Villa La Estancia Beach Resort & Spa Riviera Nayarit

not everything that glitters is gold .... Plus: direct access to beach supervised and FREE children indoor play area Minus: beach and pool are too small for hotel size (fortunately it was half empty) very limited dining: essentially one complex together with neighboring Flamingo hotel - but even with 6 restaurants between the 2 hotels it's very hard to find a space (lot of unused reservations.....); you need a taxi to get to anything outside the complex; would probably starve when hotels are full everyone and their grandmother reserve pool/beach chairs early in the morning but don't use it all day long

Beautiful grounds and pool area. Pool staff and dining great. Advertise as 4 restaurants, not so. Flamingo next door has 3 plus buffet some nights. Food is good there. No direction on how to get to Flamingo. In fact not mentioned at all. Room 3306B very musty smelling. Hotel needs more chairs, chair pads, and updated towels.

Great Hotel with excellent dining options. The beach was fantastic. A little far from the Romantic Zone but overall if you want a great room and good food this hotel ticks all the boxes

We really enjoyed this resort! With the all inclusive plan, you get access to the restaurants and facilities of the neighbouring resort as well. So many options for food and with the time we visited (September) there was no waits at all. The pool and ocean area were so clean. Staff are always helpful. One thing you should know however for their free spa service (with all inclusive) it is only one service for one person per room. But really we would recommend this resort nonetheless.

beautiful property, very friendly staff, clean, quiet. You do have to go next door to Flamingos for more eating options and for entertainment. La Estancia only has 2 restaurants and no entertainment. Food at both places was not great. The elevator at our building broke on day 3 and was never fixed. If you were on the upper floors it was a long walk to the alternate service elevator which was always busy with staff. Beware, it's also a time share!

Everyone was very friendly and helpful. Staying at this resourt you have access to the resourt next door so lots of eating options. The spa was beautiful, the swim up bar was perfect. This is a timeshare so you have to go to a 2 hr breakfast meeting to get the extras promised by expedia.

Excellent food, service at restaurants. Everything close- room, restaurants, pool, beach, reception, spa, gym. Room with nice view.

Beautiful, clean and relaxing resort, excellent service and very safe. I loved the spa! Our only complaint was not enough beach and pool chairs.

Overall a great stay. Beautiful pool area. Very nice gym which was always empty. Nice breakfast buffet. Also the access to the resort next door was great as they had more restaurants. Only complaint would be the service at the pool. We are not owners there and it did seem like owners got preferential service--faster drinks, help finding chairs. Also all chairs are saved with towels by 9am which is inconvenient.

Me encanto el hotel en mi, su alberca, su spa y su gimnasio

Encontramos cucharachas chiquitas en el bufette de en la mañana, me tocó remodelación en la habitación al lado de nuestro cuarto y nadie se ofreció a cambiarnos con todo y el ruido que hacían en las mañanas, están cortos en personal de meseros y tardaban mucho aunque con la mejor actitud eran siempre amables.

My family of 4 stayed here 3/31-4/1 and 4/8-4/9. Our experience on 3/31 was not good (terrible beds, run-down room, mediocre food) and we tried to cancel our booking for 4/8-4/9. We were only going to get a 30% refund, so we decided to drop by the hotel (we had a week booked elsewhere nearby) to see if we could get a full refund or a better room. They offered us a better room and that was fine for us. When we arrived on 4/8 to check in, we were early so we had lunch and hung around until our room was ready. No biggie. When our room was ready, we got our keys and luggage and headed to our upgraded room. It was a beautiful room with a single king bed. For a family of 4. No sofa bed or anything. Went back to the front desk and the man at reception was surprised there was only was bed. They put us in a different room with 2 queen beds. It was just fine for us space-wise. Unfortunately the room was located right above the restaurant so we had food exhaust smells late into the night and super early in the morning. Plus, the a/c vent was filthy and the shower head was moldy. I mean, I know we weren’t staying long and we weren’t all-inclusive, but for a 4 star hotel, I really expect better. When we checked out, the same man at reception didn’t really seem to care that we had 2 not-so-great experiences. Sorry, Villa la Estancia we will not be back, not will we recommend it to anyone we know. There are plenty of places to stay in Nuevo Vallarta—la Estancia should not be on your list.

Beach was filthy with trash, none of our keys to the room worked and had to be changed several times, chemical smell coming out AC had to switch rooms, food was not great and service was slow. I will say the staff at the pool were phenomenal and made sure we were taken care of every single day with chairs and towels- also beds pretty comfortable. It seems as if the condo owners here run the show- no music at all, no fun allowed. Thank God we were allowed to go over to flamingos next door- way better vibe/food/ music playing. When we come to Mexico we don’t want to be in a retirement facility- we want that wild in the wind, yummy authentic food, cultured feel. This is not that.

We travel to Puerto Vallarta often and Villa La Estancia was exceptional! The property was beautifully maintained, the staff was friendly and the food was excellent.

Clean and quiet. Staff is excellent.

Like always the staff are amazing from the pool concierge to front desk to restaurant everyone goes above and beyond to make your stay the best experience. The grounds are beautiful and the location cannot be beat

We had a great time at this resort. It’s probably the best resort we’ve stayed at in Puerto Vallarta. I have nothing but good things to say from the very nice room, to the updated facilities, to the beautiful landscaping, to the great food, and the wonderful service, all around it was a great experience. We’ll definitely come back.

Clean room, wonderful staff, quite and beautiful!

Terrible service and poorly maintained property. I upgraded to a suite the cleanliness was terrible. Had to literally yell to get the cleaners come and clean the room after waiting for over 24 hours

The property was very well-maintained, with lovely staff, amazing food, and beach chairs were always available. I liked that we were able to take part in the festivities next door, at Flamingoes which was much livelier and offered more activities/dining options. We liked the quietness of La Estancia though. Most of the guests were older or part of small families. Knocked off a few points because the whole property lost wifi reception for a day which meant we couldn't access the internet for work. Housekeeping also came by late (around 3-4pm) when we were already back in our room getting ready for dinner. Dinner at the steakhouse took almost 3 hours, and although the dress code was strongly suggested to us, it was obvious it was not enforced. The neighboring town, Bucerias, is only a 20-30 minute walk away, accessible by walking north along the beach or through a walking trail in front of the resort. Overall we enjoyed our stay, it was nice to relax and bask in the sun without leaving the resort knowing we had great food options at our fingertips.

We stayed recently at La Estancia for 7 days , this was first time all inclusive and first time in Mexico so I really have nothing to compare against . What can I say is that resort itself is really nice looking with great architecture , no cost where spared at the time when it was build , but it being 10 years old there are some areas in our unit and around the complex that starting to show some wear and need to be addressed rather soon. Also I don’t understand how in 2024 WIFi can be so poorly designed , we had to put one network in our devices for the room and one for pool area , wifi was non existent in elevators or on the edges near the beach .Also sister resort shares all amenities with La Estancia , but there is no wifi there unless you go ask for guest password in the lobby . Restaurants are really nice , but to us it got boring after day 5 as all food started to taste very much the same . Another thing to consider is that there aren’t many things to do at the resort itself , besides swimming and walking around the beach . We took Uber couple of times to Zona romantica and walked there with lots of cool places to explore . All staff was really nice to us and service quality was top notch . As I said earlier this is first all inclusive experience so I can’t really compare to anything, my wife and child did enjoy it and next time I want to try other resorts just so we can see the difference . Overall it is solid 4 out of 5 for us

Room had 2 A/Cs, both had issues. 1 had a noisy bearing and the other did not work on low speed.

The resort was beautiful, and the staff were great. It was very clean and our suite was huge! They upgraded me to an ocean-view and our balcony was very big with two entrances into our suite.

All was good except our room which was large and nice, the master sliding door glass was highly fogged over. Could not see out. Staff though is great.

Really loved the beach view and access. Have stayed at other hotels in the area and are great but don’t have beach access front and center like Villa La Estancia. Also loved the size of the rooms and balcony. Great place to stay with family and or friends. The split room stay with one king size bed in one room and sofa bed and then adjacent room with two full size beds works great for families with teenage kids and the best part is that the two rooms are gated so it feels safer to have your kids in adjacent room but not straight access to outside without key access.

Beautiful grounds and pool area. Pool staff and dining great. Advertise as 4 restaurants, not so. Flamingo next door has 3 plus buffet some nights. Food is good there. No direction on how to get to Flamingo. In fact not mentioned at all. Room 3306B very musty smelling. Hotel needs more chairs, chair pads, and updated towels.

Why would you have smart tv that is not connected to the internet? Its not smart then. Also staff should know how to work apple tv. Dont rent out 2202B as it us right over la Casona. We we awoken every morning at 600 as they started moving stuff around. And the piano music was heard all the time it was open. What's with the super high bathtubs. We are not yet very limited in mobility but it was difficult to get in/out to shower. The staff were great. A little too much catering to owners.

I stayed for 5 nights and 3 nights AC was broken. I had a medical procedure and choose to stay at a 4 star resort for my recovery, unfortunately NO AC during a heat wave was a DISASTER and they wouldn't change my room or fix the AC.

This was a great hotel in which my family enjoyed our stay. The only thing i was not okay with is the shared balcony’s. This was not a problem during our stay but we had good guests next to us.

Room size suite was very nice and large

The property is very nice and well kept; it was our second time staying. Check in was ok but they really push the "presentation" so they can try to pressure you into the time share pitch which we do not like at all. They don't take no well and it almost gets to the point of them arguing with you. We've done it before, aren't interested, etc. They always say 75 minutes but at every resort we've been to it's 3-4 hours (including here - we did it our last trip). They get you by offering free or low price spa, jet skis, etc. The discounts are good but the speels are high pressure. Loved our room and the view. It was a nice time to go because the resort was probably at most half full. Service at the pool along with pool food and drinks are great. Steakhouse was not good at all. We ate there twice and nobody in our party of 6 liked their meals either time. It makes it worse that it takes 2.5-3 hours as service is terribly slow. Last time we stayed (4-6 years ago) it was delicious & didn't take forever. Room service food was good but took up to 2 hours to get it, Japanese restaurant next door was good too. We didn't care for any of the other places so we were limited on options daily and after a week it can get old. We enjoyed the pool and beach and may be back some day.

Best service we have ever had at a resort. Great food too!

It was perfect! It was our first time doing all-inclusive and using Expedia. The resort was amazing and I would highly recommend it. The resort had attentive customer service and all the staff was friendly and helpful.

ARE EXPECTING A RELAXING AND PEACEFUL VACATION? A few weeks back we used Expedia to book a flight+Hotel package to La Estansia hotel in Puerto Vallerta, Mexico for our anniversary. Expedia website clearly mentioned SERVICE ANIMALS WELCOME ( I have screenshots); we booked it all and travelled to the hotel only to be told by the hotel that “Expedia had made a mistake” and they do NOT allow any pets NOR service animals; We were devastated , at 8pm at night , tired and hungry , contacted Expedia and the only choice they gave us was the inferior sister hotel next door that was NOT up to standard. It had very poor-quality Food (flies on food and off shrimps), dirty shower room, lobby with no A/C and 100F, one staff entered our room late evening without knocking just to get a plate from our kitchen; the hotel even charged us cleaning fee for my little Service animal. As a result of all this unplanned distress for ending up in a NOT-up-to-standard hotel because of Expedia’s huge mistake that completely ruined our anniversary celebrations, my wife was in a really bad state of panic attack and could not sleep all night; we wanted to travel back next day but she was not well at all to be able to travel. Expedia offered us some cashback that was never a replacement for the lost time and stress and anxiety and emotional distress that we felt during that week.

Property and staff were wonderful. The only downfall was them pushing you to do what they call welcome orientation and tour! It is a sales gimmick to get you to do a timeshare! Very uncomfortable saying no and walking away

Like always the staff are amazing from the pool concierge to front desk to restaurant everyone goes above and beyond to make your stay the best experience. The grounds are beautiful and the location cannot be beat

As frequent travelers who often rely on the consistency and elevated service promised by Expedia’s VIP Access properties, our stay at Villa La Estancia in Puerto Vallarta was a disappointment from the outset. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Emily at the front desk—whose demeanor felt more dismissive than welcoming. Rather than setting the tone for a luxury stay, her attitude came off as sarcastic and indifferent, especially when we kindly reminded her of our Expedia VIP status. Instead of honoring the complimentary upgrade benefit—as is customary with VIP properties—she offered it only for an additional fee. The perk was not just disregarded, it was flatly brushed off without a hint of hospitality. The resort itself appeared far from fully booked, yet no effort was made to extend even a small courtesy. It felt less like a guest experience and more like a transaction. Sadly, the service culture throughout the property echoed the same energy—technically polite but completely uninspired. Dining is limited to two restaurants, both with sluggish service and menus that lack creativity. For a resort that touts an AAA Diamond rating, the food and hospitality fall short of even basic boutique standards. We attempted to escalate the matter by reaching out to General Manager Miguel Velasco, but his contact information isn’t easily accessible. Our email to mvelasco@villagroup.com went unanswered, which unfortunately reflects the broader lack of attentiveness we experienced throughou

This was one of the most disappointing stays. We travel to the area at least twice a year. The front desk was unhelpful and charged us twice for an extra guest. The hotel itself is expansive. Everything is far away from hotel rooms and there is no clear signage. The set up is very choppy and the pools are small and separate from each other. Only one swim up bar at a small pool and always packed. Most areas don’t have a view of the ocean. Expect to wait in long lines for the main breakfast restaurant. Same goes for dinner. Do not recommend. Will not return.

This property is meticulously taken care of but lacks service competency. Jaime our concierge was very helpful but outside of him service was lacking. Not sure this property should be listed as VIP access as we didn’t recieve any of the perks. When checking in we were told it was very slow on property(which we prefer). We were never offered an upgrade. When I asked about it they said we don’t do complementary upgrades except for a certain price.. We mentioned being platinum members but it didn't matter. Alot of us book VIP access not because of the perks but because of the quality we normally have. This property is beautiful, food is ok but honestly not worth it. Probably better off next door at Flamingo since they seem to be much more of a "resort". One last thing...Upon check out we were charged gratuities on top of everything(We tipped heavily along the way). This was a little decietful but since our stay was short it wasn't a big deal. This could be an issue for some since it doesn’t mention it anywhere until you check out!

From the moment we arrived at Villa La Estancia, we were enveloped in an atmosphere of warmth, professionalism, and genuine hospitality. The property itself is stunning—immaculate grounds, luxurious suites, and breathtaking views—but what truly sets this resort apart is its incredible staff. Every single team member we encountered went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and cared for. The pool staff : Nico , Raul, Ruddy, the servers Josue, Ernesto, and Jesus and Daniel with the towels. And Carlos for making that great beach BBQ. From the front desk to bell Service : Oswaldo and Bryan, and housekeeping, and the spa attendants , the attention to detail and personalized service were beyond exceptional. The restaurant staff deserve special praise as well. La Casona ! Fabian, Angel, Eduardo, Ada, Daniella, Carolina, Rogelio and Benjamin and Ricardo. Each meal was served with a smile, and the team remembered our preferences after just one day—a level of attentiveness you usually only find at the very best five-star resorts. Housekeeping was equally impeccable—quietly efficient and thoughtful. It’s clear that the team at Villa La Estancia is not only well-trained but also takes real pride in creating memorable guest experiences. If you’re looking for a luxury stay where genuine hospitality is the standard, Villa La Estancia should be at the very top of your list. The staff alone make it worth the visit—and they’re the reason we’ll absolutely be coming back.

Great choice if you want to be away from crowded resorts. Use the food restaurants on the sister property. There are not many options for food in the area so choose this only if you plan to stay in the resort

The Villa La Estancia brand continues to give Dawn & I a consistent, excellent vacation experience! We vacationed at the Estancia in Cabo a couple years back and this sister resort gave us the exact same VIP treatment and experience that will keep us coming back to this brand. The friendly "happy" staff all have tremendous hearts to serve each and every day. The resort is very clean, well-manicured and made us feel very safe. Be sure to get your "cambio" money changed since they don't offer that here but they do in the resort next door. The free coffee service in the lobby was a big plus. We feel the richness in the lush landscape, all the marble and high-quality fixtures and all the happy people there serving and helping you... all made for a wonderful vacation. Highly-recommend!

This property is very big and the pool area is very nice and you can over see the beach. We like that it was nice and quiet not a lot of ppl. Overall very nice well maintain property. Very secure and well staffed.

Great Hotel with excellent dining options. The beach was fantastic. A little far from the Romantic Zone but overall if you want a great room and good food this hotel ticks all the boxes

Great location. Worth the all inclusive pkg!

Great resort-quiet-clean-beautiful pool and beach

Like always the staff are amazing from the pool concierge to front desk to restaurant everyone goes above and beyond to make your stay the best experience. The grounds are beautiful and the location cannot be beat

Excellent property, quite, safe. All staff very professional, special call out to Hugo the bellhop, helped with excellent service and kindness in arranging transportation needs and suggested off property dining options. Disappointed that the property advertised 4 restaurants, but only 2 were on property and 2 were next door at a sister property.

Really lovely, very clean, helpful staff. Loved the beach access.

The property was very well-maintained, with lovely staff, amazing food, and beach chairs were always available. I liked that we were able to take part in the festivities next door, at Flamingoes which was much livelier and offered more activities/dining options. We liked the quietness of La Estancia though. Most of the guests were older or part of small families. Knocked off a few points because the whole property lost wifi reception for a day which meant we couldn't access the internet for work. Housekeeping also came by late (around 3-4pm) when we were already back in our room getting ready for dinner. Dinner at the steakhouse took almost 3 hours, and although the dress code was strongly suggested to us, it was obvious it was not enforced. The neighboring town, Bucerias, is only a 20-30 minute walk away, accessible by walking north along the beach or through a walking trail in front of the resort. Overall we enjoyed our stay, it was nice to relax and bask in the sun without leaving the resort knowing we had great food options at our fingertips.

This was by far the cleanest property we have stayed at. EVERYTHING was spotless. The people were all very friendly and happy to help. The dining options are a bit misleading as there is really only one restaurant and a pool side bar/restaurant. The others are in the sister property next door. The good news is the food at the restaurant was 5 star. Amazing dinners. We ate there 7 nights and every night was very good.

First important comment, this Hotel has a buffet during BREAKFAST ONLY. If you have kids this is a BIG hurdle. Wait times to actually eat at the "sit down" restaurants are sometimes 40 mins. Its a sit down and be served type of hotel. I dont like this model as ive been to all-inclusives before and they always have all day buffets, making it easy to get a quick bite, especially if you want to maximize your time on vacation and be at pools or beach. You have to sign for every meal just like a regular restaurant and tips are expected. There isnt any onsite entertainment like singers or dancers either. The crowd was also older, it was the vibe there. This hotel also is a partial CONDO owner building so they dont like too much noise. Overall, i wont stay here again. However, i will say all of the staff are nice and welcoming and it was a nice relaxing place to stay if thats what you are looking for. January is a bit cloudy but still nice and humid in mid 70's. We had a great time and made the most of it. We appreciate all the wonderful staff and the experience. They had floaties and 24/7 room service included in the package. 😀

The all inclusive option was unique in the fact that everything was off a menu except the breakfast Buffett. The food was very good, never got bored of the same old stuff and lots of Mexican food options and higher quality cuts of meats were included!! Beach service was amazing, Santana was impeccable with keeping us in food and drinks all day at the beach! Also at the Italian restaurant went above and beyond to get us churros on our last night and Jesus was hustling every morning getting us towels and chairs set up and checking in make sure all was well. Esmeralda in the breakfast Buffett was so attentive and kind. Fabian got my boys to go cups for their Shirley Temples. Overall a very great experience.

Rooms are great , food and dining restaurants 👎👎👎

Excellent service and the food was delicious and restaurant quality at every meal. Breakfast buffet was great variety and room service was timely and excellent quality. Highly recommend and will definitely return. Every location we were at (group of 16) we received quality service.

Food selection was limited and only a few restaurants, and hard to make a reservation

Excellent all-inclusive. The quality of food and alcohol was the best I’ve had at an all-inclusive and I’ve been to many. The staff goes above and beyond, so friendly and warm. The property is immaculate and clean. The crowd is definitely an older crowd, quiet and relaxing vibes which I loved. Always enough chairs and umbrellas by the beach and the pool (at least in January-Feb when I was there. Would definitely come again!!

Outstanding service. Restaurants experience (dinner) disappointing (3rd time here) with the exception of poolside restaurant and breakfast. 3hr wait at table for food in steak house.

Best service we have ever had at a resort. Great food too!

Service staff was superb! HATED that we had to sign a ticket after every meal, drinks, etc even as all inclusive guest. Took extra time for servers and guests. Seemed so unnecessary!