Rating:
"My husband and I stayed at the Allegro Nuevo Vallarta the first week in March, 2010. The hotel was at about 60% capacity, mostly families with younger children, a nice mix of Mexican, Americans, and Canadians.

The hotel and the rooms are clean but in need of a good refurbish. The staff are warm and the service was very good, as has been our experience at most hotels in Mexico.

There is only the one main buffet restaurant and the food was average for an AI, there was a good selection. No complaints. There is also two a la cartes, one Mexican and one Italian, the latter was by far the best. There is a lobby bar (by the theatre), a gift shop, and a beach bar. Drinks were in small plastic glasses, bring an insulated mug if you like, they don't mind filling them.

The beach is the best thing about this resort; it's much nicer than the beaches in Puerto Vallarta, with a wide stretch of golden fine sand and great long rolling waves, perfect for boogie boarding. The hotel has a surprisingly decent selection of boogie boards as well, so we spent a lot of time boarding. The pool was also nice, a good size and heated, which is rare in Mexico. There is the usual noisy animation team keeping everyone active around the pool, which can be a negative or a postive. There was always lots of loungers and palapas available at the beach but harder to find good spots around the pool unless you come down at 9 or earlier.

The location was great for Nuevo, just down the street there is a nice mall with a big grocery market, assorted shops and a Starbucks to get your coffe fix. Five minutes in the opposite direction was a really good sports bar, the No Name Bar and Grill. We hired a cab driver one day just out in front of the hotel to tour us aorund to towns north of NV, which was great- Bucerias, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Punta de Mita and Sayulita.
Overall, the Allegro is a good mid-range hotel, it's very good value for your money.

I would give it 3.5 out of five stars.
"
Reviewer: reviewer5673
Date: Jun. 22, 2010

Rating:
"My husband and I booked a very last minute trip (2.5 days prior) from Vancouver for a one week all-inclusive to Mexico (Riviera Nayarit/Nuevo Vallarta). We chose this area mainly for the price, as we wanted a quick, inexpensive getaway before Christmas. We got an amazing price, and were fully aware that we were booking into a 3 star hotel, so our expectations were reasonably low (we weren't expecting 5 star surroundings or 5 star service, based on the price and description from the websites).

We had a wonderful, relaxing trip and were pleasantly surprised by the amenities and the service. It certainly exceeded our expectations. Firstly, the beach was incredible. Since it is an older hotel, the beach is well-established, and quite large. There were always lounge chairs available, and plenty of the nice grass "umbrella/tables" -- far more than any other hotels in that area. While the hotel itself is a bit older (I think it's close to 20 years old?) the grounds are clean and very well kept. The beach and surrounding areas was well-maintained. The tennis court/basketball court/garden area was well-landscaped and clean. While the pool was a bit older, it was fine. We spent more time on the beach, where it was quieter (there were quite a few families at the pool, and we enjoy the quiet of the beach more than the pool -- however, the pool is well-equipped for children if you are travelling with some -- there is a kiddie pool as well as a larger one).

The hotel itself is older, but our room was clean and we even ended up with a small patio and a bit of an ocean view, even though we paid for only a basic room. The shower was a bit old, but again, what we expected for the rating/price. Air conditioning was good. TV a bit old, but who should be watching much TV there anyway? The maid service/bell service was great. Check-in took about 15-20 minutes, which isn't really too bad since we took the courtesy bus that was part of our package, and arrived with a group of about 10-12 others. If you don't want to wait, you could always get a cab (about $10-$12 USD) from the airport. We did this on the way back, but there was nothing wrong with the air-conditioned bus.

We found the buffet to be good. Each meal had some Mexican options, as well as some "western" options. Breakfast includes an omelet bar, fresh fruits/cereals, breads etc. Lunches varied. Dinners were good, with a bit of a theme change every few days (for example, Italian one night, and a great outdoor barbecue another night, with, of course excellent Mexican choices at all dinners as well). The al a carte restaurants were great. We just had to remember to book by noon the day of the reservation and we had no problems. Bar service was also excellent. We mainly frequented the bar on the beach, where the bartenders were exceptionally friendly and gave amazing service. The drinks were very good, and they made just about anything we asked for (even caesars, which I have often found difficult to get when travelling outside of Canada). Overall, the service everywhere (from the bars to the restaurants, to the towel station, to the front desk) was friendly and prompt.

The entertainment at this hotel was outstanding. I have stayed at other (better rated, 4-5 star) all-inclusives in Mexico where the shows were the same every night, however, the Allegro has GREAT shows! There is a different theme every night, and the performers are very talented singers/dancers/actors from mainly all over Mexico (and one from California). This "crew" also does daytime activities at the pool which looked like lots of fun (we didn't participate much, as we were too busy relaxing, but if you are into some afternoon pool fun it looked like a blast, it was also great for anyone with kids.

Expect to be bombarded with people trying to sell you tours. Mexico has become worse for this from the last time I visited. Just be firm. Give a nice "no, gracias" to most of the people trying to sell you things, and you shouldn't have a problem. But, do expect this . . . they were even waiting in the hotel at the time of check-in . . . once you check in, you will be directed to a tour consultant who will try to sell you tours. If you want information, they are very helpful, but, if you've been to PV before, you probably know that you can buy the tours wherever/whenever you want, so just tell them you'll come see them if you're interested, and they'll leave you alone. They are in the lobby daily if you do want to get info or book a trip.

Overall, we were impressed with the Allegro. It far exceeded our expectations for the value. We would stay there again, based on our experience this trip. However, if you are looking for a 5 star, brand-new hotel, this is not for you. We have stayed in 5 stars and gotten what we've paid for. Here, we got an AMAZING deal, and far more "bang for our buck" than expected. We heard a few people complaining about the age of the hotel, or the food choices . . . if you're picky, you may have similar issues . . . so pay double and stay at a neigbouring hotel.

Also, the area surrounding the hotel is very safe. Since Nuevo Vallarta is basically gated/guarded, it is very much a tourist district. If you are looking for shopping without bargaining, go to the mall across the street from the Allegro (you pay more, but you don't get hassled). If you want to bargain, Bucerias is only about a 10-15 minute cab ride south of Nuevo (about$12USD), and it has a lovely market which is a lot slower-paced than PV. Of course, you can always head into PV on a bus or in a cab. We took a bus to PV for about a dollar, and it was a nice, air conditioned bus that came out of the tourist district -- you'll find them across the road a the mall & they come frequently. Have fun!"
Reviewer: lisa&joe
Date: Jan. 11, 2010

Rating:
"The hotel was clean and the food was pretty good. When booking the a la carte restaurants, you book the day before, not the day of (would have been handy to have known that). Also, the time share people were relentless. They waited outside the elevators and accosted you every day--it got pretty tiresome....

The beach was fabulous but there weren't really enough chairs to go around. If you don't get there early, you won't get one. Overall it was a solid place to stay. No complaints but nothing outstanding."
Reviewer: CB
Date: Jan. 10, 2010

Rating:
"Granola at buffet left uncovered. Birds actually sitting in it. Yuk!!! .. Very slow at reception upon arrival. Vacation plan personal very aggressive; especially on arrival before we even got our rooms... Dining room personal very pleasant and efficient. Rooms not elaborate but OK. Beach good. Not unhappy with the location; close to the city."
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Dec. 20, 2007

Rating:
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Nov. 25, 2007

Rating:
"The Allegro Nuevo Vallarta is a well run resort with courteous friendly staff. The room that I recieved was very small and run down with a shower and no bath. The food was far from spectacular during breakfast with few selections. Lunch was a little better but still lacking in selection focusing on the cheaper foods, pasta, bread ect. Dinner was much better. The Allegro did make up its shortcommings with their excellent service as well as their nightly entertainment that was 1st class."
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Nov. 12, 2007

Rating:
"The rooms need major upgrading...really bad moldy/musty smell and our bathroom had a leak in the ceiling with mold around the light fixture, the curtains wouldn't pull open, the phone would work when it would want and the TV too...nonetheless we changed rooms but still very basic. The beds were YES VERY HARD...but hey they all are in Mexico! The resort itself is small, nice and simple...beach ok and there are tons of loungers by the pool and palapas by the beach that you didn't have to fight for one... The staff, the food, and the grounds were the BEST at Allegro...def not a 4 star room quality...I would rate the rooms a 2 at best and the resort itself, staff and food a good 3.5...def a good value for the buck and would be back if I got another 2 for 1 deal again...but other than that needs major renos to keep competitive with other 3.5 and 4 star resorts."
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Aug. 30, 2007

Rating:
"Hotel and room were very clean and the staff were great. Would definitly return to this particular resort."
Reviewer: Anonymous [via Escapes.ca]
Date: Jul. 11, 2007