Krystal Puerto Vallarta

We got such a good deal from Air Canada Vacations we couldn't pass it up. The reviews weren't that great but decided we'd chance it. This is an older resort but the tower we stayed in is newer. We got a room with an ocean view on the 15th floor, which was absolutely spectacular. When I wasn't at the beach I was on our balcony reading or whale watching. It was amazing and honestly the best part of this hotel. Our room was clean, the bed was very comfortable which was a huge surprise (we've stayed at 5stars and had to ask for a mattress topper). The bathroom was new, no cracks or chips in the marble, sink, or toilet. There's a small fridge and a long desk and side tables. Also a small round table 3 chairs plus 2 deck chair on the balcony. There are three pools in the resort but the big one with the slide and hot tub were disappointingly closed. We could tell they were really trying to cut costs as the tourist numbers were very low. Its understandable but still disappointing. The waves are quite big so we didn't swim in the ocean but it was beautiful to be near and hear the waves crashing. On to the food... Breakfast was just okay, I didn't mind the coffee, hubby didn't. He did get them to make him an omelet most days. I just ordered toast and jam since the pancakes were dry and brittle around the edges. I swear they served the leftovers from the day before. The pastries were dry and old tasting. Except for the banana loaf. Lunch down at the beach, by the pools, was better than dinner. It was hot at least but the selection was very limited. The servers was all excellent they were attentive and friendly. But the dinner food was so awful we avoided eating there in the evening. It was cold, lacked variety and looked unappealing. I cannot believe that it was like this every single time we went to the buffet. The lack of variety was exceedingly disappointing. The breaded fish was cold dry and tasted like cardboard. The bread and buns served were dry and stale tasting. The excuse we were given for poor food was that the majority of your guests are Mexican. Does that mean Mexicans expect poor food quality? Our room was lovely, the view was priceless and housekeeping was very good. Overall we had an excellent vacation but the food was below our already low expectations. Krytal needs to bring in someone with real food services experience. If they are trying to cut costs, which seems evident, they could do it without compromising flavor.

My fiancé and I stayed at Krystal and we had an amazing time! We did the “all inclusive” option and it’s so worth it considering how much we ate and drank. The hotel is big, lots of outdoor and nature space, very clean, and the staff is very friendly, prompt, and caring. We got to know a few of the servers who also gave us great tips of things to do in Puerto Vallarta. The view is beautiful and the sunsets there are breathtaking. Location is also great: about 10 min drive from the airport and 5-15 min drive everywhere else for tourists, basically : the Marina, Malecón... also walking distance from a galleria with popular stores and souvenirs. There are three large pools: two for adults and one for kids. In one of them, the entertainment staff always had some sort of activity going on: trivia, bingo, volleyball, etc. Keep in mind these are not temperature controlled so they get pretty cold during off summer months. We still managed to go for a swim a few times though, even in January. The food was delicious and there was always a large variety to choose from. Specialty dinners are a must so don’t forget to reserve one day in advance. The website says the hotel has 4 different restaurants to choose from but keep in mind that due to the pandemic there are only two open; one indoors and one outdoors. Here is where my two “buts” come in. 1. The wifi is bad. Like, REALLY bad. My devices would disconnect from the network all the time and the connection was super unstable, especially during times of the day most people were using it. I was there for two weeks (the first week for vacation and second one to work from home due to Covid restrictions) and working from the hotel was a struggle, from any location! I had unstable meetings and sometimes would struggle to send an email. 2. This is in regards to the Krystal Tower. I’m not sure if this applies to all the rooms in this building, but our room was connected to the room next door by a door with a small lock on it. We had someone accidentally walk in on us at least 4 times throughout our time there since the lock is the same for both rooms. This was very unpleasant and we never felt like we had 100% privacy. One of the times we had just gotten out of the shower and someone opened the door - thankfully we were on the side of the room that they couldn’t see us. Would definitely choose a room in a different building of the hotel and confirm with the front desk that the room is completely private. Other than that, we loved our visit and would not hesitate to go back to Krystal! We loved how much space was outdoors, the view from our room and how close it was to everything we had planned on doing. Enjoy!

Highly recommend. My partner and I went right after Christmas for New Years. The resort was quite busy, but it’s mostly Mexicans from other places around the country. They really appreciate North American tourism, so you’re treated like royalty. We had a great week full of sun, sand and much needed relaxation. So close to the airport! Everything is clean and sanitized and the staff are always wearing masks. You have to wear a mask in common spaces - walking from place to place - but not while at at the beach, pool or seated eating. Talk to Alex in the lobby about excursions. He was honest and helped up book 3 days trips, and we had a blast. Food was just ok. No bacon for breakfast. And the dinners lean towards more local Mexican cuisine, but the snack bar has amazing burgers.

The food was really bad, it seems like the best years were a long time ago and is barely surviving, not well kept, even the furniture was older and cheap quality. The staff only tried to help but did not make much effort. They would not accept cash, neither exchange money. We only ate there once and once was more than enough. Bedding hasn't been change in years.

Where should I started, when we got there no one received us. We unload our luggage from our Uber and went to the reception. After waiting for several minutes (3 agents behind the desk all looking at their computer) one of them acknowledge us and waive us down. He assigned us a room and offer us to have dinner at the restaurant. We got to the room and found it in not the best condition. Furniture is old and stained smells funny. Bed is one of the worst beds I have slept in. Tv has a bad connection not able to watch anything. Safety box is locked and not bolted down. There is dirt on walls just not well kept. Our first night at the restaurant was very disappointed food is the worst I have had in a long time. Over all this is just not worth it.