Firstly fly into Manzanilla and not Puerta Villarta because it is closer. You might want to rent a car here to give you a bit more freedom of movement during your stay at the fabulous El Careyes Beach Resort .
First of all, if this resort is not what you expected then it is your own fault for not doing your research. The El Careyes Beach Resort is not a place for people wanting night life and excitement, but it is a place for you if you enjoy good old fashioned service, and a bit of pampering. You will therefore appreciate that El Careyes does not come cheap, but can you think of anything of quality that does!!
It’s a luxury resort with big beds, big bathtubs – some of them are really huge. But, the key is the private beach, restaurant outside and big beds facing the ocean where you can relax and fall asleep after a few drinks and a good meal.
We stayed in the ocean view suite and had a very large room with a hot tub on the balcony, and this was just the best place to enjoyi a nice sunset. The rooms were cleaned twice a day and the bed was turned down every night, some nights a nice gift was left on the bed for us to keep. Overall the rooms were clearly above average and the bed, huge and comfortable.
The service is what makes this resort so good. The staff seemed to know us by name almost immediately, and they had this knack of being invisible but always there when we wanted drinks or food.
Because the resort is quite remote, and not near any large towns, that can make it a little difficult if you like to eat out, but it has to be said if you wanted something that wasn’t on the menu, then that didn’t seem to be a problem for the kitchen.
You could venture out to a little fish hut close to the hotel where the food was excellent, the fish extremely fresh, and drinks remarkably cheap, and next to it is a small open bar, which has music, bonfires, and late night drinks, so try it out
The bottom line is, if you are looking for an amazing small secluded resort that will treat you like royalty, where there is not much to do other than sit by the pool while enjoying a few drinks, this is the place for you