Great resort!

Overall I thought the resort was great!! SUPER clean grounds, there’s a ton of staff and never a speck of dirt anywhere. Rooms were ok, I didn’t have hot water in the shower but that wasn’t a huge deal to me so I didn’t complain. AC worked ok, it was a bit damp but we were barely in the room. Food and drinks were awesome!! The mojitos were my favourite and my hubby loved the ceasers. The a la cartes were ok but we preferred the buffet. I didn’t find the staff as friendly as other place [... read more]s we have been to in other countries. Sunsets are BEAUTIFUL! Loved the beach and ocean was great! We walked the beach everyday for a good hour. Would definitely go back because of the beach and food.

Not what i was expecting from a Riu

Booked with Sunwing and what a mistake that was. The flight delayed three hours each way, but that’s obviously not the hotels fault. The hotel it’s self is very nice looking, the grounds are very clean and well kept, and the beach is amazing. The rooms are average, what you’d expect from a four star resort. The service and food on the other hand is not. Most of the dishes are cold, greasy and sometimes under cooked. I’ve stayed at a few different Riu locations and this one by far had the [... read more] worst food. Many times during the lunch and dinner buffet you’d have to take multiple trips around the buffet to find something to eat because the selection was not great. The service is also pretty spotty. The pool bars were great (aside from no pool side waitstaff), but the Lobby/main bar was horrendous. There were always long lines to get a drink at night and only one waitress coming around to tables that didn’t take drink orders for some reason and was only collecting empty glasses and shuffling around chairs. It wasn’t the worst place I’ve ever been to but it was a disappointing experience and definitely not what I was expecting from a four star Riu.

Riu Jalisco

The hotel was amazing except our room smelled awful we would of had to wait 3 days for another and decided we got use to it and they put a lot of disinfectant. The grounds amazing enough chairs for everyone, the beach clean and again enough chairs. The food was often cold and not enough food without spices for people with bad stomachs that was the only complaint if they can get food for everyone it would be paradise. I was disappointed that they had no mangos but the papaya was great.

Great hotel with some minor issues

This hotel is great from food, cleanliness, staff, service and little extras. Didnt like the two seperate beds together to make one but not a deal breaker. Apparently it's not as nice as other RIU's but my husband and I had a great time. Everyone works hard everyday to keep the place clean and keep the beach area and grounds free from litter its nice to the environment is a priority . Our last day my sleeping wear went missing i kept it in the same place everyday outside my luggage and locked e [... read more]verything else up and it was the only thing missing. Not too worried about it but it does happen Always wise to lock up important things in the room. We never used the room safe but locked our bags. If your a great traveller and have an appreciation for difference of foods and are open minded youll have a great time Alot of people complain of the stupidist things and have to realise their not in their home country and foods, beliefs ,customs WILL BE DIFFERENT and that's okay because after all its what makes travel unique.

Great resort

I loved this resort . I have stayed there several times. I like the fact that it is an easy walk to the beach . There is lots of shade and beach chairs . The staff are amazing. The Italian restaurant was not as good this time... salad bar was empty, chicken was burnt, not as good a selection ..., but the Japanese restaurant was wonderful. We had a great time!

Had a great time.

We just got back from a week at the Riu Jalisco. This was our third time to this particular Resort and the first time since it had been renovated. The last several times we've been to Nayarit, we've stayed at the Riu Vallarta and were a little hesitant to come back to the Jalisco after reading some of the reviews. I usually take reviews with a grain of salt as I realize there is always going to be someone that just can't be pleased, but we made the right choice. I was very pleased with our  [... read more]stay. Check in went smoothly. I can't say I'm a fan of the purply modern décor in the lobby but that's a matter of taste. One thing that was a pleasant surprise is that WIFI is available - for free - throughout the entire resort and in your room for up to two devices. We even had a good signal on the beach. This is not the case at the Vallarta so this was very nice. Our room had been renovated and while there still isn't a "door" to the bathroom area (except for the toilet), they have added a glass block partition. This may not be perfect if sharing the room with someone you are not comfortable changing in front of but worked fine for us. Our room was clean, the bed was comfortable (although it looks like not all of the beds have been upgraded as we had friends on another floor and they still had the two doubles pushed together to make a king) and the air conditioning worked fine. The cleaning staff did a great job and our beer fridge was restocked regularly. The only "complaint" I can think of is that our room was on the 6th floor at the other end of the building from the elevators which meant a hike, but close to the stairs so we ended up getting our "steps" in on a daily basis whether we liked it or not! Elevators are located in the middle of the building only so if you have mobility issues, ask for a room close to the elevators. The food was excellent and if you can't find something to eat, you may be way too fussy. We ate at the buffet everyday for breakfast and a couple of times for dinner. We also tried the Steakhouse and the Italian and Asian restaurants. We were a group of 10 and the longest we ever had to wait to get in to one of the a la Carts was about half an hour. I've waited longer, for a smaller group, back home. The wait time always ended up being less then what they told us it would be. The pool area and beach area were both clean and had plenty of chairs. We sometimes didn't make it down until after 9 or 10 and were still able to find chairs which was not ever the case at the Vallarta. We did take our group over to the Vallarta (as you are allowed to use their pool too), so they could compare and we actually liked the pool area at the Jalisco better as it felt more spread out and less crowded. Only difference here is that they don't have bar service. You have to get your own drinks at the pool bar but the staff there works hard to keep every one happy. There were some complaints about kids in the adult pool at the Jalisco but honestly when we went to visit to Vallarta, we saw several kids in the adult pool there too. I would like to say though, if you insist on taking your kids into the adult pool - WATCH THEM! It's not up to others to keep an eye on your kids while you party. Even if they have a lifejacket on. There are lifeguards but they can only watch so many at a time. I could not believe how many parents are not in the pool with their kids but instead on a lounger on their phone or reading a book. The entertainment staff in the pool area was excellent and the Saturday Foam Party was a huge hit even if it did attract more kids then usual. And the occasional iguana jumping in the pool to cool off was fun to watch. All in all, we were pleased with this resort for what we paid. Taking a quick survey on the bus to the airport when we were leaving, it seems like most people were happy with it. Again, you can't please everyone and we aren't super fussy but we were quite satisfied.

Great resort

food was great, shows were good we thought 2 of the shows were fantastic!! would be great to see servers go around the pool area with cocktails. Very nice to be able to go to the Riu Vallarta to swim and have lunch. Would definitely recommend this hotel to friends.

Relax and enjoy

Wonderful trip. Flights were on time and the resort was well run. Friendly staff and clean rooms. We would stay at the Riu again. Three different restaurants to choose from. The Asian restaurant was the best kept secret.

Lovely, well manicured resort

We stayed at the Riu Jalisco from Jan 25 to Feb 1, 2019. It is a beautiful, well manicured resort. The service all over the resort was excellent. All the employees were friendly and happy to help you with anything you needed, be it a bartender, a waitress or the front desk staff. The food was very good at all the restaurants and the buffets, with a fantastic selection to choose from, with the exception of one. The steak we had at the La Botana Steak house in the evening, really left someth [... read more]ing to be desired. It was thin and very tough. We stood in line for 20 minutes to get in but it was a real disappointment. The specialty coffee was a real treat and quite the show. Be sure to ask your waitress to have the “coffee guy” come to your table at least once during your stay. He seemed to always be in the Don Emiliano buffet. The evening entertainment was really quite good. We especially enjoyed the Cirque du Soleil style show and the Michael Jackson tribute. Also the Mr. Riu contest was hilarious. They had a really nice open air theatre situated between two bars with lots of table and chairs. The rooms were a nice size, nicely furnished and kept very clean. There was one thing that did bother us, but I’m not sure what could be done about it. That was the musty smell when you first walked into the room. It was very humid while we were there, but I’m sure it’s always humid there being on the ocean. We have been to quite a few ocean side resorts and I can honestly say, they did not have that strong musty smell. Our friends’ room also had that strong musty smell, so I suspect the whole hotel was like that. This hotel is situated on a beach with a large grove of palm trees so you always had a choice of shade or sun. The beach was very clean and you could walk for a long ways. There were always lots of lounge chairs on the beach and at the pools no matter what time of the day you went down. We never had any problems exchanging our beach/pool towels. There were always lots and the towel lady was very friendly. All in all, it was a lovely place and I would recommend it to anyone.

Riu Jalisco

The hotel was very nice and the resort was incredible. Staff- excellent Food- the breakfasts were amazing, the buffet restaurant was excellent all the time, the specialty restaurants were a little disappointing. The snack bar was excellent. All desserts were great. Rooms - were very nice with great views, however, the rooms always smelled musty and there was some black mold in the bathroom. Loved the towel critters we found on our bed after the rooms had been cleaned. Pools- the water w [... read more]as cooler than the ocean...however, they were GREAT and there were lots of lounges.

Beautiful

This is the second time we have stayed at a RIU and were not disappointed. Staff are wonderful, grounds are clean and tidy. We did enjoy all our meals from the buffets to the ala cartes. The entertainment was great! And was always fun to see the guests join in!

Good

Hotel was great Sunwing sucks both times I flew with them my luggage was gone through first time I had two red locks arrived at hotel with one red and one gold second time we bought tea combination locks upon arriving missing one lock. Both times no paper in suitcase explaining why never flying Sunwing again

8/10

We found the resort to be awesome! This was our 2nd visit to this resort! First off, the area of Nuevo Vallarta is wonderful….so clean and safe to go for long long walks. Would stay there in a heart beat. The Riu Jalisco was also great….We only had one complaint our room was never clean. The guy tried for sure, but the first night, I stripped the bed and pillow cases and got someone to put fresh bedding on. There was someone else sand in our bed and the floors made my black socks di [... read more]rty. We had to ask for bath towels 3 times in a week. But still we tipped 50 pesos a night and still a pi$$ poor clean job. I will write the Riu and mention this issue... But other than that it was great!

Worst hotel in Mexico!

The Riu Jalisco is not a 5 star hotel! Overall the hotel and general staff were ok. However, the hotel management is terrible. My wife got food poisoning on the third day we were there and I reported it to the hotel management. Instead of offering help the hotel manager, Paula Garcia Alvarez, denied that it was food poisoning and insisted we had brought a virus from Canada. She then threatened to quarantine us both to our room and said we would not be allowed to fly back to Canada on our departu [... read more]re date. They then insisted we went to the hospital to be checked for this 'virus' but didn't assist or pay for the testing and transportation cost. We went to the hospital and the test was negative as WE HAD FOOD POISONING NOT A VIRUS! The only person that cared or helped us was the on site Sunwing Representative, Gabriela Orozco. She escorted us to the hospital and translated for us as well as waited for the test results. She also took care of our transportation costs to the hospital and check in on us daily. She was fantastic. My wife was sick for a week! I would not recommend this hotel, not because we got food poisoning but because the hotel management treated us so badly. We have gone to Mexico many many times staying in 3.5-4 star hotels, all of which were better than the Riu Jalisco.

Amazing resort

We would definitely recommend this resort. The staff couldn't do more for us. When our flight was delayed, they made up a nice plate for us and was waiting in our room when we arrived. We had alacartes every night and had no line ups. The food was amazing along with the buffets. Our room was nice and modern. The beach is beautiful and clean. No plastic cups laying around. Entertainment was very good day and night. Always keeping people active. We love this resort so much that we'll b [... read more]e bringing our family with us next year. Thank you Riu Jalisco for a trip we'll never forget.

Good Value For Money

The Good: Service is always good at Riu Hotels and this one is no different! Hotel is always kept clean for the most part the do what they can to make you stay as enjoyable as possible. We always came back to a clean room even if we got up a little bit later! Most resorts ive stayed at if you miss breakfast you are out of luck for food until lunch but at this resort there are always snacks available at all times of day which is nice. There were always pool/beach chairs available even when the re [... read more]sort was quite busy! The Bad: We had a pretty terrible view from our room (i know all rooms cant have great views) ive stayed here before and have had great views overlooking the fountain/common areas. I find the food on the resort mostly very bland (i know they get a lot of families that probably have picky kids) but it would be appreciated if there were more authentic mexican cusine as well. but on the other hand the a la cartes were better. I do like to travel into downtown and it was annoying that since we had to cross a state line that the cab fares would basically double because you have to pay for the fare both ways basically. Would stay here again!

Lovely resort

Resort is very nicely laid out, it is not a large resort so everything is a short walk. Lobby very nicely decorated, staff were very helpful. Food choices were excellent in the main buffet for all meals. Not impressed with the 24 hour food selection in 24 sports bar. Grounds kept in great shape and there were always staff around keeping everything nice and clean everywhere. A little disappointed the mini fridge in room restocked every 2 days.

Decent Resort

This resort was okay, we ended up chnaging rooms the 2nd night we were there because we found a cockroach in our room. The bedsheets need to be replaced as they are covered in stains! Food wasn’t the best, we had better in Cuba.. very boring and repetitive! We ended up leaving the resort twice for dinner because we were so hungry and wanted good food Customer service was good

Good Holiday

Dining, service, pool and facilities excellent. Check in was fast and quick. The rooms and washrooms need upgrades and renovation. Staff was helpful and friendly .Great selection of food and drinks. We enjoyed the buffet food and the rooms were kept clean and tidy everyday. We enjoyed staying in the hotel

Great Resort

The service at this hotel is excellent. The staff works hard to make sure you enjoy your stay. The only thing I would say that is a bit of a negative is the mattresses on the beds are very hard and be sure to take some Off so that you dont get bothered by any of the insects you are sure to find here. The food at the buffet is very good with enough choice that there should be something even picky eaters would find appealing. I would return to this resort again.