The place is amazing!

BTW, this is our first time giving a review and the reason is because we had one of the best times ever. We went to this resort the 2nd week of Jan 2019. The place is as it appears on the pictures, fantastic; the location is great, the beach is long and beautiful although the water a little choppy, the staff were warm and helpful, the rooms and our experience was fantastic. The food quality the best we've had at any all inclusive resort. We went to the old city in Puerto Vallarta 3 times, only  [... read more]35 mins via taxi from the resort for only $15 CDN one way; there is so much to see and do, a real vibrant city. I recommend the resort to all who are looking for quality at the cost advertised, worth every penny. Our assessment of this resort is no exaggeration. We look forward to returning.

Lovely Resort!

The Occidental is a very nice resort! Not too big, it would be good for anyone who may have accessibility needs. It is clean and modern and the staff were friendly and helpful. Food was good with fresh salsa and guacamole and other Mexican foods available every day...yummy! I was really impressed the hotel does not use disposable plastic cups, plates or cutlery, no straws etc. All food is served on dinnerware, cloth napkins etc! Only plastic water bottles in the rooms and it appears they recycle [... read more] them! The beach here is great, you can walk for miles and at low tide the flats make for a nice even walking surface. Nice ambient music in the main buffet and along the covered walkway. Entertainment was resort fare but changed nightly and was good. My only suggestions would be for the resort to provide free wifi if even just in the lobby. Also the full ocean view rooms are directly over the lobby bar and the sound does carry up at night, so if you want a quieter room suggest a room on the sides. Wine is just a basic Spanish white or red, but the mixed drinks were good.

Great food

Quieter resort, rooms were clean, food was really good and the drinks were well made. Wifi seemed to be an issue for those who wanted it. Rooms are a bit small but the showers were hot with good pressure.

Excellent Resort!

I loved staying at the Occidental Grand In Nuevo! It was very clean and the staff were friendly and extremely helpful. Food was also amazing. Only downside was the check in on the first night (no room) so we were relegated to a very uncomfortable room until the next day. Once that was sorted out all was well!

Occidental resort

The resort was very clean and comfortable. Trouble the first night at resort - our flight was 3 hrs late and they had a room for us but it was a hide a bed and cot. This is not a room. Occidental fixed it the next day but there was no compensation or an apology.

Great 4Star Hotel

We are a middle aged well traveled couple. We have stayed in mainly 5 star all inclusives but decided to save a few dollars and stay at a 4 star. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food and service. The beach is great here and even though many reviewers complained about the lack of shade we never had a problem finding a chair in the shade at any time of the day. That being said we do not sit around the pool as we prefer to sit on the beach. The only thing that I can think to complai [... read more]n about is that the windows do not open. I don't mind not having a balcony as we spend very little time in our room however I do not like sleeping with the cold air conditioning on and it would be nice to hear the waves at night. Also would appreciate internet access in the Lobby. I rather like not having internet in the room while on vacation but it would be nice to be able to check in every few days and so Lobby internet would be appreciated. The Ocean was so rough when we were there that it made it impossible to have a nice swim but if you like to play in the waves this is the beach for you. One day the water was so rough that it was washing in dozens of yellow bellied water snakes, Yikes! It was also amazing to see a nest of turtles hatch right on our resort beach . The staff at the hotel was great and I would especially like to thank Eder Huescq at the front desk as he went above and beyond to make sure that we were happy with our stay. I really don't understand the complaints about check in as ours and our friends who arrived days after us both had a quick and cheerful check in with Eder. We did not upgrade to Royal level and really i can not see that it would be worth an extra $100 a day to do so. Although the nights get chilly and it would have been nice to be able to use the hot tub in the Royal level pool.

Nice Resort but "less than expected "quality of services

It's a beautiful resort, clean and well kept. The beach was beautiful and we could walk for miles on the fine sands, good for beach lovers. -It wasn't the most of welcoming of check -in that we have been experienced. The front staff offered slow services and some appeared not knowing how to provide good customer service. -The room was nicely setup but it was too small for three adults. we had an exactly similar room as our son's with similar size and arrangement but he paid for two  [... read more]guests and we paid for three. Although we had paid triple and had requested a room with 2 double beds and one sofa bed, we were offered a room with only 2 beds, without sofa bed. We were given only 2 sets of towels, 2 glasses, 2 cups...and had to repeatedly asked the housekeepers for extra daily. When we asked the front desk that we had reserved a room with sofa bed, we were told that it's a busy time and they have none available but they do have one in the Royal level with an extra charge of 3500 pesos per day, or 2750pesos after the discount ( we had a discount coupon ). We told them that we don't need Royal service but just need a bigger room with enough beds for three persons, they then asked us to pay 2500pesos extra per day. We felt not being fairly served and decided to stay in the same room. -the wifi was another disappointment. They charge US$12/ day/ device. Unlike other resorts, there was no wifi available in the lobby at this resort. - the food was just ok. There were limited selection of food at the buffet in the first few days when we arrived, but we had better selection from The XMas day, though nothing special. The restaurants food were much better. We like the services at the Hacienda and Tokyo. - the entertainment were ok. We like the Michael Jackson show, but too bad the announcements were all in Spanish, possibly the resort wanted to entertain the majority of the Spanish speaking guests. -some of the staff were very friendly and some bartenders provided good services. We can't forget the good services and good conversations we had with Ricardo Marcos, Miguel, Jesus,... at the Hacienda and with the staff at Tokyo restaurants.

OK if you don't expect too much

A small hotel with a big ego. Having been coming here for more than 20 years, I have seen multiple changes for what started out as a smaller, neighborly family resort. It is now a 3 level (as in class distinction) hotel, with a good feel, but not like it once was. It's my pet beef that is appearing more often as time and the financial scene changes. I suppose everyone likes the almighty dollar and this place is no exception. For another USD 44/day each, one can upgrade to the 7th floor and exper [... read more]ience a supposedly better stay than the ordinary Joe boy on the bottom 6. That is unless you wish to be a First club member and opt for a membership (Used to be time share, but now that's a taboo word) which will get you a bigger room with sea view and balcony and access to the previously available to all "Adult Pool." All that aside, the "traveller class" (That's you and me, booking through our friendly travel agent such as Trip Central) can experience comfortable rooms and a nice pool with amenities available to all. A better beach than most on this stretch of NV, and food to die for. Go see Carlos in the Lobby bar, he remembers me well, he started here 20 years ago and has learned how to make a proper Marguerita. The Beach bar is gone now and replaced by a sterile Pool Bar, "Las Olas" which means the waves bar. I guess you can now wave goodbye to the camaraderie that used to exist in the old bar that is still pictured in the literature, and that lures many to at least investigate the new Occidental. Never mind, the bar staff know their business, Moises and Sebastian and Felix are pleasant enough, but there's no atmosphere for conversation like there used to be. There's a new partially covered terrace attached to the pool. The loungers there face the beach and you can watch the ocean through the newly planted Palm tree forest. Don't expect chairs, there's only 3 that I could count and they are a disputed item. So if you have difficulty getting up and down off the loungers, then better bring your own wheelchair or canvas camping chair. (Hmm now that's a thought that didn't occur to me then.) The Adult pool is no longer an item. They have barred access to the plebs and seeing as privileged children are using it, I see no advantage anyway. (The washrooms are too far for children) I loved the food at all the restaurants. I may be a pleb, but I knows my grub. The Buffet isn't just a trough where you can load your plate to the brim multiple times. You can choose a very well prepared meal, if you know how to plate it. I'm sure everyone has watched those shows. However, the wine is a little wanting. Go A la Carte if you wish. My favorite was the brand new Tokyo Restaurant, which, if you are privileged, and know your 3 R's, is a Japanese food restaurant. A good menu, well prepared food and well worth 2 visits. Or the Italian restaurant with it's brand of Steak and Pasta, Calamari (one legged Octopus) Shrimp. O, the Tiramisu, yes the TIRAMISU. We didn't try the Mexican restaurant, but were regulars at the lunch time snack bar/restaurant which served up a different soup every day. If you wished you could go gourmet fries there too. I couldn't say much about the entertainment, as I made my own, but Sunday is Karaoki night and lots of fun. The room we stayed in was adequate, the iron mattress was fine but sleep was sparse. There is a fridge for beer and soft drinks and room for your insulin. I had them replace the soft drinks with more water. The safe is easy to operate and I suppose difficult to break into. The bathroom /shower didn't come with a fan, so bring some matches. O, yes, If we craned our necks, we could see the ocean behind the Hard rock Hotel next door, otherwise the fine view of the Mexican Restaurant kitchen back door was enticing. Would I go back again? The whole population of Nuevo Vallarta would miss me if I didn't. I HAVE to go back.

Great

Everything was great, great people, great tourists, just the DJ at the pool needs to play better music, not a deal breaker at all 10/10.................................................................

Great resort

Beautiful grounds, very clean eating facilities, clean throughout lobby and washrooms. Room service good. Staff very friendly and accommodating. Excellent food. Specialty restaurants excellent. Outdoor chairs somewhat limited. Too many chairs assigned to members which were mostly unused. Not happy with charges for WiFi.

Fantastic vacation!

Our first Mexican vacation exceeded our expectations on so many levels! Le Buffet was a real hit with the personable staff including Erik, Jesus and Jose to name but a few who spoiled us tremendously! The beach was beautiful, busy but lots of room and we enjoyed the beach volleyball immensely. We always felt safe and pampered, something for everyone and our 17 year old had a blast too. My only recommendation would be that the wifi be included. It's a necessity (unfortunately) in this day a [... read more]nd age. The resort was recommended by a friend and I hope to pay it forward. Sunwing made the trip easy and Tina was very accommodating with all my questions and concerns. Thanks so much!

Great time

It is a great resort, the people were very friendly and the grounds beautiful. We would go there again and highly recommend it. The only complaint is that for a few days there were too many people there, too many kids screaming and people running and screaming in the halls at night.

A great resort to relax

Very well kept grounds,pool areas and beach. Alot of changes since my last visit.Some not so good in my eyes.Staff cannot do enough for you.Especially Eric in the dining room.Always a big smile to go along with great service.A quiet resort.

All in all good experience

It was a beautiful resort, the staff was very kind and the food was amazing. Everything was very clean and lots of fun activities for kids and adults. The A/C in the room wasn't the greatest but worked slightly.

Great Resort!

This was our first time staying at this resort. We purchased the Royal club package and upgraded to a studio suite upon arrival. We were treated like royalty. Food, room, entertainment, beach and staff were excellent. A special thanks to Jorge in the beach area. His service was always accompanied with a smile:) If you are looking for a smaller more intimate resort I would suggest the Occidental Grand Nuevo!

Grand occidental

Everything was perfect-staff, food,drinks, service and the beach. We especially liked the size of the resort with everything so close together. We never encountered a line up nor had to wait on service.

Great resort!

Great resort, fabulous staff, food and beach. The resort is just a short drive from the airport. It's not a huge resort, which was refreshing. I went with a couple of friends and we all stayed in one room. In other resorts I've been to the rooms were definitely large enough to accommodate 3 people, where this was a bit small, but by no means too small and let's face it, we didn't spend much time in our room anyway. Just a note that very few of the rooms have balconies. We had so much fun in the  [... read more]lobby bar (Jessica was amazing!), we didn't make it to any of the evening shows, so can't comment on the entertainment. I would go back to this resort in a heartbeat and recommend it to everyone!

Better than anticipated

We enjoyed the fact that this is not a huge resort but one that is smaller and the staff recognizes you and call you by name. All staff went out of their way to assist you. A friendly hello by name a handshake and even carrying your dinner plate to the table for you. The food was delicious and varied each day and a theme night at supper. We celebrated our 30th anniversary at the Italian restaurant and were treated to an amazing meal with a bottle of champagne and fancy desert. The grounds were b [... read more]eautiful and always being maintained. A heated swimming pool was also a nice touch. We chose an ocean view room that was well worth the money. The sun set right outside our window with extraordinary views. The room was big and comfortable and the air conditioning was always cool. Water pressure in the shower was strong and water always hot. There was always outdoor music but not so loud that you could not enjoy yourself if you just wanted to sit and relax. The maids kept things in spotless condition and there was a turn down service at night with chocolates and towels being replaced as well. Drinks were of very good quality. The beach was amazing, soft sand, no debris and very wide. Will return for sure

Amazing Resort

This resort was beyond our expectations. We were there to celebrate our 30th anniversary and it was everything we hoped for plus more. The staff was very attentive and the food was excellent! To summarize in one word AWESOME!!

Great hotel!

Great food, great staff, great beach. The Occidental Grand Nuevo Vallarta is a smaller hotel compared to others in the area which is nice. Beautiful beach. Just a short walk down the beach, you can witness nightly baby sea turtle releases! Amazing to see! A great location only a short bus ride away from Puerto Vallarta. Highly recommend.