2013 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Wedding Shopping, Take 3
After unsuccessful scouting trips to Las Vegas and Punta Cana, we decided to check out Puerto Vallarta, Mexico as a possible wedding location. We had been there a few years earlier for a wedding and really liked it, plus hurricanes are rarely a problem...except for when they are.
The Details:
Dates: 7/5/13 - 7/9/13
City: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Accommodations: Now Amber Resort and Spa
Trip Advisor Review: Click here for my review
Airline: American Airlines
Photo Album: Click here for my album
Getting There
Another day another crack of dawn flight out of Dulles. We had a 2 hour stop over at DFW in Dallas and I took the opportunity to grab some Texas BBQ while I was there...no sauce please! Back on the next plane for another 2 hours and then we arrived in sunny Puerto Vallarta. Always beware this airport as you must walk a timeshare gauntlet in order to get to your transfer company. We knew this going in yet got suckered again. These guys have no shame and lie, lie, lie.
Now Amber Resort and Spa
Now Amber is another AM Resort property and attached to a Secrets Adults only resort, in this case Secrets Vallarta Bay. Now was located in the heart of the downtown hotel zone just 15 minutes or so south of the airport. This is a beautiful new property and probably the best one you'll see in this section of town. We used our resort credits to pay for half an upgrade to the Preferred club and then agreed to attend their vacation club presentation the next day and that paid the other half of the upgrade fee. Preferred club means you are in a separate building with your own check in/check out, 24 hour lounge with bar and snacks, upgraded mini bar amenities, extra bath amenities, and a hot tub on your balcony. NICE!
Things We Did/Saw:
Day 1: After checking in, it was time to explore the property a bit and most importantly...eat and drink! We chose the Castaways restaurant adjacent to the pool for dinner. It did not disappoint...seriously good seafood! Tim ordered 2 entrees even. This would prove to not be our last visit here during our trip.
A few drinks later and oops...Jess is asleep. Hey, I had a long day.
Day 2: We are awoken at 6 AM by the most amazingly and terrifying thunderstorm I have ever witnessed. It was literally right on top of us. We went so far as to go out on the balcony to witness it. I have never seen such bright lightning and the noise was incredible. It soon ended and we slept a little more. We had to be at the vacation club presentation for breakfast and headed out around 9:30. So this experience was my biggest complaint about Now. First off, it is NOT 90 minutes...try 3 hours when it's all said and done. Second, it all sounds good until they hit you with the 30 year commitment for $30K at the end. You've got to be kidding me. I was kinda irritated we wasted our morning on this but it was cloudy and drizzly anyway so I guess no loss there.
It was now lunchtime so we grabbed our swimsuits and finally hit the pool area. The pool area is a tad small compared to other places we've been. There is a kiddie pool, an "activities" pool, and then the main pool with the swim up bar. The main pool in my mind should be the biggest but guess what, it's the smallest of the 3! But what they lack in size they make up for in seating and towel availability (no towel cards needed), service, and FOOD! We were lucky that this day happened to be the roving paella and sushi cart day! YUM. Best pool lunch ever.
We also strolled down to the beach for a bit but honestly don't come to PV if you want the best beach. It's not here...at least not in this part of town. It was small, a little rocky, the water is dark and a tad rough. Just stick to the pool!
Alas, by mid-afternoon it started to rain. But no worries...we had a full mini bar, balcony hot tub, and a laptop with Spotify!
It ends up clearing up so we decided to talk a walk to downtown PV and see the world famous Malecon or boardwalk. I was kinda apprehensive as everyone touts how dangerous Mexico is but after getting down there I realized that doesn't really apply here. The walk was about 20 minutes but boy it was H-O-T!! We were rewarded with a great shopping/entertainment zone right on the beach. We stopped at a local bar for some snacks and beers and then walked back before it got dark. Didn't exactly want to press our luck! We didn't want to take many valuables with us so that included no camera, hence no pics.
Dinner time! On tonight's menu was Tamarindo, the mexican place. As with the night before dinner was fantastic! This place also offered dinner and a show with a live mariachi band playing all evening. It was all well and good until some pompous jackass who thinks he's the second coming of Stradivarius literally TAKES the violin from one of the players, not once but TWICE to do a solo! Come on man. That's the guy's job, let him do it!
Day 3:
The night before we had an extra note tucked in with the daily activities sheet telling us that a hurricane was just offshore and to expect rain. WHAT! That's what I came to PV...the haven't had a hurricane strike in 30 years! You've GOT to be joking! So we wake up to rain showers and quickly scurry over to the Carnival buffet for breakfast. Mmmm, smoked salmon, brie, and chilaquiles for me! We loved having breakfast here every day.
So back to the room to wait out the storm. Lucky for me the Wimbeldon's men final was on and I got to see Andy Murray finally win it all! And just after it was over wouldn't you know, the sun came out! And STAYED out the rest of the afternoon. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon at the pool!
Dinner time again and this evening we tried out Himitsu the sushi bar and hibachi restaurant. Yummy but not awsome...hey what do you expect from sushi in Mexico! After dinner was a real treat though as we saw a spectacular sunset!
Day 4:
Well time for the main event...wedding shopping! We had picked out 2 Dreams resorts in addition to Now Amber. After breakfast at Carnival we hopped in a cab to see Dreams Puerto Vallarta on the southern end of PV. After some crazy hilly, in town driving we arrive literally on the side of a mountain to Dreams PV. We are greeted by Fatima, one of the wedding coordinators. She is so sweet and nice! I loved her but we weren't totally in love with the resort. It touts itself as being the more romantic of the Dreams properties but it was also older looking. I knew instantly this was not going to be the place for us.
Back in the cab and off to Dreams Villamagna which was located up in Nueva Vallarta. This drive was spectacular as you are taken through a gated community to get to it. The property was much newer looking and had a great pool area and beach. The rooms were very nice too and Daniel the wedding coordinator there was the best of the best. Ultimately we passed though as you are not allowed to drink in the pool and there was no swim up bar. What kind of all inclusive resort is THAT??
Another cab ride and we are back at Now Amber. Time to squeeze in a bit of lunch at Castaways again before out tour. We met with Edith who was very sweet and gave us a tour of all the wedding facilities at the property. Unbeknownst to us there was a venue sitting right in the middle of the property that we never noticed from our balcony that we really liked.
After the tour was over we got in some pool time and then it was dinner time! Tonight's dinner was at the italian restaurant Capers. Probably not my fave but yummy nonetheless.
Day 5:
Well time to head back home! Check out was somewhat of a nightmare as one "benefit" of the Preferred club is that you get your own separate check out. Meaning you aren't allowed to check out at the main desk. You HAVE to use the preferred club check out and guess what...there's only one person working there and he was busy checking someone in. Despite the fact that we gave ourselves 20 extra minutes I needed every minute of it waiting for the guy to check in this family. There was one other woman there counting coupons or something who told me she couldn't assist with check out and then she ACTUALLY scolded me for getting impatient! Well geez I didn't have a plane to catch or anything. Kind of a sour ending but not enough to spoil the trip or anything!
Adios Now Amber!
So we didn't end up booking this place for our wedding even though we did really like it. Just a little too small for the size wedding we wanted to have. Oh well, still a nice trip though!
Dates: 7/5/13 - 7/9/13
City: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Accommodations: Now Amber Resort and Spa
Trip Advisor Review: Click here for my review
Airline: American Airlines
Photo Album: Click here for my album
Getting There
Another day another crack of dawn flight out of Dulles. We had a 2 hour stop over at DFW in Dallas and I took the opportunity to grab some Texas BBQ while I was there...no sauce please! Back on the next plane for another 2 hours and then we arrived in sunny Puerto Vallarta. Always beware this airport as you must walk a timeshare gauntlet in order to get to your transfer company. We knew this going in yet got suckered again. These guys have no shame and lie, lie, lie.
Now Amber Resort and Spa
Now Amber is another AM Resort property and attached to a Secrets Adults only resort, in this case Secrets Vallarta Bay. Now was located in the heart of the downtown hotel zone just 15 minutes or so south of the airport. This is a beautiful new property and probably the best one you'll see in this section of town. We used our resort credits to pay for half an upgrade to the Preferred club and then agreed to attend their vacation club presentation the next day and that paid the other half of the upgrade fee. Preferred club means you are in a separate building with your own check in/check out, 24 hour lounge with bar and snacks, upgraded mini bar amenities, extra bath amenities, and a hot tub on your balcony. NICE!
Things We Did/Saw:
Day 1: After checking in, it was time to explore the property a bit and most importantly...eat and drink! We chose the Castaways restaurant adjacent to the pool for dinner. It did not disappoint...seriously good seafood! Tim ordered 2 entrees even. This would prove to not be our last visit here during our trip.
A few drinks later and oops...Jess is asleep. Hey, I had a long day.
Day 2: We are awoken at 6 AM by the most amazingly and terrifying thunderstorm I have ever witnessed. It was literally right on top of us. We went so far as to go out on the balcony to witness it. I have never seen such bright lightning and the noise was incredible. It soon ended and we slept a little more. We had to be at the vacation club presentation for breakfast and headed out around 9:30. So this experience was my biggest complaint about Now. First off, it is NOT 90 minutes...try 3 hours when it's all said and done. Second, it all sounds good until they hit you with the 30 year commitment for $30K at the end. You've got to be kidding me. I was kinda irritated we wasted our morning on this but it was cloudy and drizzly anyway so I guess no loss there.
It was now lunchtime so we grabbed our swimsuits and finally hit the pool area. The pool area is a tad small compared to other places we've been. There is a kiddie pool, an "activities" pool, and then the main pool with the swim up bar. The main pool in my mind should be the biggest but guess what, it's the smallest of the 3! But what they lack in size they make up for in seating and towel availability (no towel cards needed), service, and FOOD! We were lucky that this day happened to be the roving paella and sushi cart day! YUM. Best pool lunch ever.
We also strolled down to the beach for a bit but honestly don't come to PV if you want the best beach. It's not here...at least not in this part of town. It was small, a little rocky, the water is dark and a tad rough. Just stick to the pool!
Alas, by mid-afternoon it started to rain. But no worries...we had a full mini bar, balcony hot tub, and a laptop with Spotify!
It ends up clearing up so we decided to talk a walk to downtown PV and see the world famous Malecon or boardwalk. I was kinda apprehensive as everyone touts how dangerous Mexico is but after getting down there I realized that doesn't really apply here. The walk was about 20 minutes but boy it was H-O-T!! We were rewarded with a great shopping/entertainment zone right on the beach. We stopped at a local bar for some snacks and beers and then walked back before it got dark. Didn't exactly want to press our luck! We didn't want to take many valuables with us so that included no camera, hence no pics.
Day 3:
The night before we had an extra note tucked in with the daily activities sheet telling us that a hurricane was just offshore and to expect rain. WHAT! That's what I came to PV...the haven't had a hurricane strike in 30 years! You've GOT to be joking! So we wake up to rain showers and quickly scurry over to the Carnival buffet for breakfast. Mmmm, smoked salmon, brie, and chilaquiles for me! We loved having breakfast here every day.
So back to the room to wait out the storm. Lucky for me the Wimbeldon's men final was on and I got to see Andy Murray finally win it all! And just after it was over wouldn't you know, the sun came out! And STAYED out the rest of the afternoon. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon at the pool!
Dinner time again and this evening we tried out Himitsu the sushi bar and hibachi restaurant. Yummy but not awsome...hey what do you expect from sushi in Mexico! After dinner was a real treat though as we saw a spectacular sunset!
Day 4:
Well time for the main event...wedding shopping! We had picked out 2 Dreams resorts in addition to Now Amber. After breakfast at Carnival we hopped in a cab to see Dreams Puerto Vallarta on the southern end of PV. After some crazy hilly, in town driving we arrive literally on the side of a mountain to Dreams PV. We are greeted by Fatima, one of the wedding coordinators. She is so sweet and nice! I loved her but we weren't totally in love with the resort. It touts itself as being the more romantic of the Dreams properties but it was also older looking. I knew instantly this was not going to be the place for us.
Back in the cab and off to Dreams Villamagna which was located up in Nueva Vallarta. This drive was spectacular as you are taken through a gated community to get to it. The property was much newer looking and had a great pool area and beach. The rooms were very nice too and Daniel the wedding coordinator there was the best of the best. Ultimately we passed though as you are not allowed to drink in the pool and there was no swim up bar. What kind of all inclusive resort is THAT??
Another cab ride and we are back at Now Amber. Time to squeeze in a bit of lunch at Castaways again before out tour. We met with Edith who was very sweet and gave us a tour of all the wedding facilities at the property. Unbeknownst to us there was a venue sitting right in the middle of the property that we never noticed from our balcony that we really liked.
After the tour was over we got in some pool time and then it was dinner time! Tonight's dinner was at the italian restaurant Capers. Probably not my fave but yummy nonetheless.
Day 5:
Well time to head back home! Check out was somewhat of a nightmare as one "benefit" of the Preferred club is that you get your own separate check out. Meaning you aren't allowed to check out at the main desk. You HAVE to use the preferred club check out and guess what...there's only one person working there and he was busy checking someone in. Despite the fact that we gave ourselves 20 extra minutes I needed every minute of it waiting for the guy to check in this family. There was one other woman there counting coupons or something who told me she couldn't assist with check out and then she ACTUALLY scolded me for getting impatient! Well geez I didn't have a plane to catch or anything. Kind of a sour ending but not enough to spoil the trip or anything!
Adios Now Amber!
So we didn't end up booking this place for our wedding even though we did really like it. Just a little too small for the size wedding we wanted to have. Oh well, still a nice trip though!
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