Part 2 of our Journey as a travel agent in St. Louis to Secrets Vallarta, Mexico
The Room
When we were able to check in, we strolled to our beautiful room on the 8th floor. All rooms have an ocean view, and ours was fabulous. The rooms featured plenty of space, were well appointed, and the romantic decor did not disappoint. We enjoyed everything our room had to offer…great television stations in all languages (for those few times we were actually in our room), showers with both regular and rainforest heads (showers big enough for two), a jacuzzi tub for two, a separate toilet area with a door, and a beautiful sink area with two bowls and plenty of space. The secret door (a door in the side of a wall) allowing room service attendants to bring meals without interrupting us was a genius way to receive room service. We loved getting breakfast this way.
The Beach
The beach has dark brown, rather coarse sand but is still beautiful, and a far cry from the snow we left back traveling from St. Louis. The ocean has a bit of an undertow, but many folks were in the warm water anyway. There were plenty of beach chairs, and tiki huts were available. Occasionally, people do get up early for the “chair game” when early risers save chairs poolside, at the beach, and even a Bali bed. As you could expect, this makes it difficult for those late risers to find loungers poolside. It never became a huge issue; we were always able to work it out. Our group did express concern to resort management about the resort allowing the “chair game”.
The Food
When we were too lazy to leave our pool chair, lunches were always at the Barefoot Grill. Burgers, nachos, pizza, etc were all we needed. We found ourselves at Oceana a few times enjoying the ocean breeze, a cocktail, and a menu offering everything from fish entrees to fish tacos and sandwiches. (Fish tacos seemed to be everyone’s favorite). The service and quality are wonderful, but service was a tad slower than your traditional beachfront “grab and go” fare. We used it as a bit of a break from the Mexican sun.
We enjoyed fabulous meals at the Asian, Italian, and French restaurants and the food did not disappoint. Servings were smaller than some people were used to, but ordering extra was never a problem. The restaurants were located both on the Secrets property and at their family-friendly, sister property, Now Amber. Dinner service was leisurely. Some people seemed to be displeased, but we enjoyed the break between courses and found every meal to be a great experience. There are so many food choices on the property that even the pickiest of eaters should find something to their liking.
The Spa
The Pervonia spa was one of the most beautiful spas I have ever seen. Beautifully decorated, a state-of-the-art plunge pool was a relaxing way to begin my spa treatment. An attendant offering you tea or flavored waters while you visited the hot/cold therapy was a unique treat. I decided on a reflexology massage, and it was pure bliss. The massage therapist was absolutely amazing and any stresses I brought with me from St. Louis seemed to melt away. I ended my spa morning with a quick pedicure and felt like a million bucks.
Although we were in Puerta Vallarta for a vacation getaway, we couldn’t help but notice the amazing conference setup on the beach. A meeting here might not be so boring!
Preview of Part 3
Tomorrow, a view of Malecon 200 and the Grand Velas Suites and Spa in Riviera Nayarit.
