chips hit the spot. Though we were not able to get a late checkout we were allowed to continue using the facilities after checking out until it was our time to leave for the airport.

2.5 stars really? I'm shocked! Maybe they've made some recent changes because I give them 5 stars. We stayed 5/7/2023 - 5/13/2023 and it was awesome! Below are my comments. We chose the Deluxe suite with partial ocean view (listed as two queen beds, but pretty sure they were kings like I have at home). The room was super nice, tastefully decorated, well appointed, and clean! My mattress was luxurious. This is a luxury resort. The bathroom could've used more hooks for towels but that would be my only (very minor) suggestion. The A/C was more than enough to keep our room cold, hot water on demand, and the ocean view was HUGE...far better than the listed "partial ocean view" on their website. We were extremely happy with the view from our room (we were on the 11th floor). From check-in to check-out every employee we came in contact with were not only very professional, but super friendly and accommodating. They always greeted us with a smile and eye contacgt as we passed through the lobby. Drinks and food at Eden and Mantamar were wonderful. While lounging at Eden we did get a lot of offers for massages, but who cares? The masseurs are HOT AF so just talking to them made our day!!! Daily access to the Mantamar (breakfast included each morning), unless you need a full kitchen and multiple bedrooms/bathroom, then the Almar has it all IMO. Now for the bad part. OH, there is NO bad part...everything was honestly superb and we'll definitely be staying at the Almar again - SOON! Thank you to all of the staff at the Almar for making our stay so awesome. Every person who works there deserves a shout out, but I can't remember everyone's name. However, I definitely remember Francisco (Eden pool). I had a bad sun burn and he was constantly checking on me and moving the umbrella to keep me in the shade. He ensured our quesadillas were crispy, our drinks came out fast. He's just amazing - thank you Francisco!! Also, the manager at the front desk (didn't get his name) was so nice and accommodating. I sincerely do not have a negative thing to say about the Almar nor Mantamar.

I just check in right now. I was here last august. I supposed to stay at Governors Suite at Marriott hotel coz I have titanium status but i choose to stay here thinking I'm getting the suite we stayed last august Instead I got a small suite. Is this the way they treat their loyal guest? I never stay here again. I even talk to the manager of front desk and it's worthless. Customer Service and loyal guest don't exist to this hotel. I booked for romantic suite ocean view but they give me a small suite part building and part ocean view. Nothing on my booking says part ocean view. I Hate the room and the building view. It's not the the pic on the website! As I check in, I met few guest that complain about the room assignment and someone has been assigned my room but complain and they moved to different rooms. This is their tactics! Pretending to be luxurious but rooms is not. Rooms has no soundproof, you can hear music from rooftop and pool. Even on nights from rooftop bar and bluechair bar across the hotel. would not recommend this hotel at all. Drinks and food at the Eden pool (hotel pool) is very expensive, more expensive than California drinks.

The worst service ever. Never do what they say either. They just don't care. They seem very disorganized. One part of the resort doesn't know what the other is doing. Don't waste your time coming here.

This was once a very fun and interesting place. Unfortunately, it's in decline. The staff is beautiful but not equipped to deal with customer service. The rooms are a casualty of over use and poor maintenance. At checkout there were overcharges for every room in our group. The beach club was not clean and treated as an income source for the hotel. It's truly not for hotel guests. We ended up using the neighboring chairs for a fee because the chairs at the beach club had been sold to others. Even the chairs dedicated to hotel guests.

Best vacation I've had!! The staff was amazing and the room and pool was beautiful. We are almost everyday there and the food was fantastic. If I'm ever back, this is the only place I'll stay.

This is my fifth year staying at Almar so for what it's worth I've had several different years and almost 5 weeks of staying here to come up with my assessment. To stay here you can book as a 'hotel' or they offer a time-share package which is what I am. With this you are called an owner and get a few extra perks. Almar is the main complex with a tall tower giving you beautiful views of the bay. Part of the resort is Mantamar which is the beachfront property directly in front of the hotel. This has a small restaurant, beach seating and a great pool with double chaise lounge chairs called Balinese beds. Two years ago the hotel added an additional building 5 stories tall in-between. On the top floor of this new building is a beautiful infinity lap pool with Balinese beds, loungers and private cocoons. All gorgeous. The hotel rooms are spacious and well equipped. Some rooms also offer small kitchenettes and you can get two rooms connected which is the package I have. Bedding is great, big walk-in showers and lots of closet space. All have small balconies too. The grounds are stunning and you can tell everyone takes great pride in their property. I'm always amazed at how kind and nice the staff is. Very very nice! Polite, gracious and always friendly. So for all that goodness I am giving them very high regards. Unfortunately the service just plain sucks big time. At least they are consistent with this poor service as it really hasn't changed since the first time I was here. That has helped over the years of coming here as I just have learned to set my expectations very low. As a couple of examples just with the first 24 hours of my arrival last week: 1. Arrived to the hotel at 7pm. The concierge greeted us immediately and then told us we have to wait for the front desk person to return so we could then check in. Twenty minutes later this person arrived! 2. Walked into our room and we had floor 2 of the new addition. (A little reminder here .... I am a 'double' owner for 5 years AND I booked my stay the last day of my stay the year before meaning 51 weeks earlier). Our view was completely blocked by the back side of their Mantamar building. Great room, the double we wanted, but the view is obviously kind of important and one would think an owner who had booked the room 51 weeks earlier (who also requested a room with a view) would get what he requested. 3. Breakfast the next morning .... Waiter got our order wrong, never got us the cream we had asked for our coffee and then refilled our empty cups with 'barely' warm coffee from the thermos. 4. The maids had our 2 rooms ready after breakfast but gave us only 1 bath towel and 3 hand towels and 1 wash cloth and left just decaf coffee and not replacing the 2 bags of regular brew that we had used. What I described above is just par for the course with Almar. I don't bitch and complain and just go with the flow here. I know American's expectation of 'luxury' and that view of the good folks here at Almar are EXTREMELY different. If you can keep that in mind you will do just fine here. It is truly a beautiful setting with an easy beach/paved boardwalk to the Los Muertos Beach Pier.

I was really looking forward to staying here. I have stayed at Casa Cupola before, which was OUTSTANDING, but I wanted to try Almar, primarily for location. Unfortunately, making the reservation was a nightmare. I initially made a typo with my credit card number, which is completely my fault. But then I provided them with the correct info multiple times, and they kept reading back the wrong info. The staff was so rude and condescending with me that I finally just cancelled the whole thing. I have never been treated so rudely by a customer service "professional" when I'm trying to give them money. Very disrespectful, and kept telling me I was "wrong" when I was not.

The building and amenities itself are okay but the customer service is awful. 1). I get that check in is at 3:00pm. That's standard among most hotel chains. I got there a little earlier in hopes that a room might have been available. (Again not uncommon). It wasn't until 4:12 that I finally had a room available. 2). While you're annoyed with your bags waiting for a room, they call you over under the pretense that it's something regarding your check in. Instead it's an aggressive, tone deaf pitch to a time share. (Or loyalty club) as one rep referred to it as. They offer you a coupon for a massage if you come at some point during your stay to hear the pitch. 3). The manager is incredibly rude. Any concern you bring to his attention, after rolling his eyes, he'll delegate someone to 'deal with you' as he scurries away to his back office. He also wasn't wearing his mask but could be seen reprimanding an associate about his mask. Additionally he enforced the mask policy with guests but had none in sight. 4). The room was nice. It was clean and the minibar had great options. It would be better if there was at least complimentary bottled water included in the mini bar. Everything was A La Carte. It was almost as if Frontier Airlines owned the place. The toiletries were great and the cleaning staff was friendly. 5). Access to the beach is quite the hike. No seriously. Those steps are steep going down and uncomfortable going back up. Hopefully at some point they create a lift system to get guests to the beach. To be fair they offer a shuttle but who wants to wait for a shuttle to go to the beach and back. Also upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, you'll be approached by charming men offering you... 'substances' to enhance your stay. 6). Don't make the mistake of giving them your credit card or passport. A waiter 'accidentally' took my credit card home with him. I had to do without my card for an entire night, and when they finally decided to return it, 2 huge charges were placed on it. 7). The performances are somewhat entertaining but after every set, they come through the crowd asking for money. The first time was cute but after the 8th time it was a lot and quite off putting. Literally everything led to them shoving a metal vase in your face asking for a 'tip'. In summary this is a shady establishment with little to no interest in customer satisfaction. It's all about money I guess to fund the construction going on. I've been treated better at a hostel... I'll be back to PVR but not the Almar. No Thank you.

Amazing experience. Beautiful hotel/resort. Great staff. Awe-inspiring pool and views. Tasteless food. All the bell hops and receptionist at the front can be a bit jarring but everyone was super helpful and nice. Almar is up a hill so walking to and from the resort can be a struggle after drinking but the location totally makes up for that. (Exit the building from the bottom as opposed to the lobby to minimize the hill). Breakfast host Michelle, so nice, so beautiful. Server Louis by the pool was absolutely thee best and attentive. Rodolfo the chef at Eden was hilarious personable and cooks right in front of you if you're seated at the pool bar. ..... unfortunately, no matter what time I ate, the food had no seasoning. That's the only reason for the deduction in stars. I will let the pictures entice you into staying here, I know I will stay again.

The negative reviews of this place were shocking to us. Perhaps we came after the worst of the construction was over. Maybe they improved a lot of things since last year. But for us... the room (on the eleventh floor) was gorgeous, the service attentive, the view the best I've had in my life, the proximity to the Top Sky Bar excellent, and the included breakfasts were a really delicious and nice touch. Diego, the bellhop, is the most handsome man in PV, by the way, which I'm sure didn't influence my review at all. Okay, maybe a little.

My review and experience exceeded the limit for a review so I just took screenshots of my actually review! Please look at the pictures attached!

Im a latino tourist that has been waiting for a room for 2 hours, the receptionist was very clear that no late check outs are allowed or a a $20 fee per hour would apply. However my check in time was at 3 pm and it's already later that that time. All the white American tourist that have arrived AFTER me are being assigned rooms as I'm waiting still for MY room. How come I couldn't get one of those rooms (first come first served) I find this hotel a little racist toward Latinos as I guess they are targeting for USD...

The worse experience EVER!!!! When we arrived at the resort, they said that they no longer had the room available that we paid for and tried to convince us to down ground. After an hour of debating, they finally gave us the room, with the "ocean view" of abandoned buildings and construction. The entire staff was aggressive and kept begging the guests for additional tips. Then, they gave us the option of smoking on the balcony, and then charged us $250 at check out because they said, "they smell smoke". The staff at this resort entire motive is to get as much money as possible from their guests, so beware.

Been here few times before, nice place and staff on beach walking distance downtown. New addition this year of cabanas I front of everyone that didn't rent one blocking view, rude and I guess way to get more money out of people. Their prices for drinks and food are American, go down to green chairs (Ritmo) for reap Ake Mexican prices.

Horrible! We actually have a time share here and btw... We have to book a year in advance to get a crappy room and floor. This time we have construction right above us from 7am - 7pm. Don't buy a time share and don't stay here....

First, after traveling they try to rope you into a sales pitch and put a $1200 hold on your card & charge you a $50 convenience fee (even if you have pre-paid). It's set up as a timeshare thing and they will continue to try and track you down during your stay. No, I don't want to hear a 75 min sales pitch on my birthday. Don't over pay for their shuttle ($120 is what they charged us). Just get a taxi to and from the hotel ($15). The walls are paper thin. I have audio recording of our neighbors just talking and eating (regular stuff, they weren't being overly loud)...they didn't sleep for over two days and we could hear EVERYTHING. We didn't know that the first night...so my apologies to our neighbors and how loud WE were. They say they are the only certified LGBT resort. Certified by who?!? It is a cis-gay man's resort and they just need to say they and be proud. I called a few days prior to let them know my partner's name and pronouns. My partner was misgendered the ENTIRE stay. Their dead name was used the entire stay. My partner does not look like a lady and is on T...we are from a conservative state where they don't get misgendered like this. We were so excited for queer space for once! This is not a space for non-binary or transgender folks. This was the most problematic thing to me. (To give context: my person is flat chested, dresses masculine, and does not look femme) TRAIN YOUR STAFF ON PRO-NOUNS. IF SOMEONE CALLS AND TELLS YOU THAT YOU HAVE A NON-BINARY THEY/THEM GUEST COMING, PLEASE MAKE NOTE. Do not use deadnames when a preferred name has been told to you. Have a space for preferred name and THEN USE IT. Also maybe have a gender neutral restroom if you're going to say you're a certified LGBT resort?? There is only art of men on the walls...it's not an inclusive resort and they just need to own who they are. This really is just a space for gay men. The view is great, as well as the beach access. The staff is friendly. We really liked Santana & Oscar. The infinity pool is beautiful and loved being able to have drinks in the pool. It's weird that you can't order coffee before 8am, but the coffee is good and strong and we loved that. We liked the gym....though it's not accessible if you need ADA access (just FYI). The hot tub needs to be hotter. I would honestly especially nicer amenities. The room was big, but everything seemed very cheap. There was only one tiny trashcan, the towels were mediocre, the bathrobe was paperthin... There are no hooks anywhere to have anything dry while you were staying at a beach front hotel with a pool. Be ready for non-stop thumping music...all night. I wish I had earplugs because the white noise machine only does so much. Maybe I'm just too old and since I don't do cocaine and stay up for days on end, it's not really my jam. Maybe my review will be their new commercial? (I generally only leave good reviews...but I was really disappointed in this space with the amount of money we spent and didn't have a good queer space for the week.)

Holy shit! This place is the worst! When we arrived we were given "a virtual tour of the property" after flying 7 hours on no sleep! At the end they try to sell you a timeshare kind of thing. Then we are placed in a room that has literal demolition happing all around our room (remodeling) after being woken up at 7 am after flying 7 hours the night before. To find out coffee maker full of mold in the water tank. We ask for a new room. "Oh! We are sold out, but (ironically) we have a suite that is available for an upgrade $120USD a night! We are here for a week. Ok fine. Whatever. Then today we have 2 friends come over for to enjoy drinks $$$ and food$$$ by the pool. After we order we are told that they each have to pay $75USD to be at the pool. So we cancel our food and told that we still have to pay! OMFG! This place is a scam! Do not stay here!

Worst experience ever. I own many timeshares and I have never had such a nightmare. I would never return with the current management. While there are 4 or 5 extraordinary staff members, none of them are in roles of responsibility.

Large beautiful rooms and the service is excellent. The staff are always very kind from Alejandro in reception to Brian at the pool bar to the incredibly accommodating room cleaning people. Very close to shopping, restaurants, and night life while still having great ocean views.

We had a good time up until check-out: room was clean, staff at the TOP where we had breakfast every morning were nice, location is convenient but the two things completely negated positive experience: 1) At check-in they put the fixed wristband on you to wear during entire stay, it's a braided band with some rather large wooden piece in the middle. It may feel ok during the day but when it's soaking wet after shower/pool it feels very uncomfortable, particularly in bed. It also collects any bacteria from the water anywhere you go. The purpose is entirely so that the staff can tell who is the guest at the hotel and who is not. There should be a better way to solve the problem, without the inconvenience of forcing paying guests to wear the band at all times. 2) By far the worse part of experience was the checkout: we had left the room and headed to front desk where they called someone to verify the mini bar and room condition. Much to our suprise they claimed we had consumed a bottle of expensive tequila and added a $200 charge to our bill for that. The whole claim is absurd: I haven't had any alcohol drinks in years, my partner doesn't drink hard liquor at all and we didn't have any guests in the room who might have consumed the tequila. This was clearly the fraud the hotel staff pulled when they realized we already left the room before inspection. Of course any protests were met with stone faced front desk staff and manager wasn't available. We probably left more than $200 in tips during our stay so we can survive the loss, it's the bad taste that lingers forever. Before check out we were looking forward to plan our next stay at the same hotel. There's no way in hell we are going back to stay there after this, it just feels incredibly dirty to have this thought in the back of the mind- where are they going to rip us off next? To deal with in-room bar fraud perhaps take time-stamped pictures at check in and every day before you leave the room. Request inspection in front of you before you leave the room for check out. Oh, and aggressive timeshare sales is not nice either. We arrived tired from long flight, yet the sales guy took 20 minutes to try and entice us to sign up for his presentation with freebies like free breakfast or massage. Just cut it short and go straight to your room after check in, it's a waste of time to listen to the sales pitch and memberships are never worth it anyway.

Nice friendly service, but that was the worst burger I've ever had. Oh, and if you actually want alcohol in your cocktail, ask for a double. Just to clarify, this was at the rooftop Skybar. I guess one should not expect to get decent food at a bar.

Just getting home from my time at this hotel... Horrible, horrible, awful, horrific, awful, horrible, the worst!! Although the grounds are very beautiful and the rooms are nice it does not outweigh the clueless and rude staff. After a four hour flight, one hour airport situation and 30 minutes travel... As soon as you get to the hotel they have you wait and then attempt to sell you a timeshare. Also I was informed that the final night of my reservation was not available so they had to see if they could give me a room for the last night... Then they made me check out and re-check in for the last night I was charged close to $250 for the last night and I was moved to a room that was directly under where they were doing the construction, very loud construction. I asked several times for a manager and was told that there was no manager on site for the 3 days of my visit. When I complain to the front desk they looked very clueless and had a very strong language barrier as if they couldn't understand what I was saying. in the hotel rooms they have several bottles of water everywhere in the room, but I was quickly informed that you are charged for the water. One of the nights they turned off the elevator and I was forced to climb four flights of stairs admittedly tipsy. Also the food and drink at the bars are on the higher priced end.. I will say this the pool is very nice but I can't stress enough this was one of the worst hotel experiences ever I would NOT recommend this hotel..

Staying here for 10 nights and utilizing all the amenities, I feel like I can write a fair rating for the Almar experience. First the great: phenomenal sunset views from The Top restaurant, Netflix Access on the Smart TV in your room, nice bathroom with a great shower. This is also one of the few hotels in the area with a gym, and, though small, it offers great views and decent equipment. Next the "Meh:" the service is inconsistent. There were many AMAZING waitstaff at The Top and at Mantamar that I will never forget, but there were also a few staff members that I will avoid in the future. Overall, my room was just ok. It looked great on first sight, but I began noticing lots of examples of broken fixtures and dust-filled areas as the days went on. The walls are thin, and you can hear people walking and dragging chairs above you and next door. At the Spa, I ordered a massage, manicure, and pedicure package on one of my days. The manicure and pedicure were supposed to come with a class of sparkling wine. My manicure was finished and I was halfway through my pedicure, so I asked.... and they brought me both at once. And it was 90 degrees! I feel a luxury resort should make you feel pampered, and you shouldn't have to ask for something you paid for. And now for the bad: The timeshare presentation was the worst. Despite what they tell you, it's high pressure. Don't agree to it! Also, despite their agreement to end at 75 minutes, mine was more than two hours. Additionally, you have to prepay for your Hotel Amenities and The Top Restaurant and Mantamar. Instead of charging your room, which in turn charges your card, they make you pay 6000 pesos a pop upfront ($320). Then, they leave a rude note under your door, stating you've "exceeded your credit limit" and need to visit the front desk. This freaked me out, because I thought either someone else was using my account, or I wasn't keeping track of my spending. When I went down to the front desk, I found out I was still 2000 pesos away from "exceeding" my limit. I paid extra for a "luxury" experience. I think this place still has some work to do. It not all about the environment.... it's more about how you make the client feel. I've stayed at 3 other places in Puerto Vallarta. This was adequate, but it needs to up its game for the price. For more luxury at comparable prices, try Garlands del Rio.

I have been staying here for over 5 years and just returned after spending New Years there with friends. It was very upsetting to see how this place has changed. Many of my friends are timeshare holders. As a "Member" you are supposed to be allowed 4 guests into Mantamar beach club. Also there is supposed to be no Black-Out dates. During our stay my friends were unable to get their 4 guests into the beach club and were told that New Years was a "private event". Seems to me that Almar and their Membership program has turned into a complete scam. Very disappointing experience Management can feel free to reach out to me at Vince@vmrusso.com for more details.