Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Best of both worlds

Beautiful resort in the mountain/jungle with a shuttle to a nice beach area. Great place if you enjoy nature, lots of walking, beautiful water features and areas and a wonderful selection of food considering the size of the resort. Would go back again

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Beautiful, quiet, secluded resort

Such a pretty setting for this resort, nestled in a valley on the slope of a mountain above La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. The beach club has a restaurant for anyone doing the all-inclusive. There are plenty of chairs and umbrellas. The view from your chair is awesome. The swimming was chilly in January but there were no jellyfish and the wave action wasn't too scary. We went in everyday. Forget about snorkelling at this location...the water isn't clear enough and there isn't an abundance of fish  [... read more]to view. The free shuttle runs from the resort to the beach numerous times throughout the day, beginning at 10:00am. We didn't mind the 10 min. ride back and forth...we never tried to walk it. The food was excellent in the specialty restaurants and only so-so at the buffets at dinner. We ate at the beach club everyday so we don't know what lunch was like at the resort. Breakfasts were very good. Housekeeping was a bit of an issue for our room and our friend's room. They didn't come until 5:00pm (ish), so that was so inconvenient for getting ready for dinner or just for relaxing after a day at the beach. Also, they have this funny habit of snatching every towel, hand towel, bath mat they can find in your room and not having enough to replace them, so on 2 days we were left with 1 towel for the two of us!! And they didn't bother to come later to replace them. And we had hung up our towers for re-using and they still didn't get the message. I tried hiding them, but they found them and took those too! We heard this same story from other guests as well. Just a glitch that needs attention. All in all, very nice resort...mostly Canadian and British guests. Hardly an American to be found. Very few kids. Hiking around the resort, because it is on a hillside, was not problematic. We needed the exercise after all that eating and lounging around. But there was almost always a shuttle available if we wanted. Puerto Vallarta is about a 40 minute bus ride down the highway, for 10 pesos. Lots of people took this as a day trip.

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Mediocre at best

They say that this is a 4+ Star resort but I am only able to reach a 2.5-3 Star rating at best. Food was on and off mostly off, We were without towels for 3 days in a row, always had to call and get delivered. Big language barrier with the staff. Rooms were so so. The scenery of the resort was nice but be prepared for HILLS HILLS and MORE HILLS. There is a lot of walking to be done and shuttles are few and far between unless you want to wait. There is no main lobby with a gift shop, there i [... read more]s no auditorium for a band or show to set up. All the chairs are hard wood and kill your back. The pool was nice and we stayed in the adults section most of the time. The beach associated with the resort was not nice at all. Rocky to say the least I would steer clear of here unless you are going to take your chance. It is not worth the monies spent on this vacation nor is it a 4+ Star

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Quiet and Relaxing!

This hotel is a great little getaway if you are looking for an adult atmosphere. The rooms are very clean although not very soundproof. The public areas and pools are well cared for and kept in good condition. Food was so-so. I would like to have had more authentic Mexican dishes or some more variety.

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Not for everyone

Good Points: The staff are amazing in their attitude and helpfulness. This resort is set on the mountainside, so there are no level roads or paths: you are either walking up a steep road, or down one. But there is always transportation nearby within minutes to take you where you need to go, and always a smile and good cheer from the drivers. The Japanese a la carte was beautiful and delicious. Not good points: There are several: First, there is no central lobby. You just check in [... read more] at the front desk, and that is it. There is a kind of central pool with a bar near one of the dining halls. That is where the nightly entertainment happens, which takes place in a ten foot space amongst the tables in this outdoor bar. The bar seats thirty people. There is no shop. If you need aspirin or sunscreen, or want a t-shirt, then off you go to town by taxi, because there is nothing for sale on this property. Staff mistakes are on-going and plentiful. I was locked out of my room once, but my neighbours had it twice. There is no drinking water from the tap, and they give you jugs of fresh water. But my brother and his wife ran out and they didn't replace the jug. So they were waterless and had to go to the bar. It is hit and miss as to what happens in your room regarding service. Towels are taken and not replaced. The fridge is replenished or not, depending on the day. Resort food is never great, but this was a low. Yes, they will make a nice omelette for you, but as to all the other buffet foods, I don't understand why everything seemed to have been soaked in salt. I am not very fussy, and enjoyed my stay, because hell, I was in Mexico, and there were pools and drink, and excursions, and I didn't mind climbing up and down those hills. But if you are like most I have met, and want to be pampered, not for you.

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Great secluded hotel

This is a wonderful, beautiful, quiet and peaceful hotel located in the mountains just outside Puerto Vallarta. Lots of green space, lots of vegetation, lots of nature. Excellent a la carte restaurant and very friendly staff. Great morning buffet but not so much for lunch or dinner. Rooms are large and beautifully decorated. Housekeeping needs some help in getting organized and be more efficient but rooms were always clean properly... however, toiletries and towels were often missing. O [... read more]ur biggest disappointment... the beach. It is small, rocky and water is murky.

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Very quiet but relaxing

We stayed at the Grand Direness Matlai Hills resort at the beginning of December. The resort itself is absolutely beautiful!!! It's a very small resort so the buffett is small, there isn't a lot of organized activities & there isn't much nightlife at the resort itself. The staff was all very friendly & the grounds are very well kept...our bathroom smelled a bit like sewage but we didn't hang out there all day anyways. Just closed the door & kept the fan on as much as possible. Beach is a  [... read more]10 minute shuttle trip & it was okay....we were in Tulum last year & compared to that beach, this one wasn't even close. But the staff there were great & the food was good. Was a great relaxing trip....not quite what we are used to but we enjoyed our stay :)

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Great Resort!

Really enjoyed our time here! Definitely worth (& contemplating) another visit. - Grounds: The grounds were simply immaculate, natural/peaceful. Excellent attention to maintaining its natural beauty; extremely well kept. Very relaxing environment. - Public Areas: Always well maintained, never crowded or cluttered. - Staff: Very friendly & helpful, they were really attentive and always willing to help. Whether it was tailoring breakfast, arranging reservations, Facilitating transport - The [... read more] service was definitely praiseworthy. - Rooms: Very spacious suite. No issues with housekeeping at all. Water in the suite wasn’t potable (Dec ‘17), but plenty of bottled water was provided, and the fridge was always fully stocked. - Features: Enjoyed the beach club, transport to beach club was seamless. Food was always good.

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Extremely serene!

We enjoyed the resort for the most part. The junior suite was beautiful, large shower, clean and very roomy. Stone work and bamboo was stunning. Grounds were excellently maintained, and the landscape and views were breathtaking. Service was poor, hit and miss if you got any. A lot of major hills to climb to access the resort, so you used the shuttle mostly. The serenity pools, and the natural spring pool was beautiful. Loved the spa, and Jacuzzi and steam. No beach access, so have to take sh [... read more]uttle to the beach club, bit of a hindrance, but beach club was nice-good service and food. Nice resort, and would likely return

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Amazing Experience!

We travelled to this resort from Vancouver British Columbia, and as soon as we arrived we were amazed with the service. We made dinner reservations every night and were never disappointed with the food!

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Beautiful and Relaxing

We loved the resort! Beautiful grounds with a nice variety of pools scattered throughout the resort. We were looking for a quiet resort and we got exactly that! Food was great with the breakfast buffet being our favourite. More variety was available at breakfast. Our room was 4111 and it was beautiful! We didn't have neighbours until the last night so sound issues were not a problem. Beautiful soaker tub and a balcony over looking the jungle. Birds in the morning and incredible stars at night.  [... read more] All of the staff was friendly and helpful. Pool side drink service was a nice touch. The resort is set into a hill so expect to do some walking as the rooms are not near the restaurants and buffet or the main pool area. We only went to the beach once because we didn't really enjoy it. Water was rough and not marked where you could swim. Beach is a little rocky and has the brown sand that is typical to the area. We are normally beach people but found the pools to be comfortable and quiet and didn't find the need to board the shuttle down to the beach again. We would definitely return to the resort again. They are still making changes and expanding so I hope it doesn't become so popular that it loses the boutique feel.

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Gorgeous resort

The grounds, public areas, restaurants, pool areas and rooms were always immaculate. Every staff member I came in contact with was friendly, knowledgeable, extremely helpful and accommodating. Obviously their mantra is "please every customer"! There was a comfortable, happy feel wherever I was in the resort and the beach area.

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: So unique! But the service needs serious improvement!!

It was really nice to get away from the typical all inclusive. The atmosphere at this hotel is outstanding, the 'tree huts' are so different, and the view from the room is truly tropical. The only downfall of this hotel was the room service. This really affected our trip because both my boyfriend and I caught a flu bug while we were there and were sick for 3 days. Needless to say, extra water, towels, blankets, etc. were genuinely needed. The issue was that we had to phone twice (after waiting [... read more] an hour or two) to get any of these necessities, which was only adding to our exhaustion. I will clarify that food orders always came with one call. Anyway, there is some serious need for improvement here!! But the resort is beautiful!

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Amazing week at Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills

We’ve just returned from an amazing vacation at the Grand Sirenis Matlali Resort and Spa. The resort is absolutely fantastic and the people working there are amazing. Everyone is trying to help you and they are always asking if you need anything. There are a few concierges at the resort and they were always asking if everything is all right with the room, if we need towels or anything else. The bartenders at all the bars are always very attentive, they remember your name and what you are drink [... read more]ing and they are keeping your glasses full all the time (if that’s what you want). Now, I was reading some of the reviews and I can’t believe that we all went to the same resort, but I’ll address that a bit later in my review! When you get at the hotel it is a bit of a different type of lobby then what we’ve been used to, but I guess it does the job and the people working there are very fast and efficient. It is a small air conditioned room immediately after the gates, on the right side. After you check in, you and your luggage are taken to your room by a small van. Leaving the lobby, you are starting immediately to climb the hills, so if you can’t commit to some walking, this resort is not for you. We actually enjoyed it very much, especially because we wanted to walk. They have a gym and I can’t believe that people complain that it is too small, who needs a gym when you have these hills? I couldn’t believe that there are even some trails thru the resort! We usually like to walk on the beach, but because this hotel it is not directly on the beach, we took those hills up and down every day at least three-four times. We had a room in tower six (the last building in the resort up the hill) and we were very happy with our room. Of course, if you don’t want to walk all day like we did, the mini vans can take you there, you just have to go at the lobby and they’ll take you were you need to go. From the lobby, going up the hill the first buildings on the right side will be some of the time share villas that you can’t book on the internet and here is the area where you’ll find the main pool (that actually has two pools) and a bar. You’ll also find the original buffet and one restaurant that alternates as Steakhouse and Rodizio. Here, at the main pool, you can play volleyball and this is the place where you’ll find the few people from the animation team trying to get everyone involved in different activities. You’ll also find a warm Jacuzzi that seemed very popular even at the night time. The bar at this pool becomes the main attraction during the night because it is the only one open and here is where the bands are playing: mariachi, rock bands. They were actually all very good; we really liked them very much. And of course this is the place where they’ll have the karaoke nights. A little walk from the main bar going thru the basketball court, you’ll find another restaurant that it is buffet in the morning and at lunch time, and becomes the Italian during the night. Right under the Italian you’ll find the Japanese restaurant that offers two big Teppanyaki tables. These restaurants are the newest addition to the resort, together with tower 6 and the Snack bar. Next to the Japanese they are working to open another bar, but I think that there will be a few more weeks until that will happen. After you pass this area you’ll find in your way the relaxing pool and the health bar and this is a very nice area. Now you are starting to actually climb the hills, and the road it is not straight, you take lots of turns but this is what makes it so pretty and more interesting. From here on you’ll find the actual rooms, starting with the 4000 that are all villas with one, two or four rooms. After all of the villas, at the end of the hill you’ll find tower 5(the 5000 rooms) and tower 6(the 6000 rooms), which have five floors each. At the bottom of tower 6 you’ll find the adults only pool and three tubs, the bottom two were hot and the top one was a Jacuzzi. Here you’ll find the regular pool chairs and also some cabanas that have the mattress type of covers, so they were very comfortable. Right above the cabanas is the Snack Bar, a really great place to have lunch or a snack. From here you have the view of the whole resort and it is just a gorgeous view. We’ve tried a few items from the menu and we loved all of them! While being at Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills we have tried the Japanese, the Italian and the Steakhouse and we enjoyed them very much, so we went back to some of them. We didn’t try the Rodizio because we decided not to go there, so I can’t comment on that. All the other restaurants were amazing, they have lots of things to try and everything we had was very good. Regarding the reservations for the a la carte restaurants we’ve heard some complains, but I guess that people are just waiting for those reservations to fall in their lap. Yes, while being there they had some issues with the system and that is something that you can’t blame on the people telling you that the system is down, but that didn’t stop us to get our reservations. You can make them either with the concierge or at the lobby. When they’ve told us that we can’t make the reservations for Monday and the days after, we kept asking them each time we would pass by these two locations until they said that we can do the reservations now. So, because of just checking with them each time we would pass by, we ate at the a la carte every night. It was not like at other resorts where you have to line up every morning for that night reservation. Here, you could do reservations for 2 or 3 nights at one time, depending on what restaurant you wanted and the availability. We went to the beach club, but it wasn’t our “cup of tea”. We knew that we are not going to like the beach, but we wanted to see how it was, so we had a glass of wine and left when the minivan came back. If I would have one negative think to say is regarding the shuttle to the beach. This shuttle is supposed to take you to the beach every hour, so 10 minutes before one o’clock we were at the lobby waiting. After we asked the guys at the lobby about the shuttle, they said it will be there at one, but we’ve been waiting for half an hour and when we wanted to give up the van showed up. What bothered us was the fact that they were looking at us like we weren’t supposed to be there. So, if the hotel is trying to promote the Beach Club, they should at least respect the “promised” times for the shuttle, otherwise they should just not promote it. While being at this amazing resort, we accepted the invitation for the time share presentation. We’ve been to other resorts having the same type of thing, but the guys were too pushy so we never accepted any invitation, but now everything was very “civilized”, so we decided to go and see what is it all about. The suites were absolutely breathtaking and Orlando, the guy who did the presentation for us was really amazing, not pushy and taking the time to explain everything in detail, but after we saw and heard everything we realized that this concept it is not something that would work for us in this moment. I have to talk a bit about the fact that in some of the reviews people are complaining having stomach issues. I’m sorry but, if you are going to try all the cocktails on the bar menu you are going to be sick for sure. While being there we saw, like everywhere we went, people mixing beer with mojito, with Cesars and with any other cocktail available on the menu. My question is: are you doing that at home too? I bet that you are not doing that every day for one week at home! So, why do you want to do that somewhere else? First, you are not at home, everything that you and your body is used to is not the same, so why you want to try so many different things while you are outside your comfort zone? Of course you are going to get sick; it’s common sense, it is a normal reaction to all that stuff that you are mixing! Don’t blame the food or the water! In our room we had a 5 liter bottle of water and there were signs warning you not to drink the tap water. We were actually thinking of using the water to brush our teeth, but we didn’t do it and still we didn’t have any issues with our health. Of course, before going in any trip we take our probiotics and while being in our vacation we are always having our regular drinks and maybe we would try one or maximum two different drinks different from our regular stuff. I think that if everyone would be a bit moderate in their choices, people will have a much better time while being in vacation. Now l have to talk about the people working at this amazing resort! We’ve been to lots of resorts and we can say that compared to other resorts, here everyone worked really hard to please everybody. You would find them everywhere you would walk because at some point they get moved around, one week at one bar, the next week at a different bar. The ones that would work during the night in the specialty restaurants would come earlier and try to help in different bars to keep everyone happy. Chantal, Lena, Pablo, Felipe, Jesus, Jose, Reyes, Philip, Brian, just to mention a few names of the people that we talked to and we would like to thank them for all their hard work and for making us to feel like home.

Grand Sirenis Matlali Hills: Quiet resort with lots of potential

Not quite a 5 star but definitely a 4. The food was ok, small selection at the buffet, a la cartes were better. Japanese a la carte was our least favourite and the Italian was the best. Pool bar and room service was excellent. We were surprised with an upgrade to a villa with a private pool which was the best surprise ever. We spent 90% of our time here and it wasn't beautifully peaceful and private. Rooms and hotel were fairly clean however hatch roofing in villa was not properly sealed as  [... read more]we could see outside which is what I believe allowed in geckos and other bugs. For a 5 star I expect zero bugs. We walked to the beach from the hotel one day in about 35 minutes, it was a nice walk through the town. This resort is about 30 mins from puerto Vallarta in good traffic, which is further out then we would normally stay but worth the experience. Majority of the hotel staff as phenomenal including Pablo in conceierge and Victor in management, they made our vacation. Overall I feel like this hotel could potentially be a 5 star with a few tweaks but a solid 4 is what it currently is.