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| Canto del Sol | Laurie ~ Ontario |
March 2009
Arrival
Upon arrival the young lady at the counter was very accomodating.There were 4 of us travelling one of which was my 80 year old mother who isn't very mobile. She gave us rooms on the first floor which were so close to the pool.
Rooms
The rooms were very clean and comfortable.
Restaurants and Bars
The food and drinks at the restaurants and bars was good. Very friendly staff always trying to please.
Beach/Pools/Grounds
There really isn't much of a beach but I believe that's because of the hurricane. The pool is a decent size considering the resort isn't all that big. They tried to keep the pool clean however, there are lots of fools that eat, drink and smoke in the pool even though there are signs posted throughout the pool area.
Activities on and off the Resort/Hotel
The activity staff were amazing. They had everything from bingo, blackjack, crafts for kids, volleyball both in and out of the water, water polo and many other activiites. My husband and daughter went on a morning excursion where they went on zip lines.
Other Comments
I would definately recommend this resort. It was well worth the money. I must admit I was a little concerned with some of the reviews but we had a great time.
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April 2008
My husband and I only decided to go on a trip on a cold Easter weekend in Toronto. Because we have friends who spend the winter in Puerto Vallarta, we decided that was our destination, and the Canto was recommended.
As we have been on other all inclusives we went in with an open mind. I read many reviews - some good and some bad. Our overall experience at the Canto was a pleasant surprise. I also will warn you when you get off the plane to walk right outside to find your bus, or you will be hounded by people pretending to ‘help you find your transportation’ but are really selling time shares. Despite what we had heard about this also being a problem at the hotel – we were never approached once!
Our first night’s room was less than desirable, but even at check in we were told to come back the next morning to change rooms as the Saturday charters were leaving. We were given a very nice room (305) overlooking the pool and close to the ocean – wonderful to leave the sliding door open and hear the ocean.
The food was better than expected and we had every breakfast right by the ocean- eggs, omelets and wonderfully fresh fruit. Lunch was at the main buffet – again a surprise how good the chicken, roast beef etc was! We had two dinners at the special restaurants – a very good steak dinner under the stars, and a great dinner at the Mexican restaurant. Note – there were no line up problems or booking these special dinners in advance that we had experienced at every other all inclusive.
We had the opportunity to go to two authentic (non touristy) restaurants with our friends. One was downtown and was near the ocean – called “Tony’s Please”. Very good food and not at all expensive.
We golfed at Vistas golf course- we were told to go to the Vista’s timeshare store at the main marina (not were the cruise ships are) and we got a better deal on a ticket ($120 for a noon tee off time).
I met Ramon on the beach who works for Vallarta adventures. We saved $10 per person on a day trip to Las Caletas. We enjoyed the trip as we are boaters and I enjoyed the cruise down the shore (1 ¼ hours) to an isolated beach area. Seeing the city from the water gives you a totally different perspective – beautiful mountains and villas. The lunch was a decent buffet and there were macaws, and monkeys that we could hold. Snorkelling had to be cancelled due to thousands of jellyfish.
We tipped the maids and the waiters and often tipped the bartenders. However, this was not necessary in order to get better service – everyone was friendly and accomodating. We just felt that the waiters and cleaning ladies did more work than pouring a glass of beer…..and deserved the tips.
We got money from the ATM across the street – good rates. My international phone card that I bought at home did not work however, and I bought one at the machine outside of the hotel in order to call home.
I agree with the comments about the beach - course sand, and quite rocky. Water shoes are a very good idea. If I had to say one thing that bothered us was the relentlessness of the vendors on the beach. We prefer to sit on the beach under the palapas, and the same vendors would approach us several times during the day. We politely kept saying no thank you, but that didn’t stop them. Our other choice of hotel was the Samba in Nuevo Vallarta, but our friends told us the beach was nicer there but it was quite isolated. We met people on our cruise who said the same thing – they wanted to leave the resort to do other things, but each time it cost them $50 US in cab fares to come into town.
All in all, I would recommend this hotel – great value for the money.
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| Canto del Sol |
Joseph & Halyna |
February 2008
Not recommended for the 50 plus, definitely avoid if 60 plus. This is not a place for quiet relaxation! Extremely noisy especially with the sound system turned on maximum during the noon to 1 pm aqua fitness activity period. Very small confined U-shaped facility with sunning/tanning space essentially only around the unheated pool (ocean water temperature) so there was no escape from the noise. The weather was in the mid 20s during the day but very cool in the evening. Only about thirty feet of beach which after high tide one night was half filled with rocks. The room was average but clean with basic but good quality linens and we were provided with two bottles of water daily. The food was good at the main buffet restaurant but the snack bar was wanting. The two á la cart restaurants that we tried (one Mexican and one Italian) were good and we enjoyed the Mexican and Spanish coffee. We avoided the outdoor steak house Terrasa Grill, overlooking the clay tennis courts, as several told us of stomach problems they had subsequent to eating there. The evening concerts were good but somewhat repetitive - on the same lip-syncing theme. The pool bar was good and the waiter George deserved every tip. We used the fitness facilities a couple of times -OK but small and no treadmills. We really liked downtown PV and may come back during a warmer period, but not to the Canto. Our stay was the last two weeks of January and our return was delayed several hours due to a Toronto snow storm. The tour operators did their usual thing of 'housing' their guests at the airport terminal until a 2:30 am departure for home.
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| Canto del Sol |
Jim & Wendy ~ Milton, Ontario Canada |
December 2007
Arrival -
The arrival and check-in at the hotel was quick and friendly.
Rooms -
The first room they gave us had 2 beds in it - not good for an anniversary vacation :-) They accomodated our request for another room with a single king-sized bed. Rooms were good sized and kept clean. Air conditioner was a bit loud, but it worked well.
Restaurants -
The Santa Maria restaurant was EXCELLENT as were the servers (be sure to try the flambe coffee. Food at the buffet/cafetia was also varied and very good; there was never a shortage of anything, and everything was tasty (be sure to try an omellete from Christy.
Bars -
Bar staff were very freindly and served up some fairly potent drinks (pop and juices were also available - watch out for those black russians).
Beach and Pools -
The beach is a bit small and rocky. This is not a good place for swimming in the ocean as it is rough (lots of under-tow). There are also peddlers everywhere (this is Mexico ya know), but they don't pester you after you refuse them once.
The pool is good and has many sections for babies, small kids and the rest of us.
Grounds -
Very well kept and clean. Some days there was a funky smell by the snack bar.
Activities -
During the day, there are a lot of activities to keep you busy (water excercise, pool volley-ball, etc). Some of the evening shows are a bit hokey, but the staff work hard at trying to keep the guests entertained. They should really focus more on Mexican themed entertainment instead of trying to imitate Janet Jackson & Cher.
Tours -
We went horseback riding, and went to the Rythum of the Night trip (each around $80). The night trip involved a 1hr boat trip (each way) to an island for a dinner & show.
Most days we wandered around the town center bartering with local merchants. Our visit coincided with the Lady of Guadalupe Festival which is great (if you're a Christian).
Conclusion -
This was an EXCELLENT trip - hotel, food, staff, local people & city were all good.
Hints:
Don't shop when the cruise ships are in - prices go up and they haggle less.
It's a 5 minute bus ride (5 pesos - or 50 cents for us Gringos) from the hotel to the old town (be sure to hang on tight). A cab will cost about 60 pesos. Walking is free but it will take you about 30 minutes.
Only beef is with time share folks. Once you get off the plane, you are bombarded. Don't stop to talk to anyone unless they are carrying a sign with your tour operator (e.g. Signature). In our case, a lady (without a tour operator sign) asked us what hotel we were staying at. She then guided us to a person behind a counter, which I "assumed" worked at Canto Del Sol. Once he said he could save us money on tours, I asked if he was a time share person; he said he was. We left and just past the exit doors was our tour operator rep waiting for us. Some on the plane missed their complementary shuttle to their hotel because they were held up by these time share folks. These folks also work in the hotel - suggest you book your day tours with your designated tour operator, or you'll spend a day visiting time share properties.
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| Canto del Sol |
Sheila ~ Vancouver |
January 2006
My sister and I were at the Canto Del Sol for a week at the end of November 2005. I have traveled to a lot of all-inclusives in my time, so I have a lot of experience to compare to. We chose this hotel based on the price at the time, but we enjoyed it so much that we would return even if the price was higher.
To make this short and sweet, first off, the location is great. You are only a block off the main drag, but would never know it when you are at the hotel. It's right on the beach, and very quiet. It's a good location for women on their own because you feel safe, even at night. Also, in the evening, you have somewhere to walk around and window shop or whatever.
The food is very tasty and the alacartes were great, especially the International one. The chicken cordon blue was as good as any I've had here in Vancouver. Service was fast at the buffet and we never had to wait more than a couple of minutes, tops.
We never watched the evening show because I have seen too many over the years and they are usually pretty bad. The one bad thing is that the bar is inside at night and the ceiling is low, so it is deafening! We didn't stay there because of this and the smokers. if I was there with my husband I would have been disapppointed because we like to sit and have a drink in the evening. Maybe it was just the week we were there that it was so loud. Who knows.
The rooms were the standard ones and the cleaning staff were fine. In fact, my sister made her own bed one day [crazy woman] and they remade it.
The grounds are pretty and well kept. It is a fairly large place for being in the city, but nothing like the ones on the Mayan Riviera, so don't compare it to any there. If you like tennis, there are lots and lots of courts. I think that they must hold competitions or whatever tennis matches are called. [I don't play obviously]
The bar has a huge list of drinks and they are all good. In fact, I found more there than at the large resorts.
The bus to town or Buchareas [spelled wrong but I'm brain dead right now] is right on the main strip and is cheap. Around 4.5 pesos into town and 10 to Buchareas.
One last thing. We arrived after a night flight, at the hotel in the early morning. We had to wait until 3:00 PM for the room which is a bit of a pain, but the worst of it all was that they made us wait until noon for our bracelet, so we couldn't even get a snack or beverage. In fact, they tried to make us wait until 3:00 but I objected. One family had small kids and they couldn't even get them a pop. That was my one big complaint. It's tough enough sitting there in your heavy clothes but to watch everyone else eating and drinking, adds insult to injury.
All in all, I highly recommend this hotel, especially if you get it as low as we did, which was in the $900 bracket.
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| Canto del Sol |
L K R ~ Alberta |
March 2005
Vacationed Week two of Mar. 2005 stayed at the Villas across the cul de sac from Canto but could use facilities at both hotels, was much quieter because of spring break. Food was great service the same rooms were clean & no repairs going on at that time. Only draw back was the beach very small area for the people that like to hang at the beach. Our one Hobie & kayaks were not out once in the week we were there.Over all enjoyed P V been to D R & Cuba, Cancun & Maz. would go again same place
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February 2004
Hi, we have stayed at Canto del Sol (formelly known as Continental Plaza) in Puerta Vallarta on Janueary 24-31, 2004. Me and my fiance are 22 and 24 years old.
Hotel: Check in with no problems, the next day we had to change the room because we requested king size bed and they only had 2 double on the night that we arrived. We had to tip them twice for us to get a king size bed. THe properties are nice in the resort, the actual hotel is a bit old, in some parts you really can see it in others it was renovated. Service was fantastic, the waiters were just so nice and caring at all the times. We have been travelling and we find that Mexico has the best service, the waiters were always smiling and asking you every 5 minutes if you needed anything else. The best waiter was Jorge by the pool and beach. There were a lot of mountains around puerta vallarta and the actual city is on the mountain. The enteirtaiment was very good, they know how to make you laugh, and all the time there are some prizes going on for different activities. There is also night show at 8:30 that they perform which is also nice. the onlu bad thing we find is that there is only 2 bars in the resort and if one in the lobby is open then the one by the pool is closed while they are performing the show (and you want to drink).
Pool: the pool was very nice, except the water was cold not a lot of people were swimming in it. It had a nice swim up bar.
Ocean: If you are a ocean person I would recomend going to Puerta Vallarta. First of all the beach is very small, it does have shades though. The ocean is full of rocks and you need beach shoes in order to swim or otherwise you will hurt your feet. The water was very warm, a lot warmer than in the pool. We saw a lot of whales and dolphins during our stay. Appereantly it was the season for whales (Nov- Mar), there is so many of them and they all swim 100 - 200 meters from the beach.
Food: the food was good you always had a lot of choice in everything. They have one Buffet where pretty much we ate, every night they had different food for dinner. We also went to a Mexican Restaurant and Italian Restaraunt, we didn't like it that much except for the service so we ate most of the time in the main buffet. If you are travelling with kids there is another snack bar were they have french fries, burgers, fajitas, nachos and pizza. There is a lot variety.
Clubs/Bar: There is a lot of things to do in Puerta Vallarta. The Best Club that we went to was Christine, they played all kind of music and the actual club is very big and new. Its $25US to get in with open bar. We also wen to ZOOBAR, it was a lot of fun as well, it had no cover that night and the drinks were 2 for 1. They played all kind of music, and a lot of house what we like. We went to HILO as well but we didn't like it that much because they only played Hip-Hop and nothing else, and we like trance and techno. All of these clubs are located in downtown and you just have to take the cab there its onlu $3US evrywhere.
We would go back there if the ocean was a bit nicer but overall experince was very good.
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Last updated: March 13. 2009
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