El Conquistador Resort - Puerto Rico

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This international travel thinks it's over-priced and dishonest. Visited: June 2009 Posted by suepol My family stayed at Las Casita at El Conquistador. It was a two-bedroom, three-bath condo. It was about $570 a night, low season plus an $80 a day resort fee. You would think for $570 a night, the price of the pool and facilities are covered. Read the fine print. I booked a casita for convenience of a kitchen and the convenience of eating some meals in the room. However, groceries were difficult (and expensive) to get. We were hoping to do laundry at the condo, as we were traveling to the BVI for sailing next. There was a hook up for a washer/dryer, but no machines. The resort was huge and the biggest I have been to with no public laundry. They will wash your socks for $2.00, though. Local calls were supposed to be free, but weren't. Drinks were like $12.00 a piece and not that good. Also, the food was over-priced for the quality. Although, the one highlight was the food at the Golden Door Spa. They tacked a 20% tip onto services at the spa, and made you pay before you receive them. I had the most expensive but poorest quality pedicure in my life for $100. I know this sounds like I am spoiled, but I work hard for my money and their prices did not justify the level of service. We are rather experienced travelers, and have lived in Paris - we are used to high prices. I could have done better elsewhere. Also, the staff at the Las Casitas desk was not very helpful, and lied about the availability of groceries. These guys just want your money. 4 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was very poor. Visited: May 2009 Posted by crr7jo I was very unhappy with this place. For what I paid - what I received was not so good. I was so glad to go home. 3 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Don't leave any valuables in the room, and don't order frozen drinks. Visited: February 2009 Posted by tanama I checked out at 7 pm, then came back at 8 pm because I left my $400 i-phone in the room. They even had the identity and proof that a housekeeper entered the room and didn't clean anything. However, they said I couldn't claim anything was stolen because I left it in the room (and that it should have been in the vault). It was a $900 a night villa. I expected another response from the hotel. On an other occasion, I ordered a frozen drink from the infinity poolside restaurant service. When I finished the drink, there was a hair all tangled up with the cherry. It was so disgusting! Well, they made me pay for it! I still get disgusted when I think of it. They don't seem to care much about customer service and satisfaction. 7 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was our honeymoon? Visited: October 2008 Posted by velmapu When we checked into our room, we found the sofa had a huge tear in it, the thermostat was falling off the wall, and the lock on the door was completely broken. We requested another room, and were moved shortly thereafter...right next to the elevator. The resort didn't appear to have many guests (we checked in on a Tuesday), so we explained to the front desk that this was our honeymoon and would like a little more privacy. They indicated that the hotel manager would contact us, which he/she never did. Since there weren't many guests at the resort while we were here during the week, I guess we were thinking that we'd get better service and not be ignored. Don't get me wrong, we like our privacy, but wanted a meal or cocktail now and then, which was difficult when the hotel staff was nearly nonexistent. On Friday other guests arrived, so the hotel staff finally appeared. However, we were already packed and ready to get back to San Juan and board our cruise so our honeymoon could actually start. We wish we would have stayed home to work immediately following our wedding, skipped El Conquistador altogether, and just did the cruise. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a delightful visit! Visited: October 2008 Posted by sajoakita El Conquistador is stunning! Yes, it's huge, and it takes time to get from your room to anywhere else. We found those walks, surrounded by the "singing" of the Coqui frogs, to be relaxing and enchanting. The gardens were lush and exotic; beautiful flowers and tropical plants (trees, ferns, bromiliads) were everywhere. We ate at the Stingray (delicious seafood, elegantly presented, excellent service) and the Striphouse (one of the best steaks I've ever enjoyed). We went horseback riding on Palomino Island, and would love to repeat the experience. The staff was exceptionally responsive and friendly, too. We loved it, and hope to return! 10 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? El Conquistador in Puerto Rico is genius! Visited: July 2008 Posted by dsjfkhdf34 This was one of the best vacations ever. My husband and I came with my sister, her husband, and all our kids. We had a splendid time. The check-in took a while, but it was worth it. There was the membership club, which my family joined, and everyone was splendid. There was the Coqui water park for kids, and my children loved it! The private Palimino beach was great, too. You could go jet skiing, canoeing to other islands, or just swim! You could body board and everything. The waters were crystal clear, and the food was fantastic. There were numerous pools, and hot-tubs, and amazing water slides! My kids had a blast. I especially enjoyed the lazy river you could just float in. In addition, there was horseback riding on the beach and miniature golf. There were so many activites. I recommend it to everyone! Everyone had a splendid time. There were many casinos, and so much more. I would rate it five stars! 3 users found this review helpful. 2 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? I love it! Visited: April 2008 Posted by lovely I went to El Conquistador last spring break, and it was fabulous! The rooms were great, and the service was wonderful. There were so many restaurants to choose from, and they were all excellent! The beach was nice and private. It was for guests only! The spa was also very, very nice. You'll never get bored because there are so many things to do. If you are going to Puerto Rico, come here. I guarantee you won't be disappointed! 8 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beware this rip off. Visited: April 2008 Posted by cfleming My husband and I stayed at the El Conquistador in April. The private island was not private! Boats pulled up to the beach and docked there, so anyone could use the beach. There was a private party one night, and the pool was closed to the guests of the hotel. Citigroup took over the pool, and paying hotel guests were told to leave the pool. And forget about trying to get a drink at the poolside bar - we were ignored! We were treated as a nuisance rather than a guest of the hotel. We were pelted by plastic Easter eggs from hotel guests (brats), and when we called the front desk to tell them about it, they said they had not been aware of this situation. I suggested that they go outside and look at the eggs on the ground and maybe try to send Security to look for the little darlings throwing the eggs. "That is impossible" was the answer I got. The food was overpriced. The guests of the hotel seemed to all be on ego trips and full of themselves. They should have paid as much attention to their little brats running around the hotel throwing plastic eggs at people and running around in circles at the bar as they did to primping and posing for each other! It was an out of control day care center for over indulged adults who really have no clue as to what a nice vacation or hotel is. 16 users found this review helpful. 12 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Beware! Visited: April 2008 Posted by blondrea I travel a lot, and I'm an easygoing person. So when I went to El Conquistador in Puerto Rico, I expected to have a great time. And though we found the Puerto Ricans overall to be truly lovely, genial people, we were shocked at the deceit we experienced at this resort! I suggest you definitely watch your back. Things were stolen from our room. (Use the safe!) Many things were falsely charged to our room, and the front desk did not want to hear about it. We made good and certain that they did, and eventually got every line item removed. But it took a lot of work. Don't wait until your check out time, review your bill in advance! We did, and it still took two days to straighten out! The front-desk personnel told me to my face that they "do not want to deal with it." Astoundingly, every single person checking out when I was (there were three agents open) had a bill dispute! Plus, one poor man approached the check-out desk and said, and I quote, "My room was broken into. Again." If you stay here, expect erroneous charges, overall hostility, average rooms, and a very, very uninteresting location (no town anywhere near). Also, do not expect to see a piece of fruit during your entire stay. I had greasy, bland food. Expect absolute mediocrity if you choose to stay here. Or better yet, avoid this diabolical dump altogether! Finally, there is zero nightlife here - absolutely nothing! 26 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the worst weekend ever. Visited: November 2007 Posted by wlugo I stayed with my family at this hotel last weekend. In my opinion, this resort was very distant from the five-star hotel they claim to be. Attendance was very poor, and the personnel lack people skills. My AC unit stopped working at 2:00 am in the morning, so they transferred us to another room - which was located at the other end of the hotel. To my surprise, the new room was smaller than the previous one. I opened an incident, and they told me the manager would contact me. I am still awaiting the call. The staff acted as if they didn't care about problems. The hotel was under construction, so 50% of the pool was closed. Also, the prices were very high. There is no way I will spend another weekend at this hotel. There are less expensive and better hotels in Puerto Rico. 34 users found this review helpful. 6 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It appeared the management didn't care. Visited: November 2007 Posted by jaked Actually, this was the third time we stayed at this hotel - but never again. We went to the Spa at the Golden Door and were ripped off. That manager sent security two hours later, and we never heard from them again. The G.M. was apparently too busy to help us. 20 users found this review helpful. 8 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It is incredible! Visited: March 2007 Posted by amazedbythebadreview I have to say that anyone who could write a poor review of this hotel, or criticize the resort for having a ferry that brings you to a private island that makes you feel as if you've fallen off the end of the world has to be totally insane. I have stayed here six times, and every time has been better. Yes, it is somewhat pricy. But, it's not Motel 6. Yes, there is frog noise. It is the national treasure of Puerto Rico! Rather than complain about it, try opening the window and enjoy the free nature soundtrack. Do not be fooled by bad reviews. This place is amazing. 17 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was nice - but expensive. Visited: March 2007 Posted by nayka The resort itself was terrific! The restaurants were nice - pricy, though. The beach on a separate island was different. The food was not good (bad fast food). Also, the beach was windy all the time. 14 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was a very nice place. Visited: March 2007 Posted by nayka This was a very nice resort. The rooms, views and amenities were good. However, the water in the beach was too shallow and full of small stones. I had great time, though. 8 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Don't even think about it. Visited: January 2007 Posted by travelpro I'm at the 'resort' now, and have been moved twice because I keep thinking that this dump of a room cannot be the standard. Apparently, it is. I'm still afraid that some rodent is going to run across the room. The bathtub is so bad that I'm not going to venture into it. Maybe it's a marketing scam to get you to use the Spa. I find it hard to believe that anyone from Golden Door has ever stayed here. I can't wait to leave, which will be as soon as I can get a flight back. I suggest you stay in a bus station before coming here. 25 users found this review helpful. 22 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? What a pleasure! Visited: January 2007 Posted by l__saidenberg I have just returned from a four-day stay at El Conquistador, and was not in the slight bit disappointed. The golf, in particular, exceeded all expectations. It was beautiful and challenging. Our meals were just fine, though pricey. The boat trip, to and from the island beach, was a treat. However, the coral in the shallow waters, made wading a difficult proposition. The Golden Door Spa was terrific - the staff couldn't have been nicer or more attentive. All in all, this resort delivers - proficient golfers will be in heaven. 21 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was stunning, but not for families with small children. Visited: December 2006 Posted by mommy2l_l El Conquistador offered luxury you'd expect from a golf & spa resort, with friendly staff and expensive stores scattered around the vast hotel (which was currently being added on to). It was so huge you need a map to get around. Also, it took 15 minutes to walk from the lobby to our room with an elevator and funicular ride to get there. There was no beachfront. Instead, there was a 20-minute noisy boat ride that took guests to the private Palomino island. The calmest water for small kids to play, was where the boats ferried guests, noisy was an understatement. The rest of the beaches were windy, and the water was choppy. It was a lovely place to stay without kids who would need the toilet within a two-minutes reach. Nothing was close by here! 18 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? What a great place! Visited: August 2006 Posted by misshaynes El Conquistador Golf Resort & Casino was a great experience. It was a great place to visit with the family, and wonderful for the adults. There were wonderful restaurants and little shops surrounding and inside the hotel. I recommend this place to families and for romantic getaways. To anyone who reads this or is considering coming here - this is a wonderful place. 9 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is the best resort ever! Visited: July 2006 Posted by kristalpr I'm from Puerto Rico, I enjoyed my stay here so much. It was like I was in another country. And to all of these negative reviews - what can I say, yes it's pricy! It is a luxury resort, and everything in Puerto Rico is pricy! The hotel is a great place. I stayed here with a bunch of friends, and it was awesome. I loved the scenery. Believe me, we stayed in the economical part of the main hotel. We only paid $160 each for a weekend! I recommend this resort. It's great! 13 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? El Conquistador was pleasant, gorgeous, but sometimes crowded Visited: April 2006 Posted by redfield We just returned from a conference at the resort. We didn't mind the time it took to get from top side, down to the lower levels or off to the island. The resort was clean, the foliage was stunning and the views were the best we've ever seen in the Caribbean. At night we opened our window, turned the AC off and were lulled to sleep by the tiny coqui frogs and birds. Yes, the drinks were expensive, but there was a slighlty less costly convenience store on site and a fridge in the room. The gift shops had great prices on items. We were very shocked with that! The restaurants were very good, but by the fourth night we were bored with them and had the concierge recommend a restaurant in town. We ate at Pasion in Fajardo, and it was great. Six on horseback galloped down hill as they went bar to bar - a tradition. Palomino Island was spectacular. We walked over to the other side where it was private. It was like we had it to ourselves! Walking trails went up and over the hill, we could have gone horseback riding and loved watching the horses and riders pass us by in the water. The guide always stopped to take a picture of the riders with their cameras and even just led the children on horseback. We opted to rent wave runners and went about a mile and a half out. Drinks were fun - but one a day was all we really wanted. Lunch there was okay, but not great. But it's an island after all! The chickens, roosters and bunnies freely wandered the island and were quite tame, although won't let people touch them. I enjoyed the 15-minute water taxi ride over and back. It gave me a chance to meet other people and I loved the joyful shrieks of the kids when the boat hit the wakes! Other parents there loved the kids' camp and said their children couldn't get enough of it. We wished we had brought the kids with us, and are planning on returning in the future with the whole family. The only issue we had was with the pool where the chairs were often taken in the afternoon. We preferred the island anyway! The hotel had transportation to and from the airport and they were very organized and precise in that department. Things flowed smoothly there, and the small casino was fun to visit. Security was present, but not too obvious unless you looked hard. 19 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?