I am happy to report that we have been here enough times in the last 3 years that I have lost count! Woo hoo! I am not going to go over the same things repeated over and over. Nothing bad or different to report but I know that I personally like to read new things.

I know it sounds crazy but we do not utilize the restaurants at the resort. We will do the buffet for breakfast and maybe twice for other meals. We want to try other places. We always do Tony's at least once. This year we tried Juan and Only in Mismaloya and it was quite good. Do not go here thinking you are going to get anything really different. Although it was really tasty, it is pretty much a burrito or fajitas. Our new place to try was Pipi's (yes it is pronounced just like you think!) What a blast! The food was awesome but the atmosphere is one big party. Unfortunately for the other guests, I sang right along with the marachi band. I had read that you can't leave without trying one of their famous margaritas. Ya'll I kid you not, the glasses are the size of a small Pyrex bowl! If you are able to drink more than one of these monsters I suggest you sign up for therapy. It is so laid back and happy in this place. I promise you will have a ball.

Back to the resort. This is where I have issues and step up on my soap box. No, not with the staff, it's with all of us! Would it break your wrist to reach inside your pool bag and tip? I am shocked at how many do not do this. Folks, all inclusive does not mean all tight and cheap. They work very hard and sometimes understaffed. I can speak from personal experience that if you take the time to learn their name and tip even one little dollar each time they come around, not only will they go over and above for you, you will never have to ask for anything. I started saving my dollar bills one month before we go and it covers more than enough.
PLEASE reconsider your thinking on this if you are guilty of it. If you are considering going to P.V. do not hesitate. You will have the time of your life!

we stayed in this hotel for 5 days and it was great. I wish we could stay longer. we highly recommend this hotel to stay.

We booked this trip about a month before we wanted to go and got close to the best price we could find after looking for a month before and the days leading up to the trip. Not sure upgrading to Premium would be worth it. That gets you Premium lounge access , free wireless , room upgrade , and unlimited a la cartes. They serve premium liquor at every bar on the resort for all guests , who wants to be attached to their phone all week, 3 a la cartes is lots, the buffet was delicious every meal we had there.Some of the people we travelled with got a wireless password for 24 hours to face time with the children they left behind. There was a minimal charge for that.
The resort itself is located outside Puerto Vallarta in the village of Mismaloya. Right beside the resort are a lot of the residences of that village. Nicest people you will ever meet. We went snorkelling on day 2 with Ralph and Rolando and along the way the told us about the history of the area and also caught a puffer fish for us to hold and get pictures with! On the 5th day we went out fishing with Javi Lopez and is godson Chawi. Best day ever! They are so gracious and friendly. He packed us sandwiches and snacks along with beers and other beverages. All from his family restaurant that they run on the beach beside the hotel. For 5 more USD they will filet and cook your catch if you wish. I can't say enough good things about our experience with Javi . Ive been on the big fishing boats organized by the resort and you don't get to do any anything compared to Javi. If you get a fish you are bringing it in or you are losing it.He would show us the basics of trolling and jigging and then we chased some yellow fin tunas.Saw whales out there as well , one came up literally right beside the boat!!! If we had an extra day i would've went out again.
The only thing i didn't like was the beach in front of the Barcelo, it was small and the sand felt more like rocks i would spread on an icy sidewalk. I cit the bottom of my foot first day playing beach vball and could barely walk the sand after that. The sand fleas were insane as well. We all got at least 2 extra bites per day. Kinda like mosquito bites but a little bigger and itchier. I wonder if the fogged in the mornings if it would help.

We stayed at Barcelo for 7 days in January as a family vacation (Myself, my daughter, son-in-law and grandson). We reserved a 2 bedroom family suite with 2 king-size beds. We got one room with a king bed and one with two twins. They said they didn't have 2 kings available. The location on floor 7 of tower 2 was great, so we dealt with it. While the rooms were sufficient, they lacked the wow factor I was reading about in the junior suites. Simply beds and one room with a desk. No sitting areas, no extra space, disappointing. The grounds were very clean and well maintained. The pools were heated which was very nice, always able to use them, although they could have used some cleaning under the shelf seats along the sides of the pool. Staff in the restaurants, maids, etc., GREAT. Staff at the front desk . . . not so great. Food was pretty standard for all-inclusives, only had one night that I struggled to find something that looked appealling to me. The beach was small and the sand was course, but the locals offered great deals on side trips. We went whale watching (very successfully) with Alonzo and it only cost us $100 for all four of us! There were, unfortunately, some of those no-seeum bugs we were warned about and I am still scratching almost 3 weeks later. That's just a reality of the area, not a comment on the resort. This trip represented a place in Mexico we had not yet been to and while I enjoyed it, I would not return to Puerto Vallarta . . . personal preference, I guess.