Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta

We had dinner at the Ipanema restaurant and it was delicious. Steaks and desserts were great and the staff is kind and hospitable. Thank you Valentina, Victor, Janet, Daniel and Alejandro.

Valentino was so lovely. Afragato was fantastic. Great steak. Alejandro was very attentive and offered great suggestions

We recently stayed at this Hard Rock Hotel (the oldest of the brand), and while the name carries big expectations, the experience fell short in many ways. The Highlights: • Shoutout to Jonathan and Moises at Caio — they were warm, attentive, and made dinner feel special. Caio was easily the best restaurant on-site. • The bartenders were friendly and consistently made great drinks. • Silent Music Night was the most fun we had guests were dancing and engaged, though it started late and ended way too early. • The pool was warm, and the beach was fine. nothing special, but decent for relaxing. The Lowlights: • Dining overall was inconsistent. Zen was our least favorite — undercooked and bland food, and poor service. Frida was just okay, with overcooked proteins. Even the wood-fired pizza was underdone. As for dessert, don’t expect gelato just basic ice cream with very limited flavors. • The restaurant layout is strange — The Market and Ipanema are basically one space separated by a glass door, which made for a confusing and repetitive dining setup. • Entertainment was underwhelming. There’s no actual DJ, just a tired playlist through a single speaker. The Black & White Party felt low-energy, and the Bruno Mars tribute dragged on and lost the crowd. But the entertainment staff did their best. The aerobic pool class was fun. Biggest Letdown: There’s just not much to do outside the resort. The surrounding area is very quiet — which might be great for someone wanting total relaxation, but if you’re hoping for sightseeing, shopping, or nightlife, this isn’t the right spot. And since the newer AVA is right next door, we don’t expect much difference there either. If you’re happy staying on property with a drink in hand and minimal activity, you might enjoy it here. But if you’re looking for variety, liveliness, or a bit of adventure, this resort likely won’t deliver. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t return.

Pools were incredibly cloudy with garbage floating in it. Service at restaurants was poor except Fer who was fabulous. Rooms had slight mildew smell entire week. Won’t come back.

Overrated and Disappointing Experience This hotel is highly overrated—definitely not deserving of more than 3 stars. The service is poor due to minimal staffing, and the food is subpar: scarce, unsanitary, and poorly prepared. Unfortunately, stomach illness seems almost inevitable. Pools are not well-maintained, and the aggressive Legendary salespeople make the experience even worse. If you're considering staying here, think twice.