TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

We are a group of friends who all met at the Samba in 2002 and in subsequent years.We are known as “The Pirates.” November 2025 was our 23 rd visit to Samba and once again we had an excellent time. The visit had some sadness to it this time.Our friend Bernardo ,who has been the concierge for a number of years passed away this year and he was missed.As well some of the staff who had become friends over the years moved on to other jobs.That being said the new staff members we met were excellent as well. The Samba is a smaller ,older hotel which appeals to me.The hotel shows its age but is well maintained.The room was clean ,there was lots of hot water for showers,the bed was comfortable and the air conditioning in the room worked very well. I have never had a problem with the food (buffet) at the Samba and found this year it had improved.The Italian (a la carte) was down near the beach bar this year,which I found quite nice ,fresh air and a good meal.The hotel alternated the Italian with the Mexican a la cartes. The Samba is one of the few hotels with individual palapas on the beach.Given it was hot this year,it was nice to be in the shade if you wanted to be. In the the majority of reviews on the Samba ,the staff are frequently mentioned.The concierge,the front desk ,the bell boys ,the waiters ,the waitresses,the bartenders ,the activities staff,the house keepers and the maintenance staff are second to none.They made our stay an enjoyable one.I could mention many by name but as I wouldn’t want to forget anyone I will refrain. If there was one negative this year,it was the construction going on next store at the Riu Jalisco from 7 in the morning to 10 at night.As we were on the pool side it didn’t really affect us but those on the Riu side couldn’t say that.As the work is almost complete the problem will soon be solved. All in all it was another great time and I look forward to our 24th visit.

Great day today. Went on a bike ride to Buceriaz with Dasilva. Awesome tour guide. Great service in the buffet with the amazing Salvador.

My husband and I chose this resort as a relatively inexpensive getaway to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary and we were not disappointed. This is not a fancy resort but it is more than adequate, very clean and the staff and service are exceptional. It is a smaller resort with a family atmosphere, small enough that the staff get to know you and provide a more personal experience. The pool area is enormous with a large area for the kids, complete with water slide, and a large area for the adults to swim, exercise or just hang out. There are lots of activities daily, both for kids and adults, as well as evening entertainment which we quite enjoyed. There is a lovely large beach area with lots of palapas for those who love the sand and sea. My husband’s wheelchair developed an issue but the staff got right to work and fixed it, all with a smile. My husband mentioned to Carlos, the Food Manager, that it was our 50th anniversary and he made it his mission to make it special for us. Pedro, the head chef, prepared an extra special meal, served at a fancy decorated table for two with a dedicated waiter to serve us. All the wait staff were excellent throughout our stay and, from arrival to departure, everyone went out of their way to be helpful. We would stay here again.

This resort is like most except the staff is wonderful, they’re always happy to see you and go above and beyond. Salvador was amazing and always kind. Unlike most resorts the food was actually very good as well. Lots of authentic Mexican dishes which I liked but there was always something for everyone.

Location is great. Easy to get to from the airport. Also very easy to get to Bucerias to enjoy the market (taxi is 180 pesos each way). Resort is old and a bit run down. They have maintenance people trying to fix up little things. We loved the pool. It was easy to get a lounger chair and/or day bed everyday no matter what time you went to the pool. There were various games through the day everyday for both kids and adults to play at the pool (ping pong, corn hole, waterpolo, water volleyball, bingo, etc). We met many nice people at the pool who really made our time special. The room was okay but the tub was so hard to get out of and my mom fell a few times trying to get out of the shower. There is zero insulation so you can hear people in the halls walking/talking, people in the pool, music at the pool and night show at the theatre from your room. We were able to sleep through this with headphones on. One night they had a disco until 1:15am and the bass was so high you could feel it as you lay in bed. We called several times asking for them to turn it down but they refused until after 1am. There are 2 restaurants. They are in the same location and alternate each day between Mexican and Italian. You need to book right away if you want the Italian. The food was very good in comparison to what we have experienced at other all inclusives. There is 1 elevator the works in the hotel at one end (opposite end from the pool). There are some ramps to the restaurant/buffet. There are zero bathrooms that are accessible. There are 2 toilets at the lobby but you have to walk up 2 steps to the toilet and there is no space for a walker/wheelchair. There are 2 toilets by the buffet but there is no space for a walker/wheelchair so you have to leave them outside. There are a few toilets at the pool/restaurant but they are down a flight of stairs. The pool has steps with a railing into the pool but the railing doesn’t start at the edge of the pool so you have to be able to get 2 steps down before you have something to hold onto. Most of the staff are good. Alexander was amazing to us and served us daily at the pool, provided humour, and brightened peoples days. He deserves a raise! Only one person at the front desk speaks English so when she’s not there or busy you need to use google translate on your phone. This was also the case with many waiters, towel service staff, etc. If anything happens to you while you’re there, all I can say is good luck. The resort absolutely will not take accountability for anything they do incorrectly. We had 2 instances while there. The last one was the morning we were leaving the resort. My mom was given a glass of water and took a swig to get the pill down and instantly realized something was wrong. It tasted awful and then she looked and it had white/grey stuff at the bottom of the glass. She’d been given a very dirty glass of water. We talked to the staff (in the buffet, front desk, concierge, manager of food services). They absolutely refused to acknowledge they did such a thing and told us we must have just perceived it that way and that it was impossible. My mom was very ill afterwards and they told us they wouldn’t acknowledge anything happened unless we paid to go to town and pay for the doctor to see her which would cause us to miss our flight. They said we would have to pay for another night at the resort and a new flight. They said if the doctor proved they were the cause of her throwing up and having diarrhea they would pay for the taxi and doctor bill. If the doctor could not prove it, they would not acknowledge they did anything. We left the resort and got her back to Canada where we could get her care.