My husband I traveled with my 2 children (7 and 9) and the resort was everything the most recent reviews stated. However, be careful of the food. We only ate at the hotel and two of us got very sick- food poisoning like symptoms. It lasted a little over a week.
The staff is very friendly. I did not see a difference in treatment if you tipped or not. The area was very clean, as matter of fact they were constantly cleaning (which is why I was surprised we got sick). The activities were good, the shows were okay (some not appropriate for young children). The hotel is very pushy about you doing their time share presentation- they asked every day.
The beach is nice- there are a lot of jelly fish everywhere. Many visitors got stung.
The premium liquor is under the counter you may have to ask for it. If they don't carry what you like ask for management and they might be able to get it for you.
This was a kid friendly hotel and had a great water park for the kids to play in. The rooms were clean and nice.

This place was created for family vacations. Our kids are 5, 6, and 12 and they all loved it. They have a kids water park that is quite shallow and excellent for they younger kids. The pirate ship and the castle withthe small water slides were very entertaining for them for hours.

The kids paradise (child care service)was perfect. It ws open to the water park and they had to go in through a child size door. We were able to decide if we wanted them indoors only with the staff, in and out with the staff or come and go as they wish. This was a great idea The staff took them to the playground , bowling competition, volleyball, and if you said indoors only which is what we did in the middle of the day because we wanted them out of the sun for a while they got to do arts and crafts and lots of glitter projects. There were a few time that we wnt to get them and they didn't want to leave. My son at age 12 was able to go in and out freely and was able to go play with his sisters inside when t got too hot in the pool or if there were no other age appropriate activities going on he could just go watch TV in the shade.

We liked the buffett for breakfast and lunch. There were lots of choices. Dinner was not quite as good but the kids liked it and ate well every day. The drinks were good and flowing. They also had a drink list for the kids which was really fun for them.
The rooms were a little to be desired but they were clean. We didn't stay there for the room though and honestly quite adequate for as much as you are in it.
We also loved the shows at night. We have been to many all inclusives and found these to be a great way to end the day and the kids liked them too.
Overall great experience for the family. Would likely go to this resort again if going to puerto vallarta with the kids.

We just returned from our first trip to Puerto Vallarta. Our family has traveled to the Belize Cayes, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun on multiple occassions and yes love the waters of the Carribean. Just for reference, we are in our mid 30's and always travel with our kids 9 & 5 and have stayed in all-inclusives on 5 different occassions. We are more affraid to take them to New York City, than to any of these locations, so I encourage you to travel with your kids if you have them.

We were a little hesitant to go to the Pacific side knowing the waters are different, but found other parts of the trip helped offset the lack of clear water. The culture is more laid back than Cancun or Playa del Carmen and many locals at the resort and about town are more genuin about helping you during your stay. They continually say "we want you to come back." The beauty of PV lies in the mix of mountains, climate, palm trees, expansive beaches, the culture, and boasts some of the best sunsets. I just wish it had the clear water to go with it, but only a minor set back.

Now the resort...Crown Paradise Club was a solid, family friendly resort. I'm getting kind of windy so I will try to get to the highlights. The staff is very friendly, helpful, and speak Spanish and English very fluently. The resort is not expansive or ultra modern. If that is what you like then look elsewhere. If you are looking for a great time and value then it is a great place. There is always plenty of food. When you read reviews about food choices or variety being bad or getting old, take warning, that was probably their first time to go and they expected 5 star quality for 3.5 star price. We never have complaints about the food, but we have realistic expectations. The beaches are nice and clean, protected from hurricanes unlike Cancun and Playa. The kids played on the beach each night, while we watched some spectacular sunsets. The beds were more comfortable than most resorts of equal class. The kids area is safe and we used it one day for an hour just to have a little time to relax without the kids by the water. They made us sign papers and leave a picture id with the attendant for security purposes. We were impressed by the detail to keep the kids safe. Just a side note, if you don't have kids, you will probably want to look elsewhere. Not just for you, but for the families there. Maybe next door at the adults only Golden Crown Paradise.

There is a local supermarket, very modern like a Publix, United, or HEB within a 3 min walk from the resort to get any supplies needed. The local buses stop just to the side of that parking lot and make for an economical means to get around for about .50/person US one way. We love traveling on the public buses when in Mexico! I hope this is helpful. Fun travels!

All inclusive resort food is always touch and go..
The buffet is perfect for breakfast and lunch as there are an array of options. However, I would not suggest it for dinner. I've only gone to two of the three restaurants on the location and did not like either. I would suggest going into Centro and having a better dinner there.

The service is pretty decent. Beach a little cluttered and not as nice as I would expect for a beachfront resort.

The room I had was large and clean but nothing to jazzy.

The only problem I have with this hotel pertains to billing. I was overcharged by $400 post departure. When I checked out, I was told that I did not owe an extra dollars but found a week later that my credit card statement indicated the charge. After numerous contact with the hotel, the credit was not taken off. RIDICULOUS.