Mayan Palace Vallarta

Just what we were looking for in a Family March Break Trip

Our family visited the Mayan Palace Nuevo Vallarta for the kids March Break, March 10 - 17. We booked this trip as a timeshare exchange through RCI. This was our 3rd exchange experience with RCI and our first exchange outside of the U.S. We are owners at the Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee FL. After reading mixed reviews on this board I was a little nervous, but we are fairly laid back travelers and that usually pays off by great vacation experiences. This was no exception. It was exactly what we were looking for in a March Break Trip with 2 kids. Our children are 11 and 13, so I was hoping for a family friendly resort with no wild spring breakers. Calm and Relaxing is exactly what the Mayan Palace offered.

We arrived late on a Saturday Night. I had made arrangements through the conceriege for transportation from the airport. They booked us with Miller Transportation Services which was convenient but expensive. The charge was $10/person. You can find a lot cheaper transportation from the airport to the resort but run the risk of encountering timeshare sharks who offer a taxi with many strings attached.

Upon check-in we received our resort bracelets (ours where red indicating a RCI exchange). At that time we encountered our one and only offer for a timeshare presentation. We politely declined and were not pressured in anyway. As timeshare owners, we have learned over the years to not answer the room phone.

Check-in was quick and efficient. I looked at my watch on our walk to the Yellow building where our rooms were located and noticed that it had been less than an hour and a half since we landed in Puerto Vallarta. The Yellow building was perfect for us as it is close to both the beach and pools and not too far from the Blue building that houses the gift shop.

We then headed to our spacious rooms. We had a 2 bedroom unit which included one bedroom with a king bed, a huge living area with kitchen and dining area, and a separate bedroom with 2 double beds. In all there were 2 bathrooms, 3 TVs, cooktop, microwave, and small dorm size fridge. The rooms were clean and well decorated. I did not find the bed to be too hard. They were definitely firm but I didn’t have any body parts going numb during the night so I had no complaints. Plus the sofas have trundles that can be pulled out to sleep 2 more. Our kids had a mini slumber party on mom and dad’s date night.

The next morning we had brunch a the cafe del lago. It was just what we needed after a full day of travel and a late arrival. Plenty of breakfast and lunch items, plus make your own bloody marys and mimosas. Not too expensife our teenager decided to sleep the morning away so for the three of us it was $50. At that point, I wished that I had remembered the walkie talkies because we wanted to explore the beautifully landscaped property but needed to head back to the room to check on sleeping beauty.

The pool at the Mayan Palace is really something to see. I knew it was supposed to be big but it really goes on and on forever. Which makes it easy to find a chair when you want to relax near the pool. The pool towels offered are big and the system for checking them out it really quite efficient. We spent much of sunbathing at the beach because the water was just a little bit warmer than the pools. We never had a problem find 4 chairs and a cabana for shade. The only downside was some ongoing construction noise but the I-Pods and splashing waves seemed to handle that problem. Another plus to the Mayan Palace is lots for busy kids to do. My 10 year old spent a lot of time playing ping-pong, pool volleyball, and water polo. Plus, there is a decent collection of books and magazines to borrow at the activity desk. I found it a good place to discard some of the books I had finished during our stay. Much better than lugging them all back in the already cramped luggage.

We prepared 1 or 2 meals a day in our room. It is an adequate kitchen for breakfasts and easy prep meals. We bought our groceries purchased at the Sunset Market at Paradise Village Plaza. A $3 taxi cab ride from the resort. As far as dinners, we ate at the Brasil also at Paradise Village Plaza (perfect for meat eaters) and we enjoyed dinner and a sunset at the Tumtah restaurant on the resort property. The food is alright but the view is spectacular. I was a huge fan of the guacamole and chips offered at the pool snack bar. Not to mention the buckets of corona. YUMMY!

The Mexican Travel office at the resort was a great place to schedule family excursions. We booked 2 day trips with Vallarta Adventures. A day trip to Los Caletas and a Canopy Tour. The staff at the Travel office gave us a 10% discount normally reserved for those who have attended a presention because we booked more than 1 tour. Both were lots of fun. On the Los Caletas trip we were able to spot several whales and really enjoyed boating around the Bay of Banderas not to mention the lunch on the private beach. The Canopy Tour was the a big hit with the whole family. Like a tropical rollercoaster. The Vallarta Adventures staff really made that tour.

My husband purchased a week pass at the gym at the Grand Mayan for $50. It is much larger and better equipped than the one located at the Mayan Palace. They offered a wide range of fitness classes. They also offered a couples pass for $80 but that would have interfered with my Sunbathing/Chick-lit Reading/Corona Drinking Vacation Plan.

There really were no negatives to this trip. As far as the reviews based on Timeshare Presentations, here is my advice: don’t go to the presentations. We’ve done several in the U.S., one at Hilton Head and one at Colonial Williamsburg. Both have sounded very similar to the practices used in Mexico. They never last 90 minutes. They always start at a high price and progessively get cheaper. You will always deal with at minimum 4 salespeople. The key is to decide if the gift offered is worth 3 or 4 hours of your time. Please don’t judge the resort on these salespeople. The staff employed by Mayan Palace to serve you doing your stay are friendly and very accomodating. I never encountered an unfriendly employee and the service was really impressive in all areas.