Barcelo Puerto Vallarta

We went to Barcelo PV in Mismaloya in January 2026 with friends and family. My kids 5 and 7 had a great time, the entertainment staff were wonderful and very engaging with my children. They participated in tons of kid-friendly activities, like bracelet and keychain making, face painting, pinata making and more. The large family pool was a bit deep for them but they fully enjoyed the smaller kids pool. The beach was fun, the waves were manageable for them and we spent a lot of time there beach combing for sea glass and playing in the waves and sand. The surrounding town is small, with a few souvenir shops and the tequila distilleries were a cool experience. We also went to the zoo (within walking distance from the resort) and my kids loved it, especially feeding the giraffe and monkeys.

We are currently at the hotel, here is my honest review. Buckle up, this is a long one. I’m going to preface this by saying that we have stayed in many all inclusives, anywhere from 3.5 to 5 stars, and this resort has not disappointed us in any way, shape or form. Premium - we upgraded to premium when we booked ($100 CAD each through WestJet Vacations). Rooms - Our room is huge and located on the 8th floor, we have a beautiful view and there was a small champagne bottle and treats upon arrival. The cleaning staff have been wonderful, and our mini fridge has been stocked everyday with beer, water, soda and snacks. The beer in our fridge is Tecate, Heineken and Modelo. There is a coffee machine in the room, but we tried making one pot and it didn’t turn out - you’re best off to use the coffee machines in the buffet, Cantina bar or premium lounge. Beds are comfy, balcony is spacious and the wifi is great. Beach - pretty non- existent. We usually prefer the beach over the pool when on holidays, but the “beach” area is so small and the entire bay is loaded with small boats that is makes it pretty impossible to enjoy the beach. It is what it is, so if you like a nice long beach, this isn’t the resort for you. Pools - pools are great. We spent everyday by the pools. Never had an issue finding empty loungers, some people save chairs with towels or floaties but we’ve moved things off before as you’re really not supposed to save anyway. The swim up bar is in the family pool NOT in the adults only pool. Both pools are good sized and kept clean. Food - for those who say the food is terrible, you must all be 5 star chefs at home, because we found the food everywhere to be really good. Buffet - we had the breakfast buffet everyday and managed to find something good each time. There is someone making omelettes each morning and you can pick what you want in yours. Lots of meat and carb selections? Yogurt and fruit. The only down side is that a few mornings the coffee machine didn’t work at breakfast, and the coffee from the machine is better than the coffee served by the waiter. We only ate supper once and it was sushi night, my husband liked the sushi and I had the fried rice which was great. We found the desserts at this resort to be so much better than other all inclusives we’ve been to, there are lots of variety other than just jello desserts (we loved the cupcakes, ice cream and peanut tarts). À la Carts - we tried the Spanish, Steakhouse and Italian - all were excellent and probably some of the better à la carts we’ve been to. Service was exceptional at all of them, particularly the Italian. We have yet to try the Japanese but are planning to go in the next few nights. Snack Bar - this is our lunch go-to spot. They serve a variety of really good food - taco bar, fire grilled pizzas, burgers, clubhouse sandwiches, nachos, etc. haven’t been disappointed yet! Drinks - honestly hit and miss. I had one really really good pina coloda from one of the girls serving on the pool deck, but haven’t had a good one since. The margaritas are only so so which is disappointing because I love a good margarita. Because we are premium, I’ve been getting patron and Don Julio from the premium lounge which is a very nice perk of the upgrade! The beer has been consistently good. My husband tried a mudslide and it had too much vodka taste to it. Service - everyone we’ve encountered has been so amazing. We are very impressed with everyone from front desk girls, bar tenders, serving and wait staff, entertainment and even cleaning staff. Everyone is attentive and friendly so make sure to tip them as the work really hard. Overall cleanliness - I love that every restaurant has hand sanitizer as you enter. The pool area is kept nice and tidy, cups and garbage cleared regularly. Bathrooms were always stocked and clean. Nightly Entertainment - we only made it to the Disney show (just OK) and Latin Fever (awesome!). We missed the Mexican night but heard from others that it was really good. So far, we’ve really enjoyed our stay! Because of the far location from PV and the lack of beach, we likely won’t be back. But we are grateful for our opportunity to be hosted by yet another wonderful Barcelo establishment.

Location is rather isolated, 20-30 dollar taxi ride in and back from town. That would be great at an all-Inclusive but the food sucks, we have been to dozens of all-inclusive in Mexico and elsewhere but Nevee have had food this bad, cold, Even when coming from the kitchen, Flavorless and 95% Mexican or variation. The beach is almost nonexistent maybe 20-30 foot walk de except at high tide then 5-8 feet. We were totally underwhelmed! Ifs it’s about the money safe up some for a decent place. The rooms were large and clean I can say.

Cedar in the premium lounge was our favorite! We let him choose our drinks and he was always spot on. Highly recommended!

Barcello has everything you need to have a great and memorable vacation! Whether you are with family or friends…it’s a great time with plenty to do! VIP lounge with Cesar was an incredible time! Cool, quiet, and impeccable cocktails! Cesar knows how to make anything you can imagine. With his famous motto of….. if you’re happy, I’m happy!! Thank you Barcello and Cesar!!