CANTO DEL SOL SEPT 8-15

**LoLa** · Post by **LoLa** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:53 pm

So we left to Puerto Vallarta September 8th...the weather was great everyday...and for those of you afraid of travelling during "raining season" it was sunny everyday, and usually would rain around 5..and last for maybe an hour. Overall, great weather, and it was VERY hot!!

So we checked in, and they gave us and our friends rooms beside eachother, on the 2rd floor. Rm # 255 & 257. The 2nd floor rooms dont have a balcony, they are on a patio, so everyone on that floor can walk onto the terrace...and see into everyone else's rooms (if their doors/blinds are open)
Im going to say THE BAD about this hotel first, then will talk about all the good things...
Do not stay on the second floor!!!! One night we had come home after going out, and as usual, we saw the security guard walking the halls..thought we were pretty safe... until the next morning, we wake up and were looking for our camera's and notice there gone!! We thought that maybe misplaced it somewhere, but we literally checked everywhere..and it was no where to be found! We just thought that maybe we had left them somewhere, but realized the last time we saw them was that night. They were left on the night stand. So one night, one of our friends decided to stay in and when we got back she was all freaked out because she said that a security guard came into her room..she was sleeping and when she woke up he was standing there! He told her that she had left the door open. So we called security, and they really didnt do anything. They just said they would switch our rooms. Thankfully our friend spoke spanish, so things were more clearly to them so they would understand. The manager really did try to help us out, and make sure we were okay because we were all freaked out. When i went to check the patio door, I knew that we had made sure it was locked before going out because we were so scared..and when i got back to the room, it was unlocked.

Our safe was broken, and it was our fault for not getting it fixed, but i was reading some other reviews, and another group of girls had the same thing done to them a week after getting back. Saying the exact same story about a security guard leaving the room with her purse out the back door. She said that they pryed open the door. Anyways, we made a big stink...but nothing was done about our lost camera's, etc.
The hotel is great, i just hope that the hotel manager's see the same situation keeps re-accuring, and does something about their night staff. This review that I read says they were there Sept 22, so I hope they realize there is a serious issue going on. So ask for a room with a balcony if you stay there!

NOW FOR THE GOOD!!

The pool area is nice, I found there was alot of kids and families from Mexico..we tried going to the beach and there is really not much of it compared to what the other hotels had on their property. But we were okay with sitting at the pool. The entertainment staff is great...especially Jerry, were going to miss him alot!! They do water aerobics, yoga, and volleyball everyday..and do there best to get everyone to participate.

The shows at night are fun...they are all a bunch of great dancers, and fun to watch. They usually last until 10/10:30..
The food was okay..I think that the GCP had a much better selecion..but we ate it anyways..they have a buffet, and a 2 restaurants. The buffet has different types of food every night..mexican, italian, chinese.. The restaurants are very good though. Dont recommend the buffet every night!

We went to get massages cause we heard about a promotion they were having..we paid 250 pesos for 1 hour and 15 minutes! And it is so worth it! Its located just across from the hotel in the plaza near the tattoo parlor. They also have a store across from the hotel that makes great coffee, and they have a patio so you can sit outside.
We also went to the market that is located near the church, and we found some great stuff! I would recommend that market as apposed to the one located near the malecon. We also went to the mall, which is located towards the airport, you cant miss it..they have alot of nice things in there, and they are cheap!

I will write a review under the CLUBS posting in the Nightlife section so i can go into detail on every club we went too.

Overall, we all had a great time, its a shame that we had to lose our camera's, but it is a lesson learned for next time!!

I think i would stay at this hotel again, I would just be alittle more careful.

Great trip! Cant wait to go back!!!!

tandr2 · Post by **tandr2** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 9:57 pm

Great to hear the Canto I love is still doing a great job - with exception of the thefts.

(

We'll be there in 148 sleeps!!

ellen · Post by **ellen** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:57 pm

Lola, it sounds to me like you are too lenient with them. Having a security guard prowling in your room and stealing your things is not acceptable, no matter how apologetic the manager is. Wouldn't it me wise to post this on Trip Advisor or something like that, so that people get a chance to find out before it's too late? What if your friend hadn't awakened? Would the security guard have done something else? I had a bottle of expensive perfume stolen when I was there and the manager accused my husband of making up the story just to get something free! He wanted to go through our suitcase first before he would believe it and absolutely nothing was done about it, despite the fact that at that time they had signs posted that it was safe to leave things in your room, their staff was trustworthy. I should say here that it was the Hotel Continental at that time, not the Canto del Sol, and probably the manager and old staff are long since gone. And no, I didn't post it on Trip Advisor because I didn't know it existed and because I was fairly sure it was the plumber who was called in to fix the sink that must have taken it. Nobody loves Mexico more than I do but we have to realize that they have their share of dishonest people too and if they are targeting rooms with young women, it shouldn't go unnoticed.

**LoLa** · Post by **LoLa** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:31 pm

Well we did make a big deal..in no way were we lenient with them, we did make a big deal, we told the front desk, we asked to see all the security reports and we spoke to the manager. He tried to reasure us that the security guards do not have keys to the room, and until reading the posting on tripadvisor did i know that it was possible that they could pry open the back door. Now after reading the posting, I figured that the same thing done to these girls was done to us. This isnt exceptable anywhere because they are taking advantage of young girls, and im assuming they had kept track on what times we were out of our rooms.

Any how, what done is done.. We are planning on writing a letter to the hotel manager so hopefully something will be done with there security and people do not have to go through what we, and others already have!

ellen · Post by **ellen** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 12:50 am

**LoLa** wrote:Well we did make a big deal..in no way were we lenient with them, we did make a big deal, we told the front desk, we asked to see all the security reports and we spoke to the manager. He tried to reasure us that the security guards do not have keys to the room, and until reading the posting on tripadvisor did i know that it was possible that they could pry open the back door. Now after reading the posting, I figured that the same thing done to these girls was done to us. This isnt exceptable anywhere because they are taking advantage of young girls, and im assuming they had kept track on what times we were out of our rooms.

Any how, what done is done.. We are planning on writing a letter to the hotel manager so hopefully something will be done with there security and people do not have to go through what we, and others already have!

That's good. It sounds like you know what you're doing. Sorry if I misunderstood the first time.

tojol57 · Post by **tojol57** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:25 pm

holy crap there Lola... sorry to hear about the breakins... Lorrie told me last night that she read this... Please make sure that Trip Advisor gets a copy of your posting as well... especially since all the world supposedly revolves Trip advisor... sorry just had to get my dig into them.... but glad you still had a good time....

smitty · Post by **smitty** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 11:21 am

Good post Lola - sorry to hear about the thieving but glad that you didn't let that creepy episode ruin the rest of your vacation. I know a lot of people enjoy ground level units because of easy access to everything . Maybe I'm paranoid but I always look on them as easy targets for thieves - double trouble when security is behind the stealing.

You will be helping a lot of people out by posting your experiences and the responses by Canto's management.

**LoLa** · Post by **LoLa** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:33 pm

Thanks! It sucks when your on vacation and something like this has to happen. Kind of puts you on a downer, but luckily for us we tried our best to just think that things could have been worse!
But we still love PV and cant wait to go back! (just not too sure if we will be staying at Canto Del Sol!)

travelbug_jp · Post by **travelbug_jp** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:57 am

Sorry to hear about the break in at your room. We never had any problems or would certainly not recommend the place if we would have had a bad experience. Hopefully the hotel management has taken care of the staff involved.

Joyce

**LoLa** · Post by **LoLa** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:07 pm

I hope the hotel management see's how many people are being effected by these people because it should not be happening!! We were scared everynight after that! We even put a bottle of tequila on a chair everynight so in case someone tried coming in the back door the bottle would fall and we would wake up!!!

CANTO DEL SOL SEPT 8-15

Canto Concerns