It's listed as a 2-3 star in most books which doesn't surprise me, but what it lacks in grandure, it makes up for in other ways.
Here are some of the things I liked about the Buenaventura Hotel:
Large pool
Chairs, chairs, chairs. We never needed to get up early to reserve.
Extremely close to the Malecon (Boardwalk) and the action of downtown Puerto Vallarta
Beachfront - great sunsets!
Room had partial ocean view
All-inclusive
Close to everything: a cappuccino bar across the street, great late night mexican restaurant 1 block away, internet cafes everywhere, lot's of shopping.
Buses are cheap and stop almost right outside the front door of the hotel.
Average or not-so-good:
Rooms are not grand but very clean
Neither my husband and I were crazy about the lunch menu. This was the time to indulge ourselves in some of the great Puerto Vallarta restaurants.
There were limited activities, no shows in November (note: we never stay for the shows, but that might matter to some)
We received a room upgrade because we were on our honeymoon. The room had a partial ocean view and a jaccuzi. The jacuzzi did not work (leaked water everywhere) but it didn't spoil our fun. There is a nice hot tub at the resort that is not heavily used. We could see it from our window and knew exactly when to use it.
As honeymooners we were treated to the most wonderful and romantic dinner in a private tower above the restaurant. Only one table which was attended to by our favourite waiter. They served us lobster and filet mignon (remember, this is a cheap all-inclusive!). We were so full that we could barely get down the stairs. Because the waiter was so attentive to us, we didn't want to be rude by not finishing our meal. The experience was so wonderful for us that we have booked our vacation at the Buenaventura again.
