Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa - Puerto Rico

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VERY DISAPPOINTING - WOULDN'T RETURN Visited: April 2003 Posted by sisters125 My family and I are big fans of Starwood properties. This is not one of their top properties, to say the least. The rooms are adequate, at best. They need to be updated - especially the bathrooms. The pools were OK - they do NOT rent cabanas here, they are on a first come, first serve basis. They need more help serving drinks by the pool. We had to get up and get our own. The concierge wasn't very helpful to us. They were far too busy and when phoning from our room, the phone just rang and rang. If we walked down there, the line was extremely long to speak to the consierge. The hotel was far too busy for the staff they had working. In the casino at a roulette table, the people were 3 deep waiting to play; yet they wouldn't open another table (lack of help). We were quite disappointed in this property and wouldn't return. 14 users found this review helpful. 7 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The worst place that I have ever been! Visited: April 2003 Posted by coverent I have no idea what went on during my week stay in Puerto Rico, but this hotel was the worst I have been to in my many years of travels. We decided to go here because this resort was listed in the book of Best Resorts in 2003. Forget that! No help, no excuses, rude, dirty, long lines, expensive. What else is there to say? Go at your own risk! I only hope that I am able to stop payment on the hotel part of this package vacation! 8 users found this review helpful. 9 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The Westin provided excellent service, rooms and amenities! Visited: March 2003 Posted by kimberly_a_cerillo The staff saw to our every need, the room was extremely well appointed and our overall experience was incredible! 6 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was an excellent place to stay. Visited: March 2003 Posted by sandy3 I had the great pleasure of staying at the Westin Rio Mar in Puerto Rico for a week in March of this year. The resort itself was absolutely beautiful! Our room faced the mountains and the rainforest - an awesome view! The staff was very friendly and willing to help in any way possible. The food and the service in the restaurants were excellent! I can't say anything negative about this place! It was an excellent place to stay and I would definitely come back here and recommend it to anyone. 5 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a great time with the kids. Visited: February 2003 Posted by ptmccourt The Westin had very nice facilities, rooms, pools, beach and golf course. The layout of the reost was very nice. The hotel, pools and beach were all near each other, yet designed to feel separated from each other. It made it easy for my wife and I to take turns relaxing on the beach while the other parent swam with our pool-mad daughter. The food in Marabbella was okay. Service was lousy for the most part, though. Food in Palio and Shimas was quite good, as was the service. I recommend making reservations in advance, they would seat us at Shimas at 6:45 pm even though the restaurant was 80% empty, claiming to have many 7:00 and 7:30 reservations. We sat next door and ate and watched maybe four or five more tables come in over the next hour. What a joke. The concierge and front desk staff were for the most part very good. We had no complaints there. If you plan on putting your children in the kid's club, do so with this in mind: TV, TV, and more TV. We put our daughter in it for the first two days and by the third day, we had her stay with us. There was simply no way that she should see two movies in a six-hour stay. They had less than one hour of swimming and minimal activities. There was a lot of hanging around the center with the TV blasting. The workers were very nice, but they needed to get it together. 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Our stay was totally incredible. Visited: December 2002 Posted by perriball The Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort was great and a lot of fun. The pool was very nice, but the chairs being reserved was a little much. Overall, it was nice. 5 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The pictures do not do it justice - what a great value! Visited: December 2002 Posted by susanneh My husband and I just returned from our honeymoon. We stayed four nights at the Westin in St. John, and 4 nights in the Westin Rio Mar. This hotel was MUCH nicer than the one in St. John. When we first arrived I was immediately impressed. It was so much nicer than it looked in the pictures. The hotel was fairly new, the lobby was beautiful, and the rooms were nicely furnished. The bathroom was also very nice. While we were there, we ate at Marabella's, the Asian retaurant, and the Mexican restaurant. All were great with good service. We loved also the pool area. In the activity pool, there was a water slide, volleyball net and basketball nets. It was a lot of fun. If you are looking for a more quiet area, they also have a beautiful adult pool. During our stay, we rented a car and went to Old San Juan. I would definitely do that again. To rent a car at the hotel for the day, it was less than $50.00 for the day. You can park in any parking garage for about a dollar an hour. Compared to the $75.00 one-way taxi ride fee to San Juan, it was totally worth it. Overall, our experience was great. I would suggest to get a package that includes breakfast (the buffet was the best). This hotel was a great value and we would defintely return. 7 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The Westin was an impressive resort. Visited: November 2002 Posted by jstrauser We stayed here for 3 nights prior to a cruise out of San Juan. The resort was huge and very beautiful. The grouds were very well kept and the lobby and common areas were very impressive in terms of decoration - the flooring tile was amazing. Our room looked over the "back" of the resort, the golf courses and towards the mountains and rain forest. The room was okay, but not on par with the rest of the resort in terms of luxury. We had a problem with ants the first night, but it was quickly resolved. The food prices were very high, but the quality was excellent. Also, the beach was nice and the pools were lovely. I played golf on the river course and it was wonderful and very challenging. The hotel ran shuttles around the resort that were very frequent and made it easy to get around. The airport pickup/drop-off was also flawless, and the tour of El Yunque rain forest was worth the cost. 5 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Outstanding staff, beautiful location. Visited: November 2002 Posted by ginsmit We stayed at Westin Rio Mar for 7 days. It was a beautiful place. The rooms faced the golf course or ocean. It was super clean. The staff always spoke when they met guests in hallways, with a "Good Morning" or "Good afternoon or evening". The food was outstanding. They had many fine restaurants, two golf courses, two pools, casino, gifts shops, spa and salon. The activity staff was outstanding, also. there were many activities for children of all ages. I do not have one bad word to say! It was a great place, and I would return for sure! 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This place was heaven on earth! Visited: July 2002 Posted by vargash My wife, two daughters and I visited the resort during the Fourth-Of-July week. Wow! What a vacation! When we were approaching the resort, we started climbing a road with nothing but trees on both sides. All of a sudden, we reached the top of the climb and the skies seemed to open up. What a view! You could see the villas, the beach, and the whole resort. We spent nine days here. The service was impeccable. Anything we asked for, we received. The food was outstanding. The first night we had two and a half pound lobsters that were cooked to perfection. The breakfast buffets were the best. Our vacation package included a picnic-style lunch on the beach. The resort’s staff, which was extremely friendly and helpful, provided us with enough food and drinks for seven people. Our room was very spacious and comfortable. It had the most beautiful view of the grounds, pools and the beach. Every morning we could see the sun rise (which made for some beautiful pictures) and not to mention the sunset. There was no shortage of water sports. With our package, I enjoyed jet skiing and parasailing (you could actually see that the earth is round form up there). The beach was extremely clean. There was nothing but sand and water. I even found a hammock between two palm trees. Ahhh, what a nap. Our two daughters really enjoyed a day in the Iguana Club. They told us they went iguana feeding, painted faces on coconuts, and spent supervised time in the pool. We can’t wait to go back. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A beautiful resort, but some changes are needed. Visited: July 2002 Posted by Hafedog143 When my boyfriend and I first arrived in the San Juan airport, we immediately spotted the Westin Rio Mar transport sign and jumped into a comfortable van. The driver showed us a video on the hotel which we found to be very helpful. When we arrived, it was about 12:00 and they let us check in right away. I asked if there was an upgrade available and within minutes we went from an ocean view room to an ocean front on the 6th floor at no charge. The view was beautiful. The rooms were a perfect size, and the bathroom was big and had everything you would need. Our favorite part was the heavenly bed. It was very comfortable and there were pillows everywhere. The beach and the pool were great. Although, the ocean was rough and very salty. The pools were always packed, but the beach was empty, so we spent the majority of the time there. There were some days when were the only people in the ocean. I enjoyed that the most. The restaurants were very disappointing. We ate dinner at Marbella the first three nights, since that was the only choice we had in the hotel (other restaurants were closed). Shimas was open, but we do not eat Sushi. Marbella did not have much to chose from. The best thing was their breakfast buffet. I wish the restaurant offered more variety. Prices were okay, but not cheap, but we did not expect them to be. Drinks were $7.50 for a margarita, and if you got a soda, they just refilled it as much as needed for free. We also went to Cactus Jacks, because we were looking forward to Tex Mex. Seventy bucks and a terrible meal later, we were very disappointed because it was nothing to brag about. We enjoyed the Palio restaurant and for a few bucks more, it was totally worth it. They had great salads, and they made the Caesar salad right in front of us. Dessert was also good. It was the best meal we had all week except for the Club Coqui, where we had lunch. They offered grilled cheese, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fajita pitas, and chicken fingers, which were all very good. We were interested in going back to Palio, but it was not open more than two days during the week! The service was impeccable. They would give you everything and anything you needed. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Our housekeeper folded our clothes and always had the room sparkling clean. We could not have asked for better service. There was not much to do at night. We spent some time at the lobby bar and at the casino. The grounds were dark at night, and the pool and beach had no light. I would recommend the Old San Juan tour, it was a great time. We also did the light tackle fishing which was great. For my first vacation with my boyfriend, I could not have picked a better place. 6 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was okay. Visited: June 2002 Posted by prntesta This hotel was definitely not vegetarian-friendly. The rooms were comfortable, and some faced the ocean which was outstanding. This resort was in a secluded area. Unless you rent a car, there is not much in the way of a nightlife in that area. If you stay within the resort, be prepared for resort pricing. This was a nice place to relax, but the lack of a vegetarian menu and lack of a nightlife unfortunately lowered my opinion. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is the hotel to stay in! Visited: March 2002 Posted by lmarkle I stayed here in March, and had the time of my life. It was a very beautiful hotel. I loved everything from the service to the casino. This was a great place, even for the non-golfer! 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? The facility is gorgeous. Visited: March 2002 Posted by scohen22 This was a beautiful hotel and with gorgeous rooms. The landscaping was lush and very pretty. The two hot tubs were the only problem. The thermostat was broken on them and the water was either too hot or too cold. A lady near me burned her foot in the hot tub and required medical attention. The food was overpriced, but I expected that. I was given an upgraded room with an ocean view and it was very spacious. The sunset cruise was also awesome. I had a facial, but it was nothing special. There was very little entertainment at night. They had a singer in two bars, but no one was dancing or socializing very much. This was not a good place for singles at all. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Mixed review Visited: January 2002 Posted by Pat192 We just returned from the Westin Rio Mar. The resort was beautiful and the rooms were great (we had ocean view). Also, the staff was very helpful and the entire resort was clean and well-maintained. The downside was that the only nightlife was in the casino. Although that was acceptable, there were so many locals in the casino you couldn't find a slot machine or a seat. We were there five nights and it was the same every night. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A very complete resort. Visited: November 2001 Posted by tommyb061 Having traveled to Puerto Rico several times, I would pick this place over San Juan. The resort is beautiful, quiet and relaxing. The rooms are tastefully decorated and comfortable (ocean view, or for less money "garden view" which usually means a panoramic view of the El Yunque rain forest). The beach is perfectly groomed every night and has lots of room to relax. They have a nice swimming pool and two hot tubs (one is huge). This is a great resort, but the clincher is the area. The rainforest is a must - that means spend a couple days exploring it. You will never forget it, just check the weather. They also offer great golf, as well as a great selection of food. The food is pricy, though. We found a market nearby and there are out of resort options not far away. The service at this hotel is first rate and the staff is very polite. The casino is okay, but I rarely gamble (something to think about are the high taxes on resorts that have a casino). There is a lot to do here, just realize that the tour operators can be unreliable and inconvenient. Rent a car (there is an Avis on premises), get a good map and directions and go! If you are alone and want to party, gamble and go nuts... stay in San Juan. This is a great place for romance, a perfect place to hike in the rainforest and get pampered after, play golf and tennis until you can't swing anymore, then relax with a cool drink and listen to the Coqui frogs sing. We love it here. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Oceanfront dream resort! Visited: September 2001 Posted by sp4jc I travel as often as I can and therefore have stayed in numerous hotels. This is truly one of the best! Service is impeccable, from the valet parking and registration desk, to the concierge, room service and maid service. Your slightest wish is their command. The facility is set amidst 1,000 acres of beautifully landscaped and manicured grounds. The hotel is immaculate and very tastefully decorated. I was very stressed when I arrived and soon felt myself unwind among the beautiful foliage, ocean views and breezes, and two gorgeous swimming pools. There are many restaurants to choose from and if you want to venture out, the concierge staff is more than willing to make excellent recommendations. The facility also offers just about any resort amenity you can imagine. Although it is located about a 20 to 30 minute easy drive outside of San Juan, it is well worth the peace and tranquility. The Westin Rio Mar is my first choice for Puerto Rico and I definitely plan to stay there again. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A beautiful place to stay. Visited: August 2001 Posted by dramos We were at Rio Mar for eight days. At first I was a little disappointed because it was a lot smaller than Conquistador and the grounds were nowhere near as beautiful. Over the course of the week, though, my opinion changed. It was great being able to go to the beach and the pool because they were so close to each other. The room (we had one facing the ocean) was clean, the beds were comfortable, the bathroom very luxurious with great water pressure (which can be a problem on the island). We ate at least one of each type of meal at Marbella and we were not disappointed with the food. There were a few negatives, though. During the week it was a very different experience from the weekend. During the week we had the run of the resort and it became almost a ghost town. There were a lot of corporate affairs over the weekends and we couldn’t even park in the lots on those days unless we got back early. We had to wait in line for dinner and the pool was packed. The other thing was they charged us top dollar for everything - $10 per day for self-parking, $12 for an average roll of film in the lobby, $17 per person for a breakfast buffet. The bottom line: the place was beautiful, but it had a bit of a split personality. We were amazed at how different it was during the week versus the weekend. 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Totally relaxing and a beautiful resort - good snorkeling Visited: July 2001 Posted by dahotts We just returned from a great vacation at this resort. It was business/pleasure, but the pleasure part definitely overruled, as we were completely surprised and delighted at the beauty and wonderful atmosphere. We found all of the staff to be helpful and most were very friendly and proud to have us visit their island. Puerto Rico took us by surprise; it was so beautiful and the views (especially from the Grill Room and the Golf Course) were awesome. The biggest surprise was the snorkeling. We went to Bora Bora on our honeymoon and the islands there were totally surrounded by live coral reefs. We thought we would never see anything like the snorkeling we experienced there. We took the snorkeling trip on the sailboat offered at the hotel and were delighted to experience excellent, excellent snorkeling and an abundance of reefs to explore. The day was so much fun and the time on the sailboat is a good time, too. I understand we were there during the "slow" season, but it is hard to imagine the hotel filling up the abundance of chairs and lounges they have set up all over the beach and at the pools. There was plenty of room to spread out. The beach was very wide and pretty to look at, and the waves were not too rough to enjoy (much like the Atlantic Coast). You will not find a true Caribbean beach here with the quiet clear blue water, as this is not the Caribbean side of the island. (The snorkel trip takes you there.) The rooms and the hotel in general were very, very nice and the grounds were beautiful. I can't imagine being annoyed by the parrot or the iguanas - the iguanas were harmless and interesting to watch and I usually forgot the parrot was there. The food at the restaurants was very good, although I was a little disappointed by the desserts on the buffets. The pools were beautiful and the beach was handy with a nice breeze that helped us handle the intense sun. Everyone that we talked to loved the golf courses and I don't remember anyone in our group of over 200 complaining about anything! We were with a group that provided evening entertainment, but I will agree that if you are young and/or like to party that the "nightlife" provided by the hotel was a little slim. Overall, it was a truly memorable and relaxing vacation in a lovely setting. We would return there without hesitation and recommend it without reservation. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Simply Paradise! Visited: June 2001 Posted by johns The Villas at the Westin Rio Mar are magnificent. The rooms are spacious and luxuriously appointed. The staff is gracious and unobtrusive. The property is beautifully landscaped and views of both the ocean and the mountains are wonderful. The Villas are sedate, private and serene. However, they are just a five-minute walk to the Westin Resort where live entertainment and a small casino can be found. The Resort also offers guided tours of island attractions that depart from the property. The restaurants at both the Resort and the Villas are very good, although very expensive, as are the alcoholic beverages. Expect to pay $7.50 for a Pina Colada. Access to off-property restaurants is only possible if you rent a car. If you're looking for nightlife and excitement, pick a hotel on Isle Verde. If you want luxurious relaxation and can afford fine hotel accommodations, choose the Villas at the Westin Rio Mar. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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