All-inclusive Resorts in Puerto Vallarta – Now Amber & Secrets Vallarta Bay
Wow – these resorts are fabulous! Secrets Vallarta Bay is for adults only and Now Amber is for guests of any age. These all-inclusive Resorts in Mexico are literally on the same property, right next to each other and almost mirror images.
There is a very upscale vibe at these resorts, owing to the generous space, luxurious furnishings and amenities as soon as you enter the lobby. Set high three stories above the grounds and ocean, you have a stunning view as soon as you arrive.
To get from one to the other, you have to either use the beach or go from one lobby to another. Secrets guests can use both facilities freely, but Now guests are not able to use Secrets facilities, except that adult guests can book reservations to dine at the Secrets restaurants.
The way the staff tells guests apart is by room number. The beach towels are different colors too; brown for Now Amber and purple for Secrets Vallarta Bay. Carrying one to the other side is a dead giveaway.
The hotels sit on a great stretch of beach, but right next door is an ugly multi-storied hotel that was abandoned during construction about 20 years ago and never completed. The resort is in the heart of the “modern” Puerto Vallarta and just a few blocks away from the Old Town and the Malecon (boardwalk).
There is horseback riding right on the beach in front of the hotel (not affiliated with the hotel). The owner normally charges $80 per person, but we were able to negotiate for our group and paid just $30 plus $5 tip per person.
The rooms here are fantastic; most are junior suites, about ten are swim out suites and there are also a few master suites and a couple of Presidential suites on each side. Even the junior suites are good sized; with large Jacuzzi tubs big enough for two, walk in showers, a couch and a balcony. The Preferred Club rooms have a standard tub in the room and a Jacuzzi tub on the balcony. What I don’t like about the Preferred Club and swim up suites is that there is really no privacy in the outdoor space of the room, which seriously curtails those romantic opportunities. The floor plans of the bathrooms are pretty open, but the Now side at least has sliding doors around the bathroom, so you can enclose it pretty well . The hues in the rooms mirror the pool colors, with browns and oranges on the Now side and purple on the Secrets side. The rooms include 24 hour room service, which is very prompt. In our experience, delivery arrived sooner than was estimated each time.
The WiFi is free here, but if you’re expecting to post pictures from your awesome vacation or get some work done, you may be very frustrated. It hardly works at all in the higher story rooms (can’t send email or upload pictures). The signal in the lobby is much better, but still not reliable. Phone calls are free from the rooms though, except for 800 numbers or charged numbers, which is a nice bonus.
There are several pools throughout the grounds; some Jacuzzis and plenty of beach chairs and towels available. Shade umbrellas were somewhat lacking, especially in the dining areas next to the poolside Barefoot Grill (on both sides).
The staff was well trained, friendly and professional. Most spoke English quite well. The front desk staff was very helpful when I needed to send a fax and two or three bell hops came to ask me if they could help me with my bags when I was waiting to depart.
The dining here was excellent. Between the two resorts, choices are international buffet, a deli, a grill, seafood, French, Mexican, and Asian. Reservations are only required at the Teppanyaki grill within the Asian restaurant; Himitsu. At this restaurant, children are only allowed to dine in the outdoor area, as well. There are bars and lounges interspersed around the resorts, so a drink is never far away. Everything we sampled was delicious and the blended mojito we were served on arrival was excellent.
I was only here one night and only got to see one main show at the outdoor amphitheater on the Now side near the fine dining restaurants. The stage is raised with a concrete backdrop. The show seemed pretty lackluster and there were no backdrops, just the plain concrete wall. I know they have different shows every night, so hopefully, we just caught them on a bad night.
Overall, I’d give this resort an 8/10 and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to most couples. If you’re looking for a busy, vibrant atmosphere at a large resort, and don’t mind kids nearby, I’m sure you would love it.
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