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 Travel & Outdoors | September 2005 
Marival All Inclusive Resort
 Ray Hanania - swnewsherald.com
| | The Marival offers three large pools and a section for the kids that includes a water slide, a water tube slide and a small water frog slide. |
There is nothing like an “all inclusive,” especially if you drink and are on a diet. That pretty much excludes me. I’m always on a diet and rarely drink anything, except maybe red wine.
Yet, the “All Inclusive” atmosphere of the Hotel Marival Grand Club & Suites Resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was not only filling, it was fun. It’s most rewarding on your pocketbook.
Let’s face it, the worst part of a vacation is the aftermath when the credit card bills start hitting. You’ll be feeling the pain of that goofy wood carving souvenir you bought on your credit card 4 to 8 weeks later. It adds up quickly.
The Marival is located on a bay surrounded by mountains overlooking miles of beautiful Pacific coastal beaches. The sand is light brown, not white, but very clean. And, the waters are the warmest I have experienced anywhere. And I have been everywhere in the Caribbean, Gulf Coast, and the French Riviera.
This was our first trip to the Pacific coast for a vacation.
They called August and September the rainy season, which accounts for the discounted fares. But the term rainy season means that it rains a lot, at night. The hot sun pushes the clouds away from the coast during the day, and they gather around 7 PM, maybe raining.
The waters can be rough, though, with large waves that are beautiful to watch will sipping on a tropical fruit drink. Kiwi, pineapple, mango and more.
The key to a good vacation, in my opinion, is the beach. If the beach is good everything else can be okay. But the Marival offers three large pools and a section for the kids that includes a water slide, a water tube slide and a small water frog slide. The water depth is only about two feet and is monitored by hotel life guards.
Two other pools nearby offer a variety of experiences. One for the whole family, and one for adults only so you won’t be tripping over the rugrats.
The hotel rooms were excellent. Why does anyone offer a double bed in a hotel for a couple? We asked for and got a king size bed and a smaller pullout bed for the toddler. The rooms are clean and ours had a balcony facing the pacific ocean directly. There are garden views to save money and all have at least a slice look at the ocean.
There were three open grills and four fancy restaurants. What that means is you can go to the grills and buffets and eat as much as you like and as often as you like when they are open, or make a reservation to eat with traditional restaurant service at one of four specialty restaurants offering Italian, Mexican and more. There, you eat what you order. It’s relaxing. But the hustle and bustle of the buffet is where the best foods are without a doubt.
Even before you eat, they have a hot coffee bar where you can grab a few coffees and bring them to the room. I even got milk from the grills before they opened for the toddler.
All I can say is the food was great. So much for the diet.
We didn’t have to leave the resort at all the entire time we were there, guaranteeing we wouldn’t spend any excess cash we would regret later. The resort had everything. Entertainment at night for the kids and the adults. There’s a disco for the younger set.
They have a business center where you can either pay to use the Internet or bring your laptop and connect for free to their wireless system. They haven’t figured out that offering wireless service to guests in their rooms can be a major source of income for them, and less of an inconvenience for us.
But the beach is where it is at.
Every morning, sitting out there and just watching the pelicans fly with the tips of their wings racing across the tops of the waves as they folded onto the beach.
There were plenty of canopies, about 100 thatched roofed umbrellas, three in a row across the beach giving you ample places to relax. There was plenty of sun. Of course, being Middle Eastern, I sun tan even when I am in the shade – from the sun’s reflection. My wife, who has “Irish” skin, had to carefully pile on the 45 to 65 Sun Tan lotion.
Beachfront retailers walk the beaches under the careful eye of the hotel’s security force that monitors the beach. Beaches in Mexico are Federal property and are open to all citizens of Mexico regardless of the beach’s location. People hawking trinkets and wraps and sunglasses and traditional Mexican clothes and even funny t-shirts will be walking by all the time.
Chances are, you may buy something.
But there was no end to the beach. You could walk forever. The place is building up and there is construction everywhere.
They pick you up in an air conditioned bus at the airport and take you back. The Mexican airports are a little confusing even for the Mexicans. And they are always on the hustle to make money.
One trip, the customs agent told me my daughter’s visa card had not been filled out properly and he kept saying “This is a big problem.” Over and over again. I asked if $100 would fix the “big problem,” and he smiled and had us on our way as our flight prepared to take off. They’ll push you to the extreme and there is nothing you can do about it.
Check out the Marival at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. One of the best places to look online is at Travel Adviser dot com. They usually offer pictures of the resorts provided, supposedly, by the guests. But those pictures give you a great indication of what you are paying for before you go.
Have fun.
Hotel Marival Grand Club & Suites is the largest all-Inclusive resort in Vallarta, with eleven Mediterranean villas and two five-story towers. This extensive beachfront property offers a total of 504 air-conditioned units, with either garden, pool or ocean views.
Resort features include unlimited domestic drinks, four restaurants, seven bars, nightly entertainment, the Cesar`s Club Disco (no cover charge), three pools, two swim-up bars, four lighted tennis courts with a tennis clinic, and daily activities. This resort is located beachfront in Nuevo Vallarta, 15 min away from the International Airport and 20 min from downtown Puerto Vallarta. This oceanfront resort is located directly on one of the area`s largest beaches. |
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