The house is really much nicer than the pictures for the most part. However, the best reason to stay here is the staff. Misael made amazing drinks, Lupita is a fantastic chef and Maria kept everything clean. I can't say enough about how wonderful these three are. Also, I didn't realize that chef services were included - you only pay for the price of the food. I highly recommend canceling any dinner reservations you have and just asking Lupita to pamper you. The grilled fish in particular was better prepared (and fresher) than most fancy restaurants.

The house has a great layout for an extended family - my sister and her kids had the lowest terrace with the pool, so the boys could go swimming at any hour without disturbing the rest of the family. The two rooms on the next level up are large and have a nice private balcony. The main living area is above that and is lovely (though I would recommend the owners switch to a coffee table that is easier to put drinks on.) The top floor is a smaller bedroom with a large and wonderful bathroom and a lovely rooftop terrace.

We were visited by huge manta rays, so keep your eyes open when the water is calm/clear.

A few things to consider: (1) The house faces north, so if you want to be in the sun, you will need to be on the rooftop terrace, not the pool deck. The pool is heated though, so some family members considered the shady pool area a bonus because they could swim and hang out without slathering on sunscreen (the temps were in the mid-70s to lower 80s while we were there in early Feb.) This was also handy for the kids who wanted to be in and out of the pool all day long. (2) The staff makes a large part of their money from tips and shortly before we arrived we were told that the expected rate is $15 per day, per guest - so make sure you factor this into the cost when making your plans because it adds up. (3) You can walk into Mismaloya, but there is no shoulder for much of the way and the road has heavy traffic. The bus is only 8 pesos and will drop you off right in front of the Barcelo. (4) We frequently smelled sewer gas. I'm not sure if it was coming from our house or something near by, but it was not pleasant when you caught a whiff. However it was not too pervasive either.

All in all, I would consider this house again if coming to PV with a large group. I would definitely try to hire Lupita to cater anyplace I stayed!