Garza Blanca Preserve Resort & Spa

Our family had an unforgettable Thanksgiving Week at Garza Blanca Puerto Vallarta. The 3-bedroom oceanfront penthouse offered breathtaking views and luxurious comfort. Managers Darinka Peña Joya and Johnattan Diaz went above and beyond to ensure every aspect of our stay exceeded expectations. Highlights included exquisite in-suite dining with a private chef and a magical dinner on the beach, both of which created lasting memories. A special thanks to Rigoberto Gutierrez, who made sure our daily beach cabana experience was flawless and consistently provided outstanding service. Rigoberto truly exemplifies hospitality and is a valuable asset to TAFER Hotels and Resorts.

Nicole, the supervisor of the check-in staff, made the check-in process absolutely dreadful. She needs to improve her skills as a receptionist. Her performance is zero out of ten. The process was incredibly horrible for our family, taking approximately three hours. If you have more than three or four children, I strongly advise against using this hotel.

Beautiful property with outstanding service, but a few policies took away from the experience. Pros: The grounds are absolutely stunning, and the rooms are impressive—spacious with gorgeous terraces. Service was excellent overall, especially from the pool staff, restaurant teams, and trolley drivers. Special shout-outs to Mike (waterfall hike—challenging but worth it!), Jose, Jorge, and Edgar at the Sanctuary rooftop pool, Salvador at the Garza pool, and Angel, our friendly trolley driver. Can’t remember the name of our server at Hiroshi, but he was outstanding and cooked our food table side. Most of the restaurants I would consider five star… World class, service, and outstanding menus. Our favorites were Hiroshi and Bocados The Spa was also fantastic and in a beautiful rooftop setting Cons; the concierge staff will greet you upon checkin but the focus is on scheduling timeshare presentations which was off-putting. The resort is also very strict about food access: no dining before 3 PM check-in, and food ends at noon on checkout day (checkout is 11 AM). Given the higher price point—and compared to nearby resorts with more flexible policies—this was also disappointing. Pool areas are limited, especially in Garza, and the beach is minimal. While there are beautiful adults-only rooftop pools, access is restricted to guests staying in those buildings. Also, the resort is very big and very hilly. There is a trolley service that runs every 15 minutes, which is not always convenient. It’s a beautiful resort to walk, but walking will be a challenge. Overall, a stunning resort with great service, but restrictive policies and limited shared amenities prevent it from being exceptional.

Bocados was the best restaurant. The people were so nice. The manager Elaine greeted us every day with open arms.

Our stay here was amazing and convenient. All the employees were extremely nice and helpful, especially our housekeeper Mariana - she went above and beyond!