DREAMS PUERTO VALLARTA "thread"

[Dreams2011]

To anyone who's had a reception on the beach, can you let me know how many lanterns you used and was it enough or would you recommend more or less? We aren't sure how many we'll need so any advice you be fab .... Thanks a ton!!!!

[sarahinlove]

 

 

Originally Posted by Dreams2011 

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahinlove 

 

Hi Ladies!

 

Quick question for you all:

 

Samantha confirmed my date and venues in an email after I sent in the request form and my credit card info, etc. That was over a month ago but I checked my credit card statement, and my $500 deposit hasn't been deducted.

 

How did you guys receive confirmation? Was there documentation? Something to sign?

 

I'm getting worried that Samantha said I'm confirmed, but really I'm not. I emailed her, but of course as a June bride I'm low priority and haven't heard back.

 

Thanks in advance for any insight!

 

 

I reserved and gave my credit card info in early June 2010 for our January 2011 wedding, but didn't received a confirmation from Rebeca until September 25, 2010 that it had finally been applied (then the charge showed up a couple days later). She did however confirm via email the day after I sent in the wedding request form and deposit in June that the date was being held for us and the confirmed the locations for ceremony & reception.

 

The only thing we've signed is the credit card authorization form that we sent via email in June so the email confirmation that the spot is being held is as good as it gets. If you are worried about it I'd email Louise the new WC and put "Urgent" in the subject, then just ask her to confirm you are booked and inquire when the charge is expected to go through... she will like get back to you shortly after.

 

Mexico works on their time, which is typically a lot slower than us Canadians / Americans who are rush, rush, rush (which is why they sometimes can be soooooo slow getting to things, but they mean well, it's just their culture to be more relaxed). It should all be just fine and I think that the new WC will be great and since she is a Canadian she understands that most brides getting married there aren't going to be ok with waiting till last minute to confirm things so will do her best to get back to you in a timely manner (plus she said she has an assistant so hopefully that helps too)!

 

Good Luck!!!!

 

 

 

Dreams2011, you've made my day! That is exaclty the response I was hoping for! I just wanted to make sure that everyone else wasn't getting contracts and stuff, when all I received was an email!

 

I totally understand that things go slower there. After being a part of this discussion board, I have a LOT less worries. I'm confident that everything will go great, and I have lots of time!

 

Congrats on your upcoming wedding! The day is getting so close!!! You must be SO excited! Hardly wait to hear how it goes! When in January is the big day?

 

 

[aprilmay]

 

 

Originally Posted by sarahinlove 

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreams2011 

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahinlove 

 

Hi Ladies!

 

Quick question for you all:

 

Samantha confirmed my date and venues in an email after I sent in the request form and my credit card info, etc. That was over a month ago but I checked my credit card statement, and my $500 deposit hasn't been deducted.

 

How did you guys receive confirmation? Was there documentation? Something to sign?

 

I'm getting worried that Samantha said I'm confirmed, but really I'm not. I emailed her, but of course as a June bride I'm low priority and haven't heard back.

 

Thanks in advance for any insight!

 

 

I reserved and gave my credit card info in early June 2010 for our January 2011 wedding, but didn't received a confirmation from Rebeca until September 25, 2010 that it had finally been applied (then the charge showed up a couple days later). She did however confirm via email the day after I sent in the wedding request form and deposit in June that the date was being held for us and the confirmed the locations for ceremony & reception.

 

The only thing we've signed is the credit card authorization form that we sent via email in June so the email confirmation that the spot is being held is as good as it gets. If you are worried about it I'd email Louise the new WC and put "Urgent" in the subject, then just ask her to confirm you are booked and inquire when the charge is expected to go through... she will like get back to you shortly after.

 

Mexico works on their time, which is typically a lot slower than us Canadians / Americans who are rush, rush, rush (which is why they sometimes can be soooooo slow getting to things, but they mean well, it's just their culture to be more relaxed). It should all be just fine and I think that the new WC will be great and since she is a Canadian she understands that most brides getting married there aren't going to be ok with waiting till last minute to confirm things so will do her best to get back to you in a timely manner (plus she said she has an assistant so hopefully that helps too)!

 

Good Luck!!!!

 

 

 

Dreams2011, you've made my day! That is exaclty the response I was hoping for! I just wanted to make sure that everyone else wasn't getting contracts and stuff, when all I received was an email!

 

I totally understand that things go slower there. After being a part of this discussion board, I have a LOT less worries. I'm confident that everything will go great, and I have lots of time!

 

Congrats on your upcoming wedding! The day is getting so close!!! You must be SO excited! Hardly wait to hear how it goes! When in January is the big day?

 

 

 

 

 

Even though I had sent my card authorization, signature and info for the deposit, my card wasn't charged until we actually reserved our room, like, 6 months later.  Then I just printed out the email from her saying she had charged it as well as my credit card statement and took it with me but there was never a problem and I didn't need it.  I wouldn't worry about it, it's the same for everyone.

[miss_delerium]

I've been MIA from here for awhile. I was so caught up in planning/the holiday season. Now it's only 11 days until we leave! YIKES!

I have a question (that I can't seem to get a straight answer for from the wedding planner(s)):

 

Is there a different "day pass" and "wedding pass" that the guests that are staying elsewhere (cuz Dreams is full) can get? The wedding planner(s) just keep telling me about the wedding pass that allows them to arrive 30 min before and leave 30 min after. BUT FI's parents were in Puerto Vallarta two weeks ago and they went to Dreams and took a tour of the resort, and were told there are two different passes people can get: wedding pass and day pass.

[Dreams2011]

 

 

Originally Posted by miss_delerium 

 

I've been MIA from here for awhile. I was so caught up in planning/the holiday season. Now it's only 11 days until we leave! YIKES!

I have a question (that I can't seem to get a straight answer for from the wedding planner(s)):

 

Is there a different "day pass" and "wedding pass" that the guests that are staying elsewhere (cuz Dreams is full) can get? The wedding planner(s) just keep telling me about the wedding pass that allows them to arrive 30 min before and leave 30 min after. BUT FI's parents were in Puerto Vallarta two weeks ago and they went to Dreams and took a tour of the resort, and were told there are two different passes people can get: wedding pass and day pass.

 

Here is what I received in early December regarding the day passes (as per reservations):

 

	From May 1st to	Time	Includes
	Dec 18th, 2010
DAY PASS	$              72.00	09:00 - 19:00	Breakfast, lunch & Dinner
			Use of towels and facilities
DAY PASS	$             105.00	09:00 - 23:00	Breakfast, lunch & Dinner
COMPLETE DAY			and beverages
			Use of towels and facilities
			Theme nights and/or night activities
NIGHT PASS	$              53.00	19:00 - 01:00	Dinner and beverages
			Theme nights and/or night activities

 

 

The day pass does NOT include the cost for ceremony & reception if you exceed the number of people included in the package you have chosen. If you exceed the number of people included in your package then it's $75 on top of the day pass and this gives your guest access to the resort till 1am (as per Esman Mora, assistant wedding coordinator).

 

Hope this helps!!!!! Sounds like you'll be arriving only a couple days after us.

 

[m6sf]

I don't have an answer for you but would LOVE to know if you get any answers.  I got some pictures of outdoor receptions that looked like they were right outside the hot tub...so I wasn't sure if "Oceana Beach" meant the area directly in front of Oceana Restaurant (which I would guess is pretty private) or if it meant the entire beach.  Does anyone know? 

[Raul]

Hello, Seaside is a little more private that Oceana. Seaside video

Oceana video.

[lilly]

Hello - everyone.

 

I've been a member for a while now but my FI and I were not officially engaged until the beginning of October. : ) Always good to get a head start! : ) We have decided on PV Dreams for our wedding and I'm just wondering if someone can reccommend a good TA. The date wont be until March 2012 but I want to have the date confirmed with the hotel before I send out save the dates and I need to find out when flights leave from Calgary/Edmotnon as we're planning to go down early and get married a day or two after our guests arrive so I'm not a bridezilla all week! I live in Calgary AB if that makes a difference. I really want someone I can trust that can book the new tower and help me take care of details.

 

 

Thanks in advance for any reccomendations!

[Dreams2011]

We just returned from our wedding at Dreams PV. All in all it was beautiful, however, the wedding coordinator Louise did make some inexcusable mistakes.

 

We provided her with all the details on how the day should go in great detail and she even commented when meeting with her upon arrival on how organized we were and how easy our wedding would be, but then she still screwed some things up that were clearly laid out for her. We actually demanded a discount the next day and received a reasonable one. There was another wedding after ours the same day and we spoke to that couple before we left and they said she made some screw ups on theirs as well.

 

If there are things that don't go as planned, and there is usually something but in our case there were many that like I said were inexcusable on Louise's part, just try to stay calm, have someone in your wedding party or another person deal with it, and then discuss the issues with the WC (and her boss) the next day and if there are major screw-ups don't be afraid to ask for a refund! The resort needs to know if their WC isn't doing her job properly and they take it seriously since they held 250 weddings in 2010 and are aiming for 300 in 2011....big business for them that they don't want to loose.

 

The resort itself made a bunch of room mistakes upon arrival, which was ridiculous since we booked in June 2010, and we found that the service was not nearly as good as anywhere else we have stayed in Mexico (in the past 6 years we've traveled to Mexico 6-8 times and have never had any complaints... most of our travels have been to PV as well). This is the first 5 star resort we've stayed at, mostly we've stayed at 4 - 4.5 star places and one 3.5 star and they have all provided much better service and friendlier staff.

 

The only thing we found better about this resort over any of the others was that the food, drinks, and desserts were consistently great, but the standard rooms and resort grounds are not the nicest we've seen and the resort is situated so close to a busy road that rooms in the old tower that are closer to the middle of the resort are super noisy.

 

We stayed our first night in a balcony room at the corner of the old tower and then upgraded to the new tower (the bathrooms in the old tower also need serious attention...ours the 1st night was not 5* quality that's for sure... the 3.5 * place we stayed had better ones). Getting a reasonable upgrade took a while as we were quoted $100 for non jacuzzi rooms and $200 for Jacuzzi rooms at first, then the next day told $190 / night for a jacuzzi room and that there were no non jacuzzi rooms left, then literally minutes later we spoke to another person at the front desk who gave us a non jacuzzi room for $70 / night (when there apparently were none left....). The new tower rooms are beautiful (however the standard rooms at the last resort we stayed, which was a 4.5 star were just as nice no upgrade required). The beds and pillows are very comfortable and the view from the new tower is amazing (and the bathroom is of 5* quality...I can't stand grungy bathrooms....).

 

Another bizarre thing at this resort is that in the spa men message the women and women message the men (no option given) and if you want a real couples message make sure you request outside as we just assumed it was all outside since we're in the tropics and there are many message beds outside and we weren't given an option then when we went to our couples message it was inside and consisted of me in one room, my husband in another and just a man door at our feet open between us. My husband's sister also went for a message and got felt up by the man messaging her and another couple we were with went for a couples message and when she was getting out of the shower in the spa and drying off one of the male masseuses walks by as the male masseuses walk around the women's area where they are showering, changing, etc....very unprofessional in our opinion.

 

We actually will not go back to the Dreams Puerto Vallarta as we felt there was just too many mess ups during our stay all around (wedding, rooms, spa etc) and that the service was not up to par compared to other places we've stayed (some people were down right unfriendly... service in the buffet is particularly terrible). We normally spend a ton on tipping during our stays, but this time actually saved as we didn't feel it was warranted (the service in the al-a-cartes was fairly consistently good however).

 

Like I said, all in all it was a beautiful and fun wedding. The photographer included in our wedding package took great photos (ours was Chris...she was great) and was a pleasure to work with. Everyone had a great time and said it was the best wedding they've been to (the mistakes weren't noticeable to the guests, just those of us that knew how things should have been). The discount we received definitely made it sit better with us as we would still be upset if the resort had not tried to compensate. Please don't be afraid to discuss any issues with the resort.

 

Best of luck to all upcoming weddings and if you have any questions feel free to let me know.

[autjo]

What kind of wedding problems did you have Dreams2011? That info will be helpful for other brides who are getting ready for their wedding.

 

We actually went to the Royal PDC and Gran Porto over Thanksgiving and thought the food, service and quality was terrible compared to our experiences at Dreams PV and Dreams Cancun. I wonder why Dreams PV service is lacking nowadays...

 

In regards to beach privacy, I think you are safe at either end of the resort. The beach is basically private because the mountains flank it on both sides.