My husband and I just returned from Dreams on Oct. 4 after spending 7 wonderful days there. This was our first trip to Puerto Vallarta and our first stay at a Dreams Resort. Travelocity notified us ahead of time about the renovations so no surprises for us. We were celebrating our 30 year anniversary and really wanted a balcony (the only reason we paid for the upgrade to a Junior Suite). I called the resort and stressed my concern and asked them to mark our reservation for a balcony room. They said they could not do that but would list it as a preference, no guarantees. Check in went very smooth and yes, we did get a balcony room PLUS a voucher for a free 7 night stay within next 12 months. Our room was 1822, king size bed, balcony - very nice. Not quite as spacious as the junior suites are but I guess we will experience that on our next trip.
The renovations caused no problems. I read many reviews that made me worried. Maybe because we had never been there before but we felt everything was wonderful. Of course this is our first all inclusive so that definitely helped. The food was outstanding, especially being a seafood lover. The Oceana meals were delicious. They don't provide huge servings but then you can enjoy an appetizer, meal and dessert - without feeling like you're going to bust! They offer the Seaside Grill menu at different places through the week. We loved the Seaside lunch and dinner selections. Our favorite server was Arthur in the World Cafe. He was such a sweet young man and very attentive. The buffet offered a wide variety, by the end of the week though it did get a little old. Word of advice, men take pants if you want to eat at Portfinos (the only AC place). The Oceana says pants for men but they allowed shorts. As a woman, I wish I had taken more skirts and spaghetti tops, and less shorts, capris and t-shirts. Pretty much live in your bathing suit/cover-up during the day. Also wait to eat supper till around 7:30 or after the sun goes down - much more enjoyable being out by the ocean without the sun beating on you.
The grounds and beach area are very clean and the staff work hard every morning. Our housekeeper did a great job cleaning the room and provided turn down service 3 nights. Most of our time was spent on the beach under the shade. Ocean is like bath water - so nice - but the sun was intense. We really enjoyed watching the boats, parasailers, and jet ski activity. Beach vendors are very polite and actually have some really nice items for sale. No pressure at all.
We loved the baby turtle release. Participated in it three times and really enjoyed it. We also had Paco take us on the snorkel tour. We have snorkeled in Hawaii and this really doesn't compare. But he did take us right there by the left side of the resort by huge boulders and found many gorgeous fish. The water is kind of murky though. We also went on the Los Veranos canopy zip tour. We were both very nervous, but absolutely loved it. The staff there are very helpful and fun. Our group had 12 people total and they really take good care of you. Highly recommend it - even for those chickens like us out there. We went into town one afternoon and that was enough for us. Just didn't like the time share people and you couldn't just look at the flea market. They were all over us. Loved seeing the Catholic church and all the artwork on the Malecon. We walked side streets to the flea market and saw a couple schools dismissing. The kids all wore uniforms and were very polite. Just so many people and commotion in such small spaces. The resort was stress-free and relaxing - just what we wanted, so 1 trip to town was enough for us.
All and all, it was a terrific week - don't let the negative reviews concern you. Like someone else said, some people you just can't please. We are looking forward to going back again this time next year.

We recently stayed at Dreams PV for our 11th anniversary. We are repeat guests to other Dreams resorts so we knew we would enjoy the no wristband or restaurant reservation policy. While Dreams PV does not have white sand/blue water like its sister resorts in Cancun & Punta Cana, it makes up for it with traditional mexican ambiance,large secluded beach,tropical setting ,close location to town , spectacular west coast sunsets as well as the signature Dreams customer service.
Any one who can not have a great experience at Dreams PV has their expectations set too high.
ROOMS: (Deluxe in Dreams Tower/old tower)
We were lucky enough to be given one of the few rooms with a balcony in the Dreams tower. Saw rooms without and they are still nice-floor to ceiling windows with a large sliding door/window with a railing.Rooms are well appointed with mini bar,in room safe, 27"tv,dvd player,dresser & drawers, iron & board, hair drier, large size bottles of shampoo/body wash/lotion/sewing kit/candles. All rooms have an ocean view.Appears that rooms have recently received soft upgrades-new paint. new mattress & bedding. Bathroom has a tub/shower combo.Room keys are electronic key cards. At night they offer a service where they turn down your bed,put some candy and an activities sheet for the next day on your bed,as well as cold bottled water on the nightstand. They place your robe and slippers by your bed.Also they re clean the bathroom & replace any dirty towels and refill the mini bar.
RESTAURANTS/FOOD:
Dreams PV has several restaurants to choose from= Oceana is an upsacle oceanfront seafood restaurant, El Patio serves mainly mexican specialties, Portofino is gourmet Italian,, Seaside Grill (the restaurant building is closed for renovation but they offer the menu at Oceana or El Patio on certain days) offers steak, chicken & seafood specialties. The world Cafe is the buffet serving different menus for breakfast & lunch thru the week. It also has a lower counter with special menu items for kids.Dinner dress codes are pretty relaxed, mostly just long pants and collared shirt for men, ladies wear sundress,skirt or capri's. As part of the all inclusive package there is also no charge 24 hour room service.The only additional charges are for lobster and a bottle of wine.
POOLS / BARS:
Dreams has 3 pools- a large sunny main pool with swim up bar & hot tub, a smaller shaded pool with hot tub, and in front of the Prefered tower is an adults only infiniti pool with hot tub and a nearby bar.Towel service is awesome-dont need to check them in and out (like you do at some resorts) and you can have more than one.
Desires sports bar is currently closed. The Rendezvous bar located next to the lobby is a great place to have an after dinner cocktail and meet your family or people who are traveling with you to plan your next days activities. ( was dissapointed with Rendezvous not having and flaming coffees- or coffee drinks of any kind )
BEACH:
Dreams has a large secluded beach divided in half by a fresh water river/stream flowing to the ocean. There are many huts/palapas with chairs available. Beverage service is great, they know just when to come by and bring you another without you even having to ask.
ACTIVITIES :
Dreams has a wonderful and hardworking entertainment team. During the day they offer things like blackjack,water aroebics,volleyball & football,rock climbing (on the rock wall on the beach) a jungle hike in the jungle behind Dreams,Spanish lessons,tequlia tasting etc.. Kayaks and snorkel gear available on the baech. At night they have different theme nights ( some with dinner) a comedy show, a circus show, Mexican Fiesta, Fire dance show..Also at about 10 pm you can meet with the entertainment team in the lobby and they will take you out to some of Puerto Vallarta's clubs. During the fall months Dreams has a really cool hands on experience where you can help them release sometimes 100's of baby turtles back into the ocean.
SPA:
My wife says its one of the best and believe me she would know.
MISC:
There is onsite car rental, tour/activities company, business center with internet, doctor, and photo co.
The employees are some of the most friendly and hardest working people.( Dreams says tips are included, but we always left a well deserved tip) Concierge service is great.with any questions or needs.(they have free dvd 's for you to check out at the desk)
They have a great service for kids called the explores club-supervised activities for kids all day. Some of the kids had so much fun they didn't want to go back with their parents at night.
CONSTRUCTION / REMODELING:
The prefered tower will be closed September thru most likely end of November for complete interior renovation. This is the tower where all the suites are located. If you have already booked a suite during the construction period you will be re assigned to a deluxe Dreams Tower room, but you will be very well compensated. (rec'd a whole week free at later date and large SPA credit)
The prefered tower is off to one end of the property so noise is not an issue. Only place you can barely hear noise of power tools and hammering is in the adult pool area (because it is right in front of prefered tower)From the rest of the resort you would not even know there is construction.

We will highly recommend Dreams PV to our family and friends.
Met many new friends while there too (mostly just married- HI to friends from St. Louis,Texas, Eugene, Kirkland, Long Beach, Canada)
Feel free to message or e-mail with any questions.

My fiancé and I stayed at the Dreams Resort during the last week in September 2008 and had an amazing time. The resort is nestled between the mountains and has a beautiful view and private beach. The resort has a quiet, relaxing atmosphere, and I would highly recommend it to couples and families. I would not recommend it for the Spring Break crowd.

The customer service at the resort is outstanding. The entire staff is very polite and friendly. Service was always prompt. It is not necessary to tip the servers but is very much appreciated and well deserved.

The food was good overall. Each restaurant offers a variety of choices for every taste. The portion sizes tend to be small compared to American portions, especially on the room service menu, but we never felt hungry. Drinks were easy to order by the pool. Try the Mango Tango and Dirty Monkey. Also, make sure you specify the type of liquor you want.

Yes, the rooms could use some updating. Construction was actually underway during our trip, but it went unnoticed. The room was fine for our purposes; we only retreated there to change clothes and sleep. Make sure to pack a travel alarm clock/watch.

The resort makes an effort to have different activities planned throughout the day at no extra charge. Activities include yoga, kayak tours, rock climbing, jungle trek, beach volleyball, tequila tastings, etc. You are under no pressure to participate. If you have the opportunity, make sure to participate in the baby turtle release program. This is an amazing experience! There are also several other activities available to you for additional fees.

There is not much of a nightlife at the resort, but the staff arrange for different clubs/bars for guests to visit if they wish.

TIPS:

Dress Codes
Note that the various restaurants have dress codes. To be seated at some of the more elegant restaurants for dinner, men must wear pants and a collared shirt and women must wear pants or a dress/skirt.

Jungle Trek
We really enjoyed participating in the Jungle Trek activity offered by the resort. Participants hike up the river that runs through the resort grounds to view beautiful terrain and waterfalls. Only healthy adults should plan to participate in this activity. The river is very rocky and a few places are difficult to manage. Wear a swimsuit and water shoes. Note: You have to sign a waiver prior to participating.

We just got back on 9/15 - Lots to say! Puerto Vallarta Airport is crazy on the inbound - walk past the first 2 sets of glass doors - the vendors pretend to be with your hotel but they are selling tours - a waste of time! Wait until you see your tour rep (outside) before stopping - trust me! The hotel was great! The food was very high quality, but I had stomach issues the last night there, so be careful of the water and perhaps the fresh veggies. The restaurants were very nice - even the buffet was good (as buffets go). I drink wine, and sometimes the wine (chardonney) had turned to vinegar, but the staff gave me a new glass from a new bottle and it was ok. The grounds are pretty and well kept. The linens are not the highest quality, but they were suitable. I wished the towels were more plentiful (we had 3 women in our room, so we needed more that the average guest room). The place was more than half empty - the second tower was closed for rennovation. We tipped a little at every meal, and more at dinner in the finer restaurants, but it did not seem to affect our service going forward. I thought we would at least be remembered for tipping - most people did not tip, but that was not the case - just an observation. All in all, I would recommend for a short trip (4 day), but not sure I would want to stay longer.