Splash Inn Nuevo Vallarta

Located on the side of the Tepic-Puerto Vallarta highway, Splash Inn has a bit of a roadside motel vibe. A small portico with a Spanish style roof leads to the hotel’s front entrance, where glass doors give way to the lobby. With vaulted ceilings and neatly arranged seating areas, the lobby has a touch more character than its exterior lets on. The front desk is lined with tourist pamphlets and there’s a simple coffee station in the corner. Staff members speak a smattering of English, but knowing basic Spanish would probably be helpful when staying here. The majority of hotel guests are Mexican families who come for weekend trips from Guadalajara and Tepic. 

Splash Inn is located on the Tepic-Puerto Vallarta highway in Nuevo Vallarta. It’s about a 10-minute drive from the airport and the nearest beach, and about a five-minute drive from El Tigre Golf Club and a few large supermarkets. The hotel’s side-of-the-highway location isn’t too scenic, but it’s not too bothersome either. Rooms are a bit removed from the highway and we didn’t notice much traffic noise during our stay.  

Rooms at Splash Inn are clean, but apart from that there's little to praise. Cheap clapboard furniture and drab brown bedspreads look a bit sad against a backdrop of bland white walls and white tile floors. Furniture is sparse, mattresses are rock hard, and the only thing adorning the walls are light fixtures and flat screen TVs. On the plus side, rooms are air-conditioned and have a few simple amenities like mini fridges and bottled water. Many rooms have outdoor balconies or patios that overlook the waterpark. Bathrooms are tiny and feature dated tile work, single sinks, and shower stalls with flimsy shower doors. Splash Inn has three room types — standard rooms with two double beds, standard rooms with a king bed, and standard rooms with two double beds and a futon. Rooms aren’t large, but since they don’t have much furniture or decorative pieces, they actually feel pretty spacious. 

The main attraction at Splash Inn is the on-site waterpark. We’re not going to compare the place to Six Flags or Disney, but it’s a popular local attraction with a handful of slides, a pirate-themed kiddie pool, and a relaxing pool for swimming. There’s also an animal theater with frequent dolphin and sea lion shows and a concession stand where guests can buy snacks and drinks. Admission is free for hotel guests; non-guests can buy tickets at the park entrance. Though the waterpark is Splash Inn’s main attraction, the hotel also has its own pool, a tiny fitness center, and an on-site restaurant. The property's private pool is shaped like a guitar and is located, oddly enough, behind the waterpark. Guests who use the hotel’s pool will still feel like they’re in the park, in good and bad ways. (It’s still possible to hear all of the park’s noises through the wire fence that separates the two areas.) Splash Inn’s tiny fitness center is located in a ground floor room adorned with cheesy fitness posters. There are a few haphazardly arranged cardio and weight machines, but considering most of them were unplugged, we don’t think the gym gets much use. The hotel’s on-site restaurant is another establishment that’s never busy, mostly because of its unreliable hours. During our visit, the restaurant showed no signs of opening for either breakfast or dinner. Free Wi-Fi is available in the hotel lobby, but not in the guest rooms. The connection can be spotty if a lot of people are trying to use the internet, so it’s best to connect during off hours when no one’s around.