Ross S.
Yelp
I booked a one-bed room suite and pre-paid the hotel. The hotel charged me $50 more than the quoted Orbitz' price, and when I questioned it, the hotel owner said that exchange rates fluctuate daily and that it was common for the actual price to be different from the quoted price. I researched it, and I could not find that the rate had spiked 4% in any recent time period. When I checked in, the hotel asked me to pay for the room. I told them it was pre-paid, and they insisted that it was not. It was not until I produced a receipt did they accept that it was pre-paid.
After that they led me what they call a Superior Deluxe room, a corner room with a partial view. The room I booked was labeled "Panoramic Single Room, 1 Bedroom, Bay View," which was written on the confirmation I showed the owner of the hotel. He said that that room description does not exist. He then took me to another room which he said was a Deluxe Superior, and it was not until the next day I discovered that that room was in fact just a Deluxe room. Long story short, they downgraded me two levels. I paid $280 a night for a suite, and they put me in a $130 room. They insisted the room I originally booked did not exist, but when I found photos of the room, they said, that that room did exist but they never make it available. They refused to refund me the $743 difference. After spending about 20 hours on the phone with Orbitz, Orbitz forced them to refund me the money. I was so creeped out by the management at this hotel that I didn't even eat in the restaurant.
I've traveled all over the world, stayed at hundreds of different hotels and have never had an experience like this. If you do stay here, DON'T prepay the hotel. Pay through Orbitz or wait until you see what kind of room they are giving you and then negotiate a price. I also involved VISA, and VISA said I was not protected because I accepted some sort of room at the hotel. VISA said I should have refused to check into the hotel, and that is the only way I would get protection through them. This would have been a challenge as I would have then had to on foot, walk around Puerto Vallarta at night with my luggage looking for an alternate room.