TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

The staff at Samba is the friendliest group of people! We had so many memorable encounters - Antonio the bellboy, Sally the hostess at buffet, the many Jose’s, Guillermo, Johnathan and so many more lovely servers and bartenders. The gift Shop is useful for emergency items you forgot as well as some decent deals on Souvenirs. There is an OXXO and a pharmacy just outside the resort for anything the gift shop doesn’t have. The pools - they have a great system for kids. A toddler pool with little slides and a larger kid section with slightly bigger slides and the ‘adult’ pool which also has a shallow section. They are all attached to each other so parents can lounge a little while kiddos play. My one critique of pools - the bigger kids sections slides end at the same spot which is an accident waiting to happen. Although the kids seem to manage! Food - some great selection at the buffet! Some things are dry or over recycled but to be expected. There is always something fresh and yummy as long as you are willing to adventure. Snack bar isn’t bad - the burgers I found actually yummy. Chicken nuggets pretty rock hard - actually most chicken items were dry to me. We ate at specialty resto (Mexican) one night only (you reserve a day in advance) and there was a little selection which was great and everything was quite yummy! Trickier with kids because there’s no easy kid choices but we found it find and he ate some of everything. Beach - because of the small size of the hotel I found the beach was never too busy. The vendors do walk by a lot sometimes but if you say no they are respectful. There is a souvenier shop on the left side of the beach if you prefer. We were lucky enough to see some fun nature - snake eels, baby ray, fish and some cool birds. The hotel also is home to a huge group of iguanas. Check the trees and the grass for them during the day! Sometimes they even wander around the pool or come for a little dip! The hotel also has a few games like billiards, shuffleboard, ping-pong and more. Ask any of the staff where to get the equipment. Also, some of the games by the pool for kids or the bingo it’s just a fun interaction to break up the heat of the day. They have programs running all day from Spanish lessons to Zumba to aqua aerobics and more. They also have regular shows during the week and schools and such. Our room faced the courtyard and even though there was music I didn’t find it too loud. The only drawback is the hallway echoing. So any loud or drunk people in the hallway are a bit disturbing. Luckily during our stay there we’re not too many loud party people. This time we were travelling with a five year old and did not take advantage of any excursions but they do offer a number of different things. Beds- surprisingly comfy! Pillows are all feather however, I’m allergic but I didn’t ask if there was another option. I will bring my own pillow cover in case. Overall this is a great little hotel especially if you don’t like the sound of thousands of people in your resort. It’s very safe feeling for kids, they learn where everything is pretty quickly and are almost always with an eyesight! It is getting rundown and there are some upgrades that I would hope that they’re able to do but otherwise I recommend it.

Loved this resort. Was a perfect size and very family friendly. Food was best I have had and the staff was amazing especially Antonio from concierge, who made sure that we got where we needed to go and had helpful suggestions for things to do. Night entertainment was great the one night we went. Would absolutely recomend this resort

Salvador was our favourite server at Samba Vallarta resort. Always had a smile and very attentive. Loved his cranberry sofa drinks. Sun and iguanas are always smiling at this resort. Make sure you go for a bicycle tour well worth your time. All staff here are very friendly and it is definitely a family friendly resort.

Stayed at this resort and had everything I needed. Once you arrived, Antonio will greet you and get you acquainted with the hotel amenities and one that I really appreciate, transportation. Awesome services. Daily room service, unlimited all you can eat buffet, excellent food, night performances, daily activities, and most of all the resort is located in the middle of every excursions you wish exploring. I travel solo and this has been one of the good place I stayed in. To top it off, the locals are very friendly and welcoming! Praise to everyone’s hard work!

When searching for a resort, we were concerned given a few bad reviews, however we’ve been pleasantly surprised with our stay. In my honest opinion, this resort has nothing to complain about. It is an older resort yes, but staff is friendly (especially Salvador :) ) facilities are clean. Food was great! Great selection and cooked well. Lots of fresh fruit and juices. Rooms are older, sure, but our beds and pillows are comfy. We haven’t experienced any of the complaints about a musty smell or mould. Noise levels from people in the pool area completely die down early, and it seems to be regular to have no noise later than 10:30/11. The beach always has available seats. We walked to Bucerias on the beach in 25 minutes. You can rent (for free) a boogie board from the towel station and the beach has awesome waves for it. I will say the walls are quite thin and you can hear neighbouring units somewhat easy but it is not anything near a deterrent for us to not consider booking again in the future. I recommend anyone who likes a smaller quiet resort to consider Samba! We’ve loved it.