After staying at a 5 star in Nuevo Vallarta in 2007 (Vallarta Palace) we really wanted to experience something that was more authentic. The Hotel Encino fit the bill. Although it is obviously an older hotel and lacks the shine of others it's definitely worth the 42 bucks a night we paid in March 2008 for 10 days. We booked online direclty with the hotel. Our room was small but clean. This hotel location is superior to any other 3 star mentioned on TA. Suites are available with up to 2 kIng size beds in each (2 bedrooms) with semi-kitchens. and living rooms. The AC worked great and the TV also worked fine. Approximately 40 channels with 15 in English. They charge a 20 dollar deposit on the remote control. Same for beach towels. They really should invest in new towels as they have all seen better days. The shower was adequate with no lack of hot water. Make sure you ask for a room with at least a balcony as some rooms are literally closets with no windows at all. The only complaint about our room was the bed itself. If your looking for soft and plush find a different hotel!. Again, this hotel is older but very clean. It has a rooftop unheated (refreshing) pool with amazing views, almost 360 degree. There is also a bar on the rooftop with great views also. The problem with the bar is you never know when it is open. Ask about drink prices before you sit down. Hotel location warrants that it can be noisy at times. Our solution was to close the sliding balcony doors and turn the AC on low. If and when we go back to the downtown district we would not hesitate to stay at the Hotel Encino again. Great experience, but you are getting a rundown Comfort Inn / Motel 6 type of hotel. Hey, what do you expect for 42 bucks a night!

I stayed for 3 nights at the Encino a few years ago, great location, cute rooms, beautiful courtyard and amazing views from the rooftop pool. Only negative is it's a little noisy.

I'll start with the good... Location is good. Close to the Malecon - 2 blocks.. and price was reasonable at about $50US per night.
The pictures make this hotel look a lot nicer than it is. It is adequate but not very clean... older - needs a remodel... small concrete cell like rooms.. loud grungy AC units.. Had to look at 3 room before settling for a smaller but cleaner room. I would bet you could do better for same price or not much more... maybe not... I'm not planning to stay IN PV again.. just a jumping off place to places like Sayulita or Yelopa..

If you are looking for a modern, pristine, American-style hotel, look elsewhere. This is a good, clean, no-frills hotel that seems to cater to majority of Mexican clientelle. We stayed there twice, once in the hotel and once in the Suites and LOVED it. The rooms in the hotel are small with only the necessary furniture - AC, cable TV and no shortage of hot water. We had a king size bed with a balcony and a view of the river - great for looking at the large iguanas that frequent the trees across the street. This is not the hotel for anyone who likes to sleep later or has a big problem with noise in the morning. There are many businesses near the hotel that open early and their owners can be heard sweeping, talking and driving vehicles from about 7 am on.

We very much enjoyed our stay and had very good service from the staff - have a bit of patience and understanding is required with a few who speak little English - you may even learn some Spanish! A good cultural experience!

The Goodalls, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada