Samba Vallarta

Anyone stay at Samba Vallarta recentley? Anyone know anything about this hotel?

It is definitely a matter of opinion what property you prefer. I spent last Christmas at the Solare (Samba) and wandered over to the RIU a couple of times in the evening to check it out and go for a walk (just turned the wristbands upside down and entered from the beach). I was so glad I booked the Solare over the RIU. I disliked the RIU because it was so crowded and impersonal. It seemed very uptight and unfriendly. And the beach was packed during the day. We would look over to the beach at the RIU and laugh cause we knew they paid $500 more each for the crowded beach! We even wandered into the buffet restaurant, and found the food to be ok looking, not really worth the extra money (also a matter of taste as I prefer steamed veggies and rice over heavily sauced food). Do you want a laid back resort, a room close the beach or a larger, crowded resort with several bar choices? We are leaving Dec. 18 to return to the Solare this year.