Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa

Garza Blanca Puerto Vallarta – Our Family’s Honest Review We just returned from a week at Garza Blanca Puerto Vallarta as a family of five—my husband, our two teenage sons (14 and 15), our four-year-old, and me. We also had the unique opportunity to be the first guests to stay in our suite in the brand-new Sanctuary Tower, which made the trip feel even more special. For context, we travel quite a bit and have stayed at Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, and Westin properties over the years, so we came with high expectations. Overall, this ended up being one of our favorite family vacations. The Suite Our suite was beautiful and perfectly designed for a family. Our teenage boys had their own room with a balcony and hot tub, while the separate living room gave us a place to spend time together every evening. The primary suite was tucked away at the end of the hallway with no one above us, so it was incredibly quiet. Between the blackout curtains and excellent climate control, everyone slept wonderfully. Our four-year-old slept more than 12 hours almost every night, which may be the highest compliment I can give any hotel. The views from our balcony overlooking Banderas Bay were absolutely stunning. Service The service is what truly sets this resort apart. Our butler, Carlos Ramos contacted us about ten days before our arrival and helped coordinate reservations before we even arrived. Throughout the week he handled restaurant reservations, spa appointments, schedule changes, and every little request that came up. Traveling with children usually means someone is always managing the details. Carlos took so much of that mental load off our shoulders, allowing us to simply enjoy our vacation together. He was one of the biggest reasons this trip felt so relaxing. Pools & Beach The pools are beautiful, and the pool concierge service was fantastic. We never had to wake up early to claim chairs. Someone always helped us find seating and set us up with towels. The beach was calm with very few waves, making it great for families. The water was blue and surprisingly clear for snorkeling. One disappointment was that snorkeling equipment was limited, and paddleboards are only available to guests 16 and older, which was frustrating for our teenage boys. Spa The spa was outstanding and one of the best we’ve experienced. The hydrotherapy area overlooking the bay was incredibly peaceful. The body scrub was amazing, and the couples massage was excellent. I would absolutely book both again. Food Breakfast was consistently excellent every morning. Dinner was a little more inconsistent. Our boys loved the steaks throughout the resort, while I found many of the vegetarian options disappointing. Ironically, my favorite vegetarian meals were at Boca Steakhouse and the Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant. Blanca Blue was probably our biggest dining disappointment considering its reputation. The specialty cocktails were excellent and surprisingly strong. One thing families should know is that the Italian and Chinese restaurants are located in the adults-only section. We completely understand having adults-only spaces, but I couldn’t help thinking an Italian restaurant would have been a great family option. What kid doesn’t love spaghetti? Kids Club The Kids Club staff were wonderful. They were kind, patient, and clearly enjoyed working with children. One thing that really stood out was how accommodating everyone was with our four-year-old. Every morning he wanted an egg burrito—even though it wasn’t on the menu—and they happily made one for him. The only downside is that Kids Club opens at 10:00 a.m., while several adult activities begin around 9:00 a.m. Little Details That Matter Luxury is often about the small things. Every evening we returned from dinner to soft music playing in our room, chocolates on the bed, dimmed lights, and a printed schedule of the next day’s activities. Those thoughtful touches made the resort feel truly special. The complimentary trolley made getting around easy and, unexpectedly, created a sense of community because we kept running into the same families throughout the week. The grounds were beautifully maintained despite being in a tropical jungle setting. My Biggest Recommendation Please don’t spend your entire vacation at the resort. Downtown Puerto Vallarta is only about a 20-minute ride away, and it ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip. The city is beautiful, walkable, and filled with fantastic restaurants. Some of our favorite meals of the week were actually downtown. My biggest regret is that we didn’t spend more time exploring Puerto Vallarta. A Few Tips * Bring bug spray and something for bug bites if you’re visiting during the summer. * The Wi-Fi was excellent throughout the main resort. * The suite included plenty of reusable glass water bottles, a refrigerator, and an ice maker. * If you’re traveling with teenage athletes, know that the fitness center is located in the adults-only section, so our 14- and 15-year-olds were not permitted to use it. Final Thoughts No resort is perfect, and Garza Blanca has a few areas where it could improve. But what we’ll remember isn’t a missed meal or a minor inconvenience. We’ll remember watching the sunset from our balcony. We’ll remember our four-year-old sleeping better than he does at home. We’ll remember the incredible service from Carlos. We’ll remember the private chef dinner on our balcony overlooking Banderas Bay. Most of all, we’ll remember how easy it was to relax and simply enjoy being together as a family. Garza Blanca is a beautiful resort with exceptional service, stunning views, and thoughtful touches that make it feel like a true luxury vacation. Would we return? Without hesitation.

Garza Blanca is amazing and the preserve at Puerto Vallarta is the crown jewel. The grounds are spectacular and the service is definitely 5 star. Most all-inclusive resorts have limited food and drink options, but at Garza Blanca both are wonderful. Every time we visit, we find a new favorite dish and can never decide which restaurant is our favorite.

This is the third time we’ve been to Garza Blanca PV and it was even better than we remembered. The resort and rooms (we stayed in a two bedroom panoramic) are impeccably maintained and the service is top notch. We enjoyed the Bocados steakhouse so much we went there twice, not just because the food was amazing but also because the staff was so friendly and welcoming. Be prepared to walk or wait for a shuttle to get around, but for us that’s part of the charm: a large property with plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy. Also, we never had trouble finding chairs or shade at the pool, something unique to this resort in our experience. We will be back!

We had the most incredible experience at the rooftop pool, all thanks to the amazing pool boys serving us drinks! A huge, special thank you to Lorena, Rigoberto, and Carlos for taking such fantastic care of us. Their service was truly top-notch, attentive, and made our time at the pool absolutely unforgettable. If you visit the rooftop pool, you are in for the best experience thanks to this phenomenal team. We cannot wait to come back!

My family and I stayed here over the weekend and it was amazing! Everything about the resort was luxurious and well thought out. We had a studio connect; both had jacuzzis, which we used everyday! Each room was technologically advanced with iPads to order room service, control the room speakers, and see the resort amenities, and switches to control the lighting and curtains. The food and drinks were delicious and had good portions and quality. Staff were very welcoming and kind and always ensured we were okay. Carlos, our butler, accommodated our needs and easily made our dinner reservations. We will definitely request him for our next visit. Eddie, Joel, and Arturo made our first impression of the resort positive and led us to choose this resort as our future stay when going to Puerto Vallarta. Additionally, Joaquin & Sebastian (front desk), Isidira (house keeping), Carlos & Rigoberto (servers at sanctuary rooftop), Asael (spa receptionist), Carlos (server at Misika), Edgar (luggage assistance), Roberto (server at the beach), and many many others made our stay enjoyable and memorable. I would highly recommend your next stay here when you’re in Puerto Vallarta.