Anyone been to the Continental Plaza Hotel in the beach zone of PV?
 

Going on a last minute trip - can get great rates at the Continental Plaza in PV. We are two single females in our late twenties. We've heard there is only one restaurant for lunch/supper and the food is the same every night. Also heard the water could be dirty...would greatly appreciate any comments you have on this property.

Continental Plaza is in the "Hotel Zone" which is between the airport and El Centro (downtown). I assume you mean it is an All-Inclusive deal because of your restaurant comment? The beaches that run behind the hotels in that part of town typically are very narrow. The Bay of Banderas can get murky both from bad weather and/or muddy water from the rivers emptying into it.<BR><BR>There are SO many nice hotels in PV and tons of good inexpensive restaurants (why I personally wouldn't do an AI in the hotel zone). I prefer El Centro and the Old Town area south of the river which has literally hundreds of places to eat, mostly mid to smaller hotels, great shopping, a fun local beach (Playa Los Muertos), much more local atmosphere.

Thanks for your advice! The reason that this hotel is an option is because of the grat price. We are on a budget due to the trip being so last minute. We are able to get this property for approx $729+tx Canadian all inclusive for 1 week. We figure this will still allow us to afford some suppers out of the hotel. I'm worried about the murky waters though - I love the ocean and the crystal clear waters found at some of my previous destinations.

Hi - We love Puerto Vallarta and spend 2 weeks there every winter. As far as the water goes, you'll probably stick to the pool. The beach there is NOT Caribbean. For a fun day on the beach, just take the bus to Los Muertos Beach in Old Town and park yourselves down for the day. Enjoy the restaurants/bars/people/town.

Judi, the ocean water in the Bay of Banderas just isn't that great even at its best. But don't let that stop you because PV is a GREAT town (but I can basically guarantee that you will not find crystal clear waters there except in your pool ;-) as mentioned above.<BR><BR>For nicer beaches, take a local bus out to the beaches north of town (1/2-1 hr)at Destiladeras or El Anclote (Punta Mita) for turquoise water, white sand beaches.<BR><BR>That IS a great price for your hotel. Just be sure to take the local bus (4 peso) or taxi (they aren't expensive) to get into El Centro, the Malecon, the local beach at Playa Los Muertos, Old Town to explore and see more local people and scenery. THAT is the beauty of PV!