Samba Vallarta

This hotel was exactly what we were looking for in a vacation. :) The beds were comfortable, a very important issue for us. We also wanted a quiet resort, not a party resort. We wanted to rest and find relaxation from our stressful life and that is what Samba provided for us. The food was excellent, the staff friendly and the beach and pool were the intimate size we wanted. [Details]

My experience was mixed. Hotel was good despite being dated and a muggy smell. The service and overall person experience was greatly lacking. There food is not very good. Disgusting at most times. They would put pork in everything. The food labels say beef or something but you find pieces of bacon. I chose an all inclusive resort so that I would have people who spoke English to help me at the hotel. No one spoke English and navigating the service at the hotel was very difficult. I found many of the front desk people very rude. I don't recommend this place if you have food allergies or don't speak Spanish. And don't take off bracelet just before checkout. They have to cut it off or they will try to charge you extra money. [Details]

This was a great spring break away. Samba is a wonderful place to stay, the staff and guest were very friendly. [Details]

The hotel was dark and barely a light on in the main lobby when we arrived. Had requested a king bed and a balcony. We were the only couple out of 5 rooms that had been requested and the only room to not receive a balcony. The manager tried charging an additional $50 American for us to change to a room with a balcony. The room was very dated and the washroom was in dire need of an upgrade. Facet able to be turned around and taps on sink and shower constantly leaking and toilet constantly running. At an all-inclusive resort, we had to purchase water. Our room fridge on day one was filled with two beers, two pops and two waters. For the rest of the week we did not see any further beer and only two other waters. Quite often there was not one bar open at the resort. [Details]

The building is old and not good maintained. The rooms are not impressive and lack some basic features and amenities (We stayed at 2 rooms and upper floor one was a little bit better)
The way they wash the cups and dishes not hygienic...

In total we had a good and relaxing time. [Details]

Small resort, super nice landscape, great for kids to play, the building is old but have a great potential with some investments. Very nice stuff, the food could be better. The beach is a little bit neglected. Lot of very nice locals. [Details]

Small resort, super nice landscape, great for kids to play, the building is old but have a great potential with some investments. Very nice stuff, the food could be better. The beach is a little bit neglected. Lot of very nice locals. [Details]

This resort has lots of potential but could be so much more.
The outdoor aesthetics, looks, grounds, pools, beach, resort size, location are all great and for the most part the food was acceptable.
The overall service was good, with some aspects being great and other parts poor.
The room experience to say the least was disappointing. Very poor condition overall, but the 2 we stayed in did have nice views.
The first room was very dated, which was fine and I expected that in an older hotel. It was clean, but the A/C wasn't working and it just blew hot air. Things break and I can accept that, but it did make for an uncomfortable sleep. I mentioned it to the desk and they tried to repair but had to move us to a different room the next day.
The first thing I noticed in the 2nd room was it was nice and chilled. Yeah the A/C works! Then I realized the the counter at the entrance with the sink and bar fridge was missing and a poor wall patch in its place. There was a bar fridge but it was just sitting on an end table in the spot where the sink and counter should be. Then I went to plug in a USB charger and two outlets in the room weren't working. Then I went to put stuff away in the washroom and a section of the vanity counter was missing and no space to place toiletries in the washroom.
It was then I went to adjust the A/C because the room was getting very cold (Temp app on my phone had it at 16c) and discovered neither the temp setting or the fan speed on the thermostat was working and it was at max speed and max cold with no way to adjust.
I didn't want to seem like a whiner, but honestly this isn't what I paid for, so I went back to desk and mentioned my concerns. They told me they would take care of it, but nothing happened the last 7 days of our visit and I just lost faith in them after that. We opened the patio door to adjust the room temp. It worked kind of, but you shouldn't have too. We didn't spend much time in our room except to clean up and sleep so we made it work, but I was very disappointed in the lack of effort to solve the issue and provide what I paid for.
Dining service was good, not great, but acceptable. The pool staff and bar tenders and servers were terrific.
Absolutely fantastic beach and had a great beach massage as well.
Overall we had a good time and enjoyed the stay, but the first 3 days put a damper on it for me.
We've stayed at many of the big popular resorts, but last year we changed and tried a small older one closer to PV and it was wonderful. We thought we'd try another one this year and it didn't come close to matching up in expectations. Too bad because it could be so much more. It's just not there yet.
This could be an incredible resort with some work, but until that happens we wont be back. [Details]

Our stay at Samba Vallarta was good, maybe not worth the price we paid though. The resort is small, which was great for us as a family with two young children (and we traveled with extended family as well). It was easy to get from point A to B without much walking.
The kiddie pool was perfect for my kids (1 and 3 years old), beach was nice, food at the buffet was fine (a la carte restaurants were better, which is to be expected). The staff here were great, especially Salvador! Everyone was so kind to us and our kids.

Keep in mind though, that it is a 3.5 star hotel which shows in the condition of the resort. I would actually give it 3 stars, Rooms are a little run down (we had tears in our blinds, our toilet seat was cracked, a fair amount of mold and mildew can be seen in the bathroom, sofa bed was horribly uncomfortable and cushions were stained, however my 3 year old didn't seem to mind!) Rooms are a little musty, it seemed to be better the higher your room was in the building (3rd and 4th floors were ok). Most people don't spend a ton of time in the rooms anyways, so it would be easy to overlook this stuff. However with young kids, we spent more time in our rooms due to naps (2x/day) so it could have been more comfortable. [Details]

I was very happy with my choice of this resort. The staff were very friendly and always very helpful. They made my stay there that much more enjoyable. I had a couple very minor problems with my room and they were up immediately to fix the issues.The room I stayed in could have used some upgrades but this is expected in an older resort.I did not eat at any of the A la cartes but was told by several other people that they were very good. The buffet was good. Not fantastic but good, had a nice variety and was always able to find plenty of choices that I liked.This resort was perfect for me and I will definately go back. [Details]

I had been to SAMBA before and was thrilled to come back. The staff and Service make this place stellar. I must say however, I would have preferred the 2 year ago stay due to increased wifi (RF signals) Prior stay internet was only available in a certain areas of the hotel. Now like many other places the Wifi strength is increased and throughout all rooms. Many guests from the Prairies complained about being dizzy for 3 days on their initial arrival and others woke with bad headaches. I am well versed in this problem and bring a specialized meter with me everywhere, and yes, the levels are too high for human health (not just Samba) . I had to change my room three times and ended up in the exact same room I took 2 years prior. It was better but not clear and I only slept 2 nights through my whole stay as these frequencies tend to be too stimulating ...see www.C4ST.org
All in all I soooooo loved this special place and wish the world would wake up and realize more is not better when it comes to low level microwaves for cellular service. After all, we all get away to "get away" from stressors and into peace. Something to think about. [Details]

We felt we had a good value for the more expensive week of the year to travel, plus children were free. It is not a 4 stars resorts though, so if the prices are high and similar to another 4 or 4.5 stars resort, I would consider to book elsewhere, especially if food is very important to you. Otherwise, it's a great base and we ate out 3 times during our week to make up for the food offered. We would consider going back again if we have a last minute deal. [Details]

This is the third year we have visited this hotel at spring break. The staff are excellent and very friendly from check in to check out. We love the food choices as we always find something we like to eat at the snack bar,buffet or ala carte restaurants.This year they added a coffee/smoothie bar by the buffet. The beach is excellent with lots of palapas. As the hotel is smaller there always are loungers at the pool or beach available. You can go for endless walks on the beach, walk or taxi into Bucerias .Quieter resort great for families and retired couples. We can't wait to go back next year! [Details]

The most boring place ever unless you are 70 years old or go to bed early because you are there with small children.
Rooms smell of dampness and food wasn't great except for the desserts. No entertainment at all saw one small 1 hr show the whole time we were there. Thank God for free internet everywhere on resort for something to do and the staff is amazing. We went to pier for nothing by cab due to excursion cancellation but no one told us and phone never rang in our room night before or that morning when tour operator tried to reach us. Left message at front desk but nobody advise us......worst place I have been too [Details]

The staff is what makes this place. They are so fun and friendly and really work extremely hard to make sure your trip is enjoyable.

Carolina, at the Buffet Restaurant, Bruno in the night lobby bar, Martin at the beach Bar, Gilberto at the night time restaurant Salvador bringing drinks to the beach all day long, these are just a few of the names of the outstanding staff you have.

We were never at the pool, too many kids for us, it is a very small family resort, so if your looking for action and nighttime activities, this is not the place.

I was very please that we never had to worry about finding beach lounge chairs with covers at the beach.

The rooms are clean, thanks to the staff, but no character! Nothing on the walls. We had to pay to upgrade to a suite because when we got there they wanted us in a Kingsize bed for 2 single woman and would move us later. That was not satisfactory, so we paid to upgrade was the only option except for sleeping on a cot, we still would have had to move, not something we wanted to do. Even the suite, although clean and nice, dated. The couch was so old and stained we didn't want to sit on it. It was total waste of space because it lacked any character.

We had a pool and ocean view which was great except the loud music started by the pool at 9 am and if you like a slow morning like we did, it got very loud, very quickly, no afternoon naps as the music was too loud.

I loved how small the resort was and the other guests of the hotel were Mexican families which was fabulous! I don't travel to meet other Canadians, so it was nice to chat on the beach with local people.

Would i go back, probably not, not because of the hotel but I wont go back to Puerto Vallarta area because of the beach and water. I prefer the eastern Mexico and Caribbean for the white sand and blue waters with no surf. [Details]

It was awesome. The food and drinks and all the staff were great. The weather was beautiful everyday. [Details]

Overall good value for the money we paid. [Details]

We found the hotel not to be a four star, maybe a three. The grounds are beautiful but the hotel needs some refreshing. The room had a damp odour, shower stall drain smelled of sewer. Had to cover it with the shower matt. Very noisy in the hallway at night, making it hard to sleep. A great place for families with smaller children. Really enjoyed the evening entertainment, fabulous shows. The staff were all friendly and cheerful. Found it odd that there was a restaurant that no children were allowed. What about the families with children that want something different to eat for the evening? [Details]

the staff was wonderful - very attentive
food was good [Details]

Having traveled in Mexico for over 20 years the Samba was a nice surprise. It really is only 20 minutes from the airport. There is nothing pretentious about the resort. It is clean and well kept. The food is good with a fairly wide selection. But by far its greatest asset is its staff. They are friendly and efficient without being over the top. Special mention to Dorian and Will I Am and the lovely lady at the grill in the buffet who made us omelets everyday and started the day off right with her sunny smile.
The hotel is a short distance from the community so it is quiet but can seem a little remote from the community. This was easily remedied by the free bikes provided. A short morning ride into Bucerias and outlying areas gave us all the hustle and bustle we needed to really enjoy the peace and quiet of the resort when we returned. Good resort. Great staff. Perfect set-up for some serious R R! [Details]

We enjoyed our stay at the Samba very much. The staff were terrific! In the Italian restaurant they will make you Spanish coffee right at your table!The food was delicious. At the Mexican restaurant you can watch the sun drop into the sea at sunset as you eat. The place was very clean,and I was pleased at how smoke-free it was. The beach is fantastic! In the afternoon, you can walk far out, it is so shallow and of course the waves come pounding in, which is so much fun! There are always shaded beach chairs to lie on by the beach and pools, and there are not a lot of people trying to sell you things, but if you want something you will have no trouble finding a supplier. I loved the music by the pool, and I would not like loud music. I exercised in the pool to the music. The entertainment at night was good. We really enjoyed the Michael Jackson show and the Elastic Girl is amazing! We would definitely go back! [Details]

This place is terrible. We arrived to a moldy smelly room. Manager was great and moved up to another room. Same moldy smell and the a/c didn't work.

Food at the buffet and snack bar is terrible sitting out in hot weather. [Details]

Samba is clean and the staff do try hard. Food is mediocre with little variety day to day. Beverage selection is limited (cervesa is one choice of draft). They called it coffee but it was not. It is very loud, no soundproofing in rooms, ac unit noisy and smelled, constant megaphone over the music at the pool, people having to talk louder to compete with the other noise. Not a place to sit quietly and read. Mostly Mexican guests who didn't really interact with the handful of Canadians, made me feel a bit unwelcome. Thankfully you can walk to Bucerais where you can find real coffee and great bars serving good beer and great fish tacos. There is some great local tour companies there too, highly recommend the bike tour, offering an alternative to the large heavily promoted tour company in the lobby. [Details]

The hotel itself is perfect! Great service and fantastic food! it's clean and the people are very friendly and provide great service. It's a very good value. [Details]

Great. More family atmosphere in a smaller hotel. [Details]

My daughter and I went to Samba Vallarta, expecting to stay in a 4 star resort, and what we got was a 3 star resort (and that's generous) and 5 star staff (excluding the front desk manager, who wasn't very helpful at all), so I guess that averages out to 4 stars? The staff at the hotel did their best to make sure we had a good time. The Kid's Club and activity staff were awesome. The bartenders were great, and our buffet waiters were fast and efficient. The pool was great, and the beach is gorgeous. There is free wifi available pretty much all over the resort, which was a bonus for staying in touch with our friends and family back home. The rest of the resort however, wasn't up to our expectations of a 4 star resort. The first room they put us in was terrible. We paid a decent sum of money to visit Mexico, and our entire view was a concrete wall and a large parking lot fence. There was no patio or balcony. It was the worst room I've had at any resort or hotel I've stayed at over the past 5 years, and I travel fairly often (for example, I've been at 5 different resorts in the past year). We complained, and were told they might be able to move us the next day. By the next morning we had experienced the rest of the resort, and found it to be lacking so many things that for the first time ever, we asked our travel rep to move us to a different resort. Several other couples that had arrived the same day we had were doing the very same thing. Unfortunately they couldn't move us to another resort until the next day, and for 5 nights at a different resort, it was an extra $800, so we sucked it up and stayed. The hotel did move us to a different room, and our second room had a far better view, though we still had no patio or balcony. Those were a $280/week upgrade we were told, which is plain wrong to me, as balconies have been standard everywhere else we have stayed. We had no fridge, no soft drinks, no beer, no coffee, one 600ml bottle of water per day, no table with chairs for my daughter to do her homework on, no floor lamp or ceiling light, no hair conditioner, no room service, no hot water, and a bedside lamp switch that was shorting out. Our bathroom flooded every time we showered. There was no guacamole for the nachos, tacos, or fajitas at the snack bar or the buffet restaurant. Ever. There was no shrimp, scallops, crab, or lobster, even on ‘Seafood Night'. I will say that the food they did serve was good, and I had some absolutely excellent roast beef one night and delicious BBQ'd ribs another night. I refused to stand in line at 7:00 AM to book one of their ala carte restaurants, so we never experienced whatever culinary delights they would have offered. This system should be outlawed. Use a computer spreadsheet like the other resorts are doing. My feet hung over the end of the bed (I'm 6'2"), and we had to have our shower head replaced on the second day because it was like standing under a fire hose. The nightly entertainment was lame. Our first night was a movie, the second night was karaoke (this is a disturbing trend to me...since when is karaoke acceptable entertainment at a resort?). The third night was ‘Circus Night'. There were two gymnasts and a juggler. That was the last night we bothered with the entertainment. If you get a room with a balcony and a view it might be more acceptable, just make sure your expectations are for a two or three star resort, not a four, and you'll probably be more satisfied. The bottom line for us was we wished we had booked elsewhere, even if it had cost us more. We will not return to Samba Vallarta, and we cannot recommend it to others. [Details]

When we arrived we were extremely disappointed with the hotel. We believed when booking it was rated a 4 star and was clearly not. We asked to be moved to a different hotel the next day so to review the Samba is unfair as we did not stay long enough to give it a fair evaluation. [Details]

If you are looking for a smaller resort, this is a great place. No complaints about it although there were a lot of kids at times with local families coming on the weekends. [Details]

We completely enjoyed our time at Samba Vallarta. The beach was awesome, the food was great and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Highly recommended [Details]

This was our 12th time at this resort and while the staff (waiters, Bar staff and grounds crew)are still some of the nicest, happy to assist people you will ever encounter, this experience at the Samba will be our last. The Management makes promises that they conveniently forget and the resort which used to be a quiet retreat is now a overrun zoo from Thursday afternoon until Monday afternoon.
I am all for them making money but it's just not the relaxing place it used to be. I will miss the ever smiling men working there, (Ernesto, Salvador, Carlos, Ricardo, Juan, Esmail, Fermin, Bruno, Martin X2,Jose Ma and Lore the breakfast lady) It has been a good run but it is time to find a new relaxing place and leave this one to the Mexican people coming to party. [Details]