Villa La Estancia - Riviera Nayarit

We just got back from a week long vacation at Villa La Estancia with 10 people (two families of four and the grandparents). We had a great time and really enjoyed the resort. We had the all inclusive package which gave us access to the Villa Del Palmar Flamingos resort next door as well. The staff in the lobby, at the pool, at all the restaurants, and everywhere in between were all really great. They remembered us each day and were so warm and welcoming. At the pool, Jesus and the whole team took great care of us making sure we had enough chairs and towels. Daniel and others brought us all the food and drinks we needed all day long! They were all great! At El Patron, the Mexican restaurant at the Flamingos resort next door, Elias, Enrique, and their team were really fun. We ate there the first and last nights and they remembered us after nearly a week and took great care of us both times with some awesome drink and food recommendations. The staff and food at the Italian restaurant, La Trattoria, was also great. My family really loved this restaurant and kept wanting to go back. Victor, the host/manager was great at getting us a table big enough for all 10 of us. We ate breakfast at both the main La Estancia hotel restaurant, La Casona, and at El Patron over at the Flamingos resort. Both had pretty similar options and were good. The wait staff at La Casona for breakfast was always really nice. Especially Esmeralda and Rosa (I hope that’s her name). Yadira makes great omelets and french toast as well. Other honorable mentions: -Polo at the pool side bar at Flamingos makes great drinks -The Japanese restaurant, Yashinoki, was also really good! You’ve gotta try their rock shrimp and all the sushi was great! -Eduardo, our waiter at La Casona, the steakhouse for dinner, surprised us with his booming voice singing along with both a live pianist and recorded music including Sinatra and other classic standards. As for the resort itself, everything was clean and well kept, while being a bit on the dated side overall. The pools were all really nice and warm. The beach has great soft sand, was clean, and was quite swimmable except for a couple “red-flag” days due to strong waves or currents. The waves were pretty big but manageable for my family and it was very shallow even out pretty far. Despite the hotel telling us they were 100% booked for at least the first few days we were there, it never felt particularly crowded and we had no problem getting chairs at the pool or a table for dinner. The location is about 40 mins up the coast from Puerto Vallarta city. It’s fairly easy to get there with an uber or a taxi. We actually took the city bus from right outside the resort. It was completely safe and had no issues, but it was very crowded and we had to stand for awhile. It did take about 1:20 so leave enough time. We also hired a private driver for a day, at the concierge’s recommendation for a trip up to San Francisco (San Pancho) and Sayulita. He also took us to a great small tequila distillery and for a chocolate making tour. It was very affordable. Bucerias, is the closest city and is about 25-45 mins away depending on which path you take if you walk (beach or walking path). It’s about a 10-15 min uber/taxi ride away. Overall, I’d highly recommend this resort and the whole Vallarta area. It was our first time and we really enjoyed it. It feels much different than an area like Cancun with more culture and local villages that all feel safe. We all had a great time and will likely be back!

Villa La Estancia is a great resort. The facilities and staff are exceptional. The room and our view were just what we needed. A young lady named Vianey Camacho took care of our room everyday, she was the best and we hope we get her on our next stay!

Hugo, Irish, Eduando gave us an amazing tequila tasting experience. The entertainment staff are truly awesome in helping us make drinks and delicious foods. Members get invited to a galla event in November What can i say but that we love it here!

This was our first visit to this location. We have stayed at Villa La Estancia in Cabo San Lucas and we love it there. This location did not disappoint. The entire staff makes you feel welcome and comfortable, they go out of their way to make sure you are having the best experience.

This was our 3rd stay at La Estancia and once again we enjoyed our stay immensely. We did do the all inclusive and enjoyed awesome food and cocktails. All of the restaurants have terrific options, even room service food was excellent! Every morning we would enjoy the breakfast buffet and were taken care of by the entire staff and I hope we haven’t missed anyone… Lorena, Esmeralda, Carolina, Angel, Fabian, Daniela and Rufino treated us like family and remembered us from 2 years ago. Watching them serve, they all were so friendly and helpful to anyone who stepped foot into the restaurant. The poolside restaurant/bar served the best lunch and the service was excellent there as well. Ricardo, Josue, Lucio, Santana to name a few and I know I’m missing quite a number of who always made sure we were fed and not thirsty. Daniel was always visible and moving making sure all guests had towels, umbrellas or tables. We appreciated everyone’s service and definitely will return. Thanks for another amazing vacation.