Hotel Rio Malecon

Comfortable room. Kitchen facilities available but scant equipment. Housekeeper helped us out. Quieter at night than you would think. Updated but still a few issues with cleanliness- hardly possible to improve with older tile work. Shower fabulous. Staff helpful. Nice balcony to people watch!

Stay clear of this hotel!! Extremely dishonest. We booked through booking.com and had to cancel after the first night. It wasn’t the right place for us and we thought all was well when we left. They said they would issue a refund but it would take a while. No harsh words were exchanged everything was fine. Fast forward to 2 months later, we’ve been contacting Booking.com to check on our refund and they say the hotel claimed we stayed the whole time and nothing they could do. Booking is supposed to protect us, but what’s the point. Don’t use booking.com and don’t book here at this scam artist hotel. We happen to be close friends with travel bloggers and a few travel agents who will be doing a video on this hotel and booking.com. We will also be posting on all the travel bloggers social media pages as well. Some of them have 100,000 to million followers. It doesn’t pay to be dishonest and do shady business.

STAY AWAY! We stayed here one night out of 7 nights we originally booked. The noise from the street was SUPER LOUD, the doors and windows were not well sealed, causing the room to be very humid and the AC struggled to keep us cool, and we had ants all over the room. The bathroom never dried after a shower. Worst part? We cancelled after that one night, were told (and Booking terms agreed) there would be a 1-night penalty, and a refund for the rest. After we checked out the hotel denied that we left early, claimed we stayed the entire 7 nights, and refused a refund. Booking called them and the property refused any refund whatsoever. STAY AWAY!

I loved this place and I will definitely stay again the next time I visit Puerto Vallarta. Very centrally located, just a quick, straightforward taxi ride from the airport, walking distance to the malecon, Zona Romantica, Rio Cuale, 5 de Deciembre, la mirador de la cruz, lots of shops, cafes, and restaurants. ||Yes you can hear noise from the streets, so if you're sensitive to that maybe this isn't the place for you. But I enjoy hearing the sounds of the city. I didn't hear a peep from any of the nearby rooms so I found that to be more important. Quieter than the paper thin walls that I'm used to back home.||The staff was nice and helpful, the restaurant on site was convenient. My room was spacious and had more than I needed with plenty of storage, and housekeeping kept it clean everyday. The AC was super cold and the shower was super hot. I was very comfortable here.

This hotel has an excellent location, within the downtown and close of the most interesting places and beautiful beaches.

We stayed 3 nights at the recommendation of a friend and it was our first time away from an all inclusive….a gem of a place that we will absolutely return to. Older hotel, very clean, great ac, comfortable bed & pillows that is less than 1/2 block to Malecon. Every late afternoon/evening on the Malecon has a lot of activity and a great market on Saturdays about a 10 minute walk into the romantica zone along the Malecon 9-2pm. Check in, pool and restaurant on main floor with rooms on 2nd and 3rd (no elevator). ||They have 2 areas; one with several suites/bachelor type rooms that have a fridge, microwave & 2 burner stove overlooking the courtyard and pool but also have access to a patio once in the room that looks out onto street (water views depending on the room you’re in). The other area has basic hotel rooms and we would have stayed there if they had a fridge. ||Book direct to get the best price and they will secure your reservation with 1 night on your credit card. The restaurant was very good, with long term employees. The hotel staff were helpful and friendly. We met several people who had been coming to this hotel for many years. Their website doesn’t do this hotel justice, so just book it and enjoy. The only negative would be too few towels provided in the room.

I rented 2 rooms for my family May 23/24. I was quoted $147.60 US for both rooms. When we arrived, I did not have the original credit card. The front desk person charged my husband's card. We were told we would be charged the original quote. When we got home, our card was overcharged by $65. I have emailed the hotel 3 times with no response, so I will be reporting the unauthorized charge to my credit card. I would not recommend this hotel.

The main reason that we had booked this hotel was that it offered Studio rooms where you could cook and eat. The hotel exceeded our expectations. Built in 1958, the ambiance of being in Mexico is everywhere ... from the mosaic flooring on the stairwells to the tall palm trees growing into the sky in the open courtyard. The room was spacious with a balcony to view the ocean just a block away or the culture of the city. The rooms were located on the second and third floors with the restaurant, pool, lounge, and services on the ground floor. Staff were friendly and helpful. We will return....

I go to Mexico about 3 times a year. I hate this hotel for other reasons just as bad but this review is for my November2023 reservation. My parents, who are elderly came with me 8 years ago liked the location and wanted to stay here again. 1. My bathroom had MOLD. There was no fan, window or ventilation of any kind in our bathrooms. I witnessed and took photos of them JUST PAINTING OVER IT... No vinegar, bleach, nothing to deal with the mold. So it smelled of paint all 3 days I was there. I'v been sick for over a month since getting back. 2. My second bed in the room was a matress on top of a futon. 3. The front desk (Carlos) suggested we switch rooms/floors to make it more accessible for my Mother. I left 2 days earlier then my parents. They tried to move them to my old room on the 2nd floor. Instead of offering a down grade room on the 1ST floor to keep her from falling on the stairs (they only have stairs at the property) RIO charged them an extra 800 pesos to stay in that room.(which they paid) 4. My father asked why they werent offered the down grade for free (which I asked about) Carlos was annoyed, called my parents room and told me I needed to leave my parents room because "only registered guests can be in the rooms" Carlos gave my luggage to my father to hold in their room before my flight. I was there 30min saying goodbye. Vallarta has a ton of better Hotels and Airbnb. RIO not worth your health, money, or peace to stay here

Hotel Rio Malecon is aptly named because it is literally a stone's throw from the Malecon and one block over the Rio Cuale bridge to Zona Romantica. It's a typical tourist class hotel with no elevator, limited services and amenities, but perfectly adequate. All the front desk staff I interacted with were courteous, helpful and friendly. The large room was updated but basic. It had teak patio furniture and a concrete bed that I dubbed "Fred Flintstone Bedrock." It was the largest bed I've seen in a hotel room. I could easily sleep across the thick and comfortable mattress. I don't think the phone with the toilet worked, but who needs it anyway? With a balcony room facing the street, it was pretty noisy until midnight. The pool gets almost no sun and was empty. It looks pretty at night. The hotel's connected restaurant Coexist Bistro (see my separate review) serves poolside. I could easily stay here again at its normal non-holiday price point, although I prefer staying in Zona Romantica proper. Holiday pricing is way out of the hotel's value range.

I stayed here from 5-10-22 to 5-19-22. Great little hotel in the middle of everything. It is NOT on the beach. But if you're like me and prefer to be a little bit of a walk from the beach instead of right on top of it you are fine. They have a nice little pool and a great restaurant where I ate most of the time. Great Ribeye steak and I loved the Lime Daiquiri they made as well. The potatoes they give you with the steak were incredible! This is a good place. The room is comfortable, had a small kitchenette and the A/C blew cold. Great place for a great price!!!

The most egregious part of this place is the management, Guadalupe and Andres. So much potential can be unlocked here if it wasn't for their incompetence and insolence. Guadalupe was beyond rude and unprofessional, she was not even helping us check-in but had the time to make a snide remark then return to the back office. Also, she likes to hang out at the pool area with males who are not guests when she's not being a subpar manager. Carlos was amazing, very courteous and accomodating helping us get checked in and situated as best as he could. Caution with being overcharged, lack of customer service, and the inconvenience of having to watch your every move to not be charged for a "lost" towel or item from the room (somehow things magically disappear). Opt out of cleaning services until you leave to try to avoid this. If you want an extra key that will cost you a deposit as well. So many weird rules here so be sure to be thorough and keep receipts. This place is not ADA accessible at all, the 1st floor is really the 2nd and 2nd floor is really the 3rd plus there is no elevator. DO NOT exchange money here either their rates were significantly lower than current exchange rate. First and last time staying here.

Night Shift employee Ricardo needs a lot of customer service training. Very disrespectful. Do not go to this hotel. Ricardo, El empleado de la noche necesita entrenamiento en como tratar las personas. No se queden en este hotel.

Close to the beach and lots of near by things to do. Will never be a 5 star but will still stay at location for convenience.

The location is great. That is the only thing this place has going for it. Everything else about this place is lower than motel 6. The walls are very thin and it has busy streets on all the sides. The service was not very good. The wifi was only good in the common areas not in the room. Some of the rooms are okay, other rooms are in very poor condition. The pool is very tiny and you better be okay with swimming in the middle of a restaurant. Bathrooms were outdated, the kitchenette we had was a old refrigerator and a one burner portable stove. We came in high season and for over $100 usd it was not worth it. Its worth about $20 a night.

Hotel Rio was the favorite hotel for Hollywood film makers back in day. The hotel has been tastefully remodeled with all the amenities you'd expect from 5-Star properties including organic bath products and high level service. Although located close to the center of town it is remarkably quiet and steps from the beach. The restaurant CoExiste serves up a wonderful mix of healthy dishes and is great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pricing is affordable and the staff is friendly.

I almost want to give this place 1 star, but the staff made me give the extra star. They are very helpfull at the front desk and very nice. I really don't blame them for my bad stay. But I do blame the so called revelations I had set. When you ask for a queen size bed and get a full. That is no fun for a 6 foot tall guy like myself. I was also very close to the street and the 1st night didn't get any sleep due to the very loud street noise. The location of this hotel is great as it's right in the middle of down town. The pool is pretty laughable but you want to drive a few hours to go to a nice beach or take a 30 + min drive to swim in a none dirty beach. I don't think I would return due to the small room size, small bed and louse street noise. The hotel staff was great and offered good advice for a good looking gringo like myself.

THis Hotel impressed us. It was a great deal for a comfy, clean and nice Hotel. Great location! the staffing was polite and helpful. Our experience was great, we were loud and nodoby bothered us during our 1 week stay back in November. The hotel's pool area is very nice (super close to the restaurants tables) so they will ask you not to splash in the water, which was a bit annoying but understandable. I really liked the food in the restaurant, it was good and not expensive (except the eggs bennedict, stay away from those) The cleaning ladies were so sweet and great with us. I had a really nice time for a very low amount of money! WIfi was hard to get a hold of, we had 1 small spot in the room where it would work sometimes. Overall a positive experience, I would go back.

This was supposed to be my rating. ONE star. Update: after staying the night and not sleeping because the street is so noisy, the bed was lousy and had a pee pad on it, so every time you moved it crunched under you. Also the pool is in a central courtyard, which has 2 sides of the cafe looking in on it. Not something I would enjoy for either the swimmer or cafe patron.

Great location, within walking distance to the beach, boardwalk, and church! The hotel is set up as a U shape, with 12 rooms on each floor: 2nd(#100) and 3rd(#200) I would probably recommend a room ending in 8-12, facing a smaller street. This is because this hotel is in a very busy area, and the street traffic can be heard from the rooms. Not recommended if you are a light sleeper or want to sleep late. The center of the hotel has a pool, next to the bistro, and open space for sitting. There is also a lounging space on the 2nd floor. We stayed in room 203. A recently remodeled room with lots of space! It felt like a nice suite, king bed with a kitchen area with a sink and small refrigerator, bath tub and shower, tables, and even an area with sitting hammocks. A room I'd easily pay $200+ for in the states, but of course half the price here in PV. The color scheme and style is very modern. ^thumbs up^ I would give this place a solid 4/5 but our room had humidity issues that made our bed feel damp, and an odd odor, like wet stagnant water.. Walked downstairs and told the front desk, who knew about the issue specific to these remodeled rooms... they brought housekeeping to wipe down and air out the room while we were out for a few hours. Didn't help much. Only stayed for 2 days so we put up with it as best we could. The balcony is shared open space with all the other rooms facing the same street side. Would be nice to have my own balcony and not worry about anyone walking over, but did not meet with any other guests on the balcony during my stay. The Wi-Fi connection here is very weak, unless you sit downstairs near the reception.. cuts in and out with 2/3 bars. So don't expect to rely on the internet connection here! Luckily I have AT&T in Mexico. There is a restaurant with full bar downstairs, look up CoExist Bistro. Great happy specials, like 2x1 drinks!! Rigo, el captaaain, is a great guy.. make sure to ask for a taste of the special orange tequila, so yummy! Would I consider staying here again? Yes, but id definitely have to make sure my room doesn't constantly smell or feel humid. Hopefully they get things fixed for future guests!

As you read through this review please keep in mind that I booked my hotel rooms 5 months in advance because of the busy upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend. My initial request was to have two rooms adjacent to each other but even with advanced notice, I was told that it was not possible although when I did arrive to the hotel there were rooms that were available and that were adjacent to each other, but not available to me. Both of the rooms were in opposite condition. One room was very nice while the other room was small and cramped but I was still paying the same rate for both. How does this make sense? When I walk into my room I was greeted by two cockroaches on the floor that I immediately had to kill and put out into the main walkway for the staff to see. I then later realized that the hotel had been sanctioned and fined for health code violations. The key access cards failed several times during our 4 day stay. We had to walk up and down the stairs to have them reactivated and although it seemed funny to the staff it wasn't funny to us. Only one key card per quadroople occupancy room, restrooms were poorly lit and poorly ventilated and even though I hung my swim trunks and towel to dry, they did not dry over a period of three days. Can you say musty? It was almost impossible to find a working television remote. The toilet drain was connected to an adjacent floor drain that produced a wonderful smell every time you flushed the toilet. But the icing on the cake was the fact that you had to leave your key access card in an electronic slot so that the electricity would actually work while you were in the room . So going back to the fact that they only give you one key access card if you left your friend in the room sleeping or you had to leave for whatever reason and you pulled the key access card out of the electronic monitor, all the lights would turn off in the room leaving your companion in the dark ... Lol . I laugh about it now but while we were there this was a nightmare. There is no laundry or room service available. I must say that the cleaning lady was very good and always left us some fresh towels but this does not make for make up for the lack of attention to basic hotel functions. So now the big question is why do they stay there even though I was living in these conditions for 4 days? Because of the Thanksgiving holiday we had no other options available to us. It was either this nightmare or sleeping out in the car rental. Avoid at all costs.

We had a very nice stay while we were here. The staff is very friendly and the rooms are very clean. This place has a good character and there are regulars who come here to stay. It is in the old part of town and the seashore is just block away. Downstairs, the CoExist Bistro has a great staff and chef. The food is wonderful.

If you're not into Americanized resorts (of which PV has plenty) and want a more Mexican/ex-pat experience in the heart of Centro, this is the place. The theme is '60s protester; the food and decor are classic and authentically Mex. The place has a cool urban feel. Yes there is street noise and noise from parties in the interior patio. If you want sanitary silence go elsewhere. If you want fun, come to the Rio!

The reason i booked this hotel was first and most importantly because of it's location. And quite frankly that's one of the few things it has going for it. It dose not have parking u have to walk about 6 blocks away and pay 150 pesos every 24 hrs. Once that's taking care of you really have no place to park even to take out your luggage to check in or out the buses and traffic pass in front on Main Street which is great once your settled in but no one bothered to help us take our luggage in at check in or out. I made the best of my vacation and I'm not trying to nitpick at the hotel just want to give you guys a heads up. The pool is cute and usable but strangely has dinner tables around it so I was weary about my daughter splashing the nicely dressed dinner guest. A/c worked great and As usual because of the concrete walls the internet only worked on the first half of the room closest to the door wich was not a big deal to me. The beds however were extremely hard and very uncomfortable I had a two bed balcony view of the steet face ing the beach. You are however one street behind the famous malecon of puerto Vallarta and recommend you walk to the left of hotel for that's the heart of old puerto Vallarta. The hotel seemed very safe as did the rest of the town.

This was my second time staying at Hotel Rio and I love it here. The rooms are nice and very clean, the staff is really friendly and helpful, it is in a great location super close to the beach. The food is amazing, it was the best food I had while in Puerto Vallarta. The vibe and energy of this place is awesome and I would definitely recommend staying at this hotel if you get the chance.