TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

Samba Vallarta was amazing!!! The service, the beach, and the food was amazing!!!! Shout outs to Salvador, Jesus, and Jose!!!

We had a great time! We loved our server Salvador, he made our buffet experience fun and happy. We loved Jesus serving us poolside too. We felt very taken care of the whole trip :)

Canadians and Americans beware! To start this is NOT a 4.5 star resort. This hotel favors the locals and is very outdated. We initially booked an ocean view room, but were not given that, and spent 2 days trying to get a room change, just to find out they give the better rooms and service to the locals who pay a fraction of the price we pay. When we first arrived, we got their at 10pm and there was not a single food option on the resort. We had to spend $200 canadian in uber eats just to feed our family. What resort has 0 food options available?! The hotel iself is very outdated!! However, the beach and pool were awesome!! It has been the easiest resort for reserving chairs making it an enjoyable experience. The bali beds were amazing! The food and drinks were all great! Not a complaint there. The serving staff were all great! They provided great service and always had a smile on their face. The front desk staff on the otherhand are VERY rude, especially if you arent a local. I have never experienced service like that before. The day we checked out, our flight wasnt until 8pm therefore, the bus wasnt coming until 3:50pm. Well right at check out at 12pm they cut our wristbands, and threatened to call security if we went to go get food. We had 4 Children in our family that could not eat, nor even get a glass or bottle of water. To let time pass we decided to go for a walk on the beach, but when we got back we were escorted to the lobby and told we cannot be anywhere else on the resort (or the public beach). We were absolutely disgusted. DO NOT BOOK THIS PLACE BY ANY MEANS!!!!!! The absolute worst service by the hotel lobby staff, and unless your a local they could careless about you. We honestly felt out of place.

The resort is quite rundown, several areas are closed down or red-taped off. The food was mediocre at best. Overall the service is terrible. Roughly half of the staff were very rude and unhelpful, I lost count of how many times I was ignored or turned away. They are understaffed so there’s a line up for everything, and as a result the resort is a mess throughout the day. Housecleaning only came about half the days, and refused to change dirty sheets until after we checked out. There is also next to nothing to do during except sit at the pool or beach, good luck keeping your kids entertained. There’s also an infestation of hornets at the beach that they do nothing about. No one cleans up the dirty cups that people leave behind and it draws in all the bugs, by later in the day the chair area is almost uninhabitable.

We visited Samba Vallarta for 10 days from December 17–27, 2025. Overall, we had a good stay. The resort is older; however, it is extremely clean. Room: We had a suite, and it was wonderful to have the extra space. When we first checked in, our room faced the Riu, and the construction noise was quite loud. We asked if it was possible to change rooms, and Rafael, the concierge, looked into it. We were able to move the next day to a pool/ocean-view room, which made a big difference. The main downside of the room was the water pressure and temperature. There was very little pressure, and the water was not very hot. Rafael did send maintenance to check it, and the pressure improved slightly, but it still wasn’t great. We made the best of it. Food: The food was okay overall. We were able to find something to eat at every meal, but it did become a bit repetitive. We ate at both the Italian and Mexican restaurants, and both were good. The Christmas Eve dinner and show were very enjoyable; however, they seemed underprepared. By the time my husband reached the front of the line, they had run out of plates. Luckily, our daughter had finished eating, so I cleaned her plate and gave it to him so he could eat. Pools: We really enjoyed the pools, and our daughter loved the slides. A great area for kids. Staff: The staff were friendly and worked very hard. Many were wonderful, but a few stood out: Salvador in the buffet for breakfast and lunch — always friendly and greeted us daily. Jose, the pool waiter- went above and beyond. He remembered our names, arranged special seating for the Christmas Eve dinner, set up a private table and meal on our last day, and was always happy to take sunset photos for us. Rafael, the concierge — always helpful with any concerns. Luis, the bartender at the pool bar, friendly, remembered my name, and knew my drink order. The cook at the snack bar (I didn’t catch her name) — very friendly and always greeted our daughter by name. Our maid (name unknown) — left creative surprises in our room and kept it spotless. The ladies who seated guests at the buffet — very friendly and clearly worked extremely hard. The cleaning staff- were constantly cleaning. The ladies by the pool were quick to come and clean an area that a drink was spilled to help keeps the bees away. Entertainment: It was good. The nightly shows that we saw were good and the visit from Santa was good. It was a great getaway and a great first experience with our daughter.