Casa Velas Boutique Hotel

All-inclusive Adult Only Resort!!

Casa Velas succeeds at making guests feel at home - staff is kind, friendly & helpful (both Mauricio and Miguel excel at granting your requests); grounds & pools are immaculate & beautiful; and remodeled rooms (all #100’s, #200’s & #300’s which are hotel units in the main building) are clean, roomy & bright. For honeymooners and couples looking for relaxation, this is the place for you! (If you are searching for activity or nightlife, you may be disappointed.) We did not use the spa but other guests raved about the reasonably-priced treatments. The restaurant, Emilanio, is wonderful but after 7 days of all-inclusive gourmet dining, the menu was limited. Wait staff service is outstanding and requests are most likely accommodated. The Beach Club is a stand-alone house with delicious sushi and Asian fare but too has a limited menu. Guests can dine at the two restaurants at Velas Vallarta but the food was not of the same quality. Once was enough for us!! All bars are warm & friendly -- try the "Benny Special" in the lobby bar.

But there are some issues and although the staff tried to fix the problems, they were not successful. The villas (1, 2, 3 bedroom units) are NOT remodeled yet and have some mechanical problems (showers & toilets not always functioning properly.) Some villas are two-story (living room down and bedroom up) and lack of handrail makes the transition between dangerous. Communication problems at the management level occurred – let me explain. All Velas resorts use a highly scented soap and/or fabric softener on the sheets and towels. After spending the first night sleeping on the floor (due to a severe allergy to the scent), I requested a linen change. Although the laundry was closed on Sunday, the staff took a set of sheets/towels into town for water-only washing. Now that is service!! Unfortunately, EVERY day, the housekeeping staff tried to restock our room with scented linens. EVERY day, I complained and was reassured the problem would be solved. And yet the next day, the scented linens returned. Communication from top down did not occur. We finally had to refuse any housekeeping to keep the room medically safe. This issue marred what would have been a PERFECT holiday!

Other information: if you forget anything, Wal-Mart, Liverpool (like Macy’s), the Vallarta Mall and Starbucks are close by. For only 11 pesos round-trip, you can hop on a bus in front of Velas Vallarta (transportation from Casa Velas provided.) The resort provides airport service (five minutes away) -- just walk past all the hawkers to the outside of the main hall. The VIP Services the resort contracts with is located on the right nearest to the outdoor exit. The Marina Golf Club is nestled next to Casa Velas and one of the top 10 in Mexico. Activities are arranged through Vallarta Adventures - the Canopy Tour is a highlight. The resort has many types of rooms: Master Suites are typical hotel units with a plunge pool or Jacuzzi on the balconies, Grand Suites are larger with the same amenities, and Ambassador Suites are part of the Villas and are two story “condos without kitchens”. The gym is well-equipped with a Jacuzzi outside the door. Resident peacocks wander the grounds and are safe as are the numerous geckos and iguanas that sometimes visit your room.

Casa Velas is worth every penny, if you are looking for a quiet, slower pace resort with five-star service. The photos on their website are very realistic. We hopefully will return very soon!!