How do I get to my villa from the airport?

A few weeks before your arrival, we will need all your travel details: Airline, Flight Number, time of arrival and number of guests. We highly recommend airport pick up service and can set that up for you. For a slightly higher cost than airport taxis, you can have an air conditioned Suburban with a driver who knows directions to your villa. He will come back to the airport for you if your flights are delayed and will notify staff at your property of any changes. Depending on where you are going, cost is $35-65 USD for a suburban that seats 8 persons with luggage, less for a 4 door sedan for 2-3 persons.
The driver will be waiting for you as you come out of baggage claim with a sign with your name on it. You can pay the driver direct in cash, dollars ok.
When you arrive at the villa, the driver will help unload your bags. Leave them at the front door and ring the bell for the staff, they will bring in your luggage, show you your rooms and bring you a nice cold margarita.

How do I get my keys

Staff will provide you with keys upon your arrival and show you how to lock up at night; please return the keys upon departure. Be sure to ask the staff to show you where light and fan switches are; your villa has a great ambience at night and the dramatic lighting adds to the experience.

Is Telephone and Internet available?

All our properties have local telephone service and almost all have wireless internet for your laptop.
When dialing from the U.S. or Canada please add the long distance prefix of 011-52 + area code (322). All of the properties have a long distance block on the phone, local calls are free. Many villas now include broad band phone services such as Vonage for free long distance to US and Canada. You can check with your mobile phone carrier to see if you get international coverage while in Mexico. Many internet cafés offer long distance service.

How Secure is Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is known for its safe streets and beaches. It is a coastal resort town brimming with friendly locals, Old Vallarta families, tourists of all ages and a large North American community. Be that as it may, please take the same common sense precautions that you would in any other city. Inviting strangers into your rental home presents a security risk to you personally and to the property. The main entrance at your villa should be kept locked at all times. We have never had problems but prefer to be careful.

Is the water safe? Do I need adapters? Is there Air Conditioning?

The electricity in Mexico is the same as the U.S & Canada, so you do not need adapters. Puerto Vallarta’s water system is one of the best in the country and receives high rankings from the government ensuring our tap water is clean. Almost all of our villas have in-house water filtration systems; some just at the kitchen sink, others throughout the entire villa.

All of our properties have air conditioning in the bedrooms. A few have A/C throughout. With our spring-like climate and open architecture, you will find very little need for air conditioning in winter months.

We ask that you please be considerate of the use of electricity and water. Turn off the lights and air conditioning when you leave the room. Close curtains and bathroom doors when using air conditioning. Conserve water. As an emerging nation Mexico has shortages of water and electricity and rates are very high.

Is the pool heated? Do I need to bring beach towels?

Almost all our properties have heated pools and provide beach towels. If you want the pool temperature higher or lower, please advise the staff, they will make the adjustments. Please use the beach towels provided rather than bath towels. There is plastic glassware for use around the pool.

Will I be able to watch my favorite sports team on TV?

All of our properties provide TV and DVD. Some have local cable service, others satellite. Local cable service includes several English stations including CNN, WGN, TNT, KTLA and an ABC affiliate out of New York. If unable to find that important playoff game on local cable, there are an abundance of sports bars in Vallarta with direct feed in English, please view under Night Life.

What is the difference between Full Staff and Partial Staff?

One of the best parts about your vacation will be the staff at your villa. Your villa rental includes maid and cook service daily except Sunday and holidays; tips and cost of food and beverage are not included.

Full Staff includes houseman, cook and chambermaid with cook service twice daily except Sunday and holidays. Some of the ultra luxury villas have additional staff members: cook’s assistants, laundry staff, waiters etc.

Villas with partial staff include one or two staff members, usually a cook/housekeeper and a chambermaid/cook’s assistant. Partial staff service includes cook service for one meal per day, breakfast or early lunch (before noon). Dinner service is available for an extra fee, usually around $50 usd, in addition to the cost of groceries.

Can the staff pre-stock the fridge with groceries before I arrive?

A couple of weeks prior to your arrival, we will ask for your grocery list. We have a form for you to fill out with all the food and beverage items you would like to have waiting at your villa when you get in.

For your arrival, our villas provide a welcome refreshment of chips with guacamole and salsa and a round of margaritas, courtesy of the villa. The staff will purchase any other food or beverage items you would like to have at the villa for your arrival. Just let us know if you would like more margarita makings, beer, liquor, sodas, bottled water, juice, milk etc.

Have a typical Mexican dinner prepared at your new villa on your first night…Drop your luggage, relax after a long day of traveling and let the staff serve you.

We will coordinate your menu requests with staff for your arrival dinner and breakfast for your first morning. It is best to keep your arrival dinner and beverage requests simple; we recommend Chicken Enchiladas, which can be reheated if your flights are delayed. Fresh fish with garlic or beef arrechera (flank steak) are always a favorite.

Once at the villa, the cook will have a menu to help you plan more elaborate meals for the rest of your stay. Please reimburse the staff for any arrival purchases as soon as you get in; they will have itemized receipts and will have purchased your arrival items out of pocket.

Tell me more about the cook service

Cook service includes shopping, preparation, serving and clean up. At full staff villas, 2 meals per day are included in your rental, usually breakfast and late lunch or early dinner - served before 7.30 pm so that staff can clean up afterwards and get out of the villa before 10pm. At partial staff villas, one meal per day is included, breakfast or early lunch (before noon).

The cook service is included in your rental; tips and cost of food and beverage are not included. To avoid daily transactions, it is best to provide the cook with enough money upon arrival to cover several days of groceries. She will keep track of accounting and will advise when more money is needed. Itemized receipts will be provided.

Please give your menu requests a day in advance so staff can do the necessary shopping. The cook will have a menu in Spanish and English to help you plan. Meals are served family style with everyone eating the same thing at the same time. Please pick one main course, one salad, one or two sides, etc and give the staff at least 24 hours notice for soups or desserts.

How much should we tip?

Tipping of the household employees is customary in Mexico. The amount of tips would depend on your experience with the service, the length of stay, the number of guests, special service and so forth.

We receive many wonderful comments about the service at our villas. We are frequently asked how much to tip and have established a guideline that may be of help to you. $7.00 - $12.00 US per guest per day seems to be the average. This tip would be divided among the entire staff. In the full staff villas, suggested distribution of tips is: 30% to the chambermaid, 35% to the Cook and 35% to the Houseman. If you feel that someone gave you extra special service, you can divide accordingly.

You may feel more comfortable giving the entire tip to the main guest contact staff member at the villa to distribute amongst the rest of the staff.

Is there a washer/dryer? Will the staff do personal laundry?

Housekeeping duties include general cleaning of common areas and baths and washing and changing of linens and towels.

Personal laundry service is available for an extra tip and time permitting on the staff work load. To be safe, it is best to pre sort colors yourself and give special instructions if clothing is delicate. Most of the dryers burn on gas and run hot. For your own protection, the majority of properties discourage guests from using the house washer/dryers. In the event of malfunctions, guest will be held responsible for repairs.

Where do we go for Medical Services

There are a number of excellent private Hospitals / Medical Clinics in Puerto Vallarta.

On the Southside of Old Town, just as you enter the highway to Conchas Chinas near the Pemex station, are two good hospitals:

CMQ - 223-1919 Insurgentes and B. Badillo
MEDASIST – 223-0444 or 223-0656 Insurgentes and M.M. Dieguez

We have 2 new, state of the art hospitals on the north side of town:
HOSPITAL SAN JAVIER – 226-1010
CORNERSTONE HOSPITAL - 224-9400, 226-3700

For an English speaking doctor who makes house calls, call Alfonso Rodriguez, 293-1991, emergencies 226-1010, 225-5757.

For a 24 hour full service Pharmacy, go to Farmacia Guadalajara, located in Old Town at Insurgentes and L. Cardenas

EMERGENCY NUMBERS
POLICE – 060
FIRE – 223-9476, 223-9478
INFORMATION - 040

Can we use US or Canadian dollars? Traveler’s Checks? Where do we exchange money for local currency? How do I get more cash if I need it?

Exchange rates are usually best at the bank, slightly less in the Money Exchanges, called Casas de Cambio; retailers, grocery stores and restaurants even less. Most of the major banks are located in the Old Town area within walking distance of the Main Plaza and Los Muertos Beach.

ATM’S – bilingual, easy to use and found outside all banks and in many grocery and convenience stores; you can access money directly from your bank account or credit card. Exchange rate is the same as the bank. Normal service charge is $1 - $3 depending on your bank and accessible 24 hrs/day. Most only allow withdrawals of $500 US dollars per day.

Pesos/Coins – there are 100 centavos/peso. Prices in pesos are denoted as $1 MN (moneda nacional). Since some coins have such a low value you may not always get exact change. Foreign coins are not accepted or exchangeable.

Dollars – US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, even by taxi drivers. Change will be given in pesos; exchange rate will be significantly lower than the bank or Casas de Cambio.

Travelers Checks – best exchanged at the bank, many restaurants and retail stores do not accept them

Bank hours: average is 9 am – 4 pm Mon thru Fri, Saturdays 10am – 2pm

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