We stayed at Costa Sur from Feb 4-11 /06. We wanted to try staying at one of the resorts on the mountain side of Puerta Vallarta to see if we liked it better than where we had stayed before on the Marina. The hotel is owned by mostly timeshare owners that own a certain suite for a certain week. So everyone knows each other. They are in the process of renovating and while the old decor isn't as bad as soom it does need a facelift. The studio above ours had a problem with the toilet water hose breaking while the people were away. It was only discovered when we starting getting water coming down from our ceiling in cascades. The manager and workers fixed the studio above us but could not do much to stop the water from coming in ours. We had asked to be moved to another room and were given a dinner at their restarant with limitations on what we could order. It was a long last night as the water had not stopped pouring down even by the time we left the resort at 9 am the next day. We do not blame the resort for the mishap form happening but think they could have helped us more in relocating. The road up to the hotel by either taxi or bus is an adventure but one of those .....i have done it and now would rather not. For us the Velas on the marina is wonderful and this place could not compare. Another insight for us was that we were so looking forward to the sound of the ocean as all rooms overlook the ocean. We were on the 4th floor and the sound of the waves crashing finally drove us to keep the patio door shut and turn up the AC. Was alearning experience but for our vacation we will stay at the Velas at the marina.

We stayed here in November (3-10, a very nice time to visit PV. Not too humid- and we had no rain..)
I liked this smaller resort. First the location: it's
south of town, and a nice change of pace if you are used to the larger resorts north of town. The coastline is beautiful on the south side, a lot of small rocky coves -and this resort had a man made jetty that created what really amounted to a saltwater swimming pool off the small beach. This made for great swimming (and snorkeling right off the hotel beach) and was great for kids.

It's close to downtown and the malecon, and all the great restuarants and bars- (10 min cab ride). It's very close to one of our favorite PV restuarants --"El Set".

The staff was friendly, and NO TIMESHARE SALES PRESSURE! I was amazed at this. We traded on Interval International, and were expecting some phones calls, etc. Nothing after check in when we declined the sales presentation.

We were in a one bedroom suite, and my brother was in
a studio. Quite large rooms, both had an ocean view and some small balconies. I think all rooms and suites there have an ocean view, from the looks of the layout of the two towers. Everything seemed pretty well maintained, though I think this place was built in the early 80's. Could use some updating, but really nothing too bad to complain about.

The pool was nice, maybe a bit small. I loved the ambiance of the pool area at night, with 2 great small bars outside for the tropical evenings- we stopped there under the stars every night for a nightcap after coming back from town. A band played outside there one night, I can't recall which.

There's one on-site restaurant, the food was decent,
but the service was quite slow at times. And at breakfast they pushed their overpriced buffet a bit too much..really my only complaint with this place.

Overall, very nice if you're looking for a smaller, quieter place, with some real mexican charm.

We just spent 2 weeks (November 17 to December 1, 2005) at Playa del Sol Costa Sur (Previously known as Costa Vida). It was our second visit this year (we spent a week in January) and we enjoyed it just as much, if not more. Being located only a ten-minute bus ride to town makes this resort an excellent site to enjoy the many restaurants in the Romantic Zone. The size of the resort is just perfect, not too small, not too big. The staff is friendly and the food at the resort is excellent and well priced. We'll be back for sure next year.

My husband and I stayed at Costa Vida Vallarta for our honeymoon in PV and had a wonderful experience. The staff was very friendly and hospitable, as well as the guests/timeshare owners. The outside restaurant and bar are located outside. The restaurant has great food, alittle pricey at times, but worth it if you would like to not go out to eat in town one night. The outside bar has a great frozen drink called the COSTA VIDA SPECIAL that is worth trying. We stayed in a one bedroom suite that had a living room, 1 1/2 bathrooms, and kitchen. Our suite had a room with an ocean view. The furniture and decor were a little tacky and brightly colored, but I guess that's the Mexican style! Costa Vida has a beautiful little beach area, however watch out for the men trying to sell the overpriced jewelry. They try to whistle or call to you to by their stuff. They like to walk on the beach or sit by the entrace where you walk onto the beach from Costa Vida. If you decide to go in the water, swim up near the large rocks. There are many beautiful tropical fish that swim near there. The resort is alittle out of the way from the main area of Puerta Vallarta, but the bus picks you up directly across the street and takes you into town. Hold onto your hats though, the drivers like to drive a bit crazy. There is no AC on the buses either, so if you are planning on going to a nice restaurant, I would go with a taxi. The taxi cabs sit right infront of Costa Vida and the estimated rates are posted on a board infront of the main entrance to CV. There is a little store if you would like to buy some beer, soda, cigarettes, bottled water, coffee, etc. down stairs. Also there an acitivities/tours desk in the main lobby. The person helps to find tours for you to go on and books them for you. I would definitely recommend Costa Vida Vallarta!!!