PR San Juan Westin Rio Mar Rio Grande

[msplichal]

Just returned from our stay with the Westin Rio Mar. They added two charges beyond the total HotWire charge. Each day I was charged a "Resort Fee" of $10.90 and a self-parking fee of $10.00. The good news is that they upgraded us to an Ocean Suite due to standing in the check-in line for almost an hour. That weekend we arrived they had several local colleges having their graduation ceremonies on the premises. So you can imagine many local PR families checking in for one night. Bad timing but overall experience was reasonable.

[LoneStar]

OK, I'm going to say a lot about this hotel because, from what I read before my trip, there's a lot of misinformation about both this hotel and Puerto Rico travel in general.

First, the hotel is significantly better than most of the reviews you read (especially in places like Trip Advisor). For the $80 I paid on priceline (and I think you can only get that rate on off-peak days) it was positively a steal.

Tip No. 1 for enjoyment of the Weston Rio Mar: rent a car. If you are not prepared to do that, stay in San Juan. It's simply NUTS to arrive here without wheels. You'll read all sorts of posts about how difficult driving is in Puerto Rico (crazy drivers, bad road signs, etc) but those stories are largely untrue. I drove for 8 days throughout Puerto Rico and I found nothing particularly exceptional about the driving conditions. Yes, there are a FEW bad drivers (you've probably seen them in your hometown, too). Yes, there are a few missing road signs (again, not much different than I've encountered elsewhere). Yes, you will need to consult a map and, perhaps, bone up a little rudimentary Spanish, since none of the road signs are in English. But, really, driving in Puerto Rico is no big deal. Indeed, the drive from the airport to the hotel -- 19 miles they claim -- is not terribly difficult. It can be a little slow once you reach Route 3 because of the lights and urban sprawl, but not difficult. About an hour to the airport, but depending on traffic it could take longer or shorter. When considering which car company to use, note that the hotel charges Avis renters only $5 to park, and charges everyone else $10. You can go to flyertalk.com's Avis discussion for discount codes. With the codes, I found Avis' rates to be the cheapest among the major car rental companies, and it felt good to get half-off parking. :)

The reason you need a car (aside from the long drive to the airport) is because you're otherwise hostage to the hotel for food and tours and you'll save a boatload of money -- and have more fun -- having your independence. Probably the number one complaint I've read about this hotel is that not all of their 12 restaurants are open every day. That's true (although it seemed like they always had both a casual and a fancy restaurant open while I was there), but who cares? Who goes to the Caribbean to eat fancy (and expensive) Italian or Asian food in a hotel? I certainly didn't, and there are TONS of good, affordable local restaurants within a 5 to 15 minute drive of the hotel. Right at the intersection of Route 3 and the little side road that goes up to the hotel, there's the Isamar Bakery that serves decent breakfasts and terrific Latin deserts like flan and tres leches all at low prices (watch the freshness on the pastries, however -- they're better when very fresh). There's also a local restaurant on that street (somelike like Antojitos) but I didn't try it. The famous "kiosks" of Luquillo beach are only 5 minutes further down Rt. 3, and you can have a fine meal at some (#2 was fancy and good, with entrees around $15). Before you reach the kiosks, consider a stop at the fruit stand along Rt. 3 for an excellent inexpensive fruit shake, with warm hospitality. Two minutes further down the road in the actual town of Luquillo are some great restaurants with $5 and $6 weekday lunch specials. Victor's on the main plaza was good, Sandy's Sea Food a block and a half southeast of the square was better. You have to specifically ask for the lunch menu there, but you can get great asopao soup with lobster for 5 bucks! Another 4 or 5 minutes further east is Fajardo, and right on the main road are US-style shopping centers with everything you could possibly need (try the Metropol restaurant for good Cuban-Puerto Rican food).

Back at the hotel itself, you'll find the grounds stunning and I had no problems getting a decent room. They acknowledged my Starwood gold status, and gave me a modest upgrade to a partial ocean view. The room was large, stylish, well-kept and had the famous comfy Westin heavenly beds and a nice balcony for listening to the coqui frogs at night. There is only an overstocked minibar in the room, but they prompty brought me a free refrigerator when I asked. You really want the frig for drinks and the Isamar deserts you'll be bringing back! They also did not try to charge me a resort fee, which was nice.

The pool area (one adult, one active pool) is pretty with plenty of cushioned loungers and a nice waterslide for the kids. They organize a few activities at the towel stand -- like iguana feeding, which is a pleasant 15 minute diversion. You might also want to consider playing bingo: not many people do, so your odds of winning valuable stuff like free drink coupons is high. My wife played and in 20 minutes won us 2 drinks, and at $8.50 a pina colada, it was time well spent. :) The beach has pleasant surf and the lobby area is mega-resort grand and impressive. There's a small casino off the lobby if that's your thing (seemed pretty busy at night).

You may come across reviews saying the place is "in the boonies" but that, frankly, is ridiculous. The rather unattactive sprawl of San Juan ends a couple miles before the hotel, but within a short driving distance are some great attractions like El Yunque rain forest (on the other side of Route 3 from the hotel) and the Reservas Natural Las Cabezas de San Juan. The latter, run by the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico, is not all that well known, but is probably an even more enjoyable outing than magnificent El Yunque (you need to sign up with the Trust for a tour to see the Reservas). Because of traffic, the hotel is not terribly convenient to sightseeing in San Juan, and I would suggest staying a day or two in a place like Isla Verde to see worthwhile sights like Old San Juan. You could, of course, make a day trip out of San Juan from the Westin.

The one legitimate beef I could make about the hotel is that it is fairly soul-less -- nothing really says "Puerto Rico" about it, and you could be on a tropical beach anywhere. I suspect many guests LIKE that about the place, and my family certainly didn't mind coming back from our "real" outings on the island and enjoying the luxurious amenities of the hotel. That said, you might consider combining your visit to the Westin with (along with a couple nights in San Juan) a stay at a parador resort where you might actually encounter some Puerto Ricans (who will also likely surprise you with their warmth and generosity). I'd recommend the Bahia Salinas for such a stay, located on the far opposite side of the island from the Westin, about a 2 1/2 hour drive.

[LoneStar]

I was amused to compare my experience to a Trip Advisor poster who stayed at the hotel the same time I did. He/she had a generally unfavorable impression of the hotel because they ate mediocre and vastly overpriced food at the hotel, instead of venturing off the property to local places.

Not sure why anyone would be surprised: I always look at the hotel dining options, but about 9 times out of 10, I dine off-site. Apparently at the Westin Rio Mar, that's a very good idea. :)

[bellesie]

Great review LoneStar.

My boyfriend and I spent 6 nights in Puerto Rico, 3 of them at the Westin Rio Mar, 3 of them at the Courtyard Miramar in San Juan. (March 27- April 2, 2006)

First, the Westin was beautifully maintained. We got a first floor room which was ok, and we didn't have a great view of the beach or anything, but our balcony overlooked a garden which was nice. The "heavenly" bed was not all that comfortable (hate to say it but the Courtyard had more confortable beds). The room was large and clean with tile floors and nice decor. I was not charged a resort fee.

The lobby area was nice with a fountain, the lounge downstairs had a piano player in the evening that was wonderful, mixed drinks were about $8, with beer around $4. There were always fresh tropical flowers in the lobby which were beautiful, and there was a great view of the pools and beach. At night, candles were lit to give the place nice ambiance. Check in was quick. We paid $10/day to self park with an Avis car, but we didn't think to tell the concierge it was from Avis, and maybe the $5 parking is only if you rent from the Avis that is onsite.

The concierges were very helpful, with a lot of pre printed directions to popular sites, although they made us chuckle a bit... "go down 7 traffic lights and turn left. At the next light go right." No street names, so a good road map is a must! My boyfriend came down with strep throat while we were there, and the pharmacies there do not accept phoned in or faxed prescriptions because the law is different than in the US. The Westin has a doctor on call that can write prescriptions for $50, and the hotel will have it filled, pick it up, and deliver it to your room at no charge, which I thought was above and beyond service.

The pools were clean, there was plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas in that area along with towel stands, activities for the kids, and a tiki bar. There were also plenty of loungers available on the beach. One tip, if you are walking the beach during the evening, bring bug spray! There are no-seeums on the beach and they will give you mosquito-like bites that itch - final count, 54 bites :) There is a bonfire in the evening near the beach with ingredients and equipment to make s'mores.

Other PR stuff- not hotel related- action packed week!

Definitely rent a car if you stay at the Westin. Luquillo, the rain forest, and the ferry to Culebra and Vieques are all within driving distance and having a car gives you the freedom to get around and not be held hostage to the resort, as beautiful as it is. I can not speak about any of the restaurants at the resort as we dined off site while we were there. There is a grocery store not far from the resort, so we "cheated" and went and got breakfast foods, water, rum, etc.

We ate at Kiosk 2 in Luquillo the first night and the food was good with a nice atmosphere in that particular kiosk, some of it looked a little run down and we were aprehensive at first, but we didn't have any problems at all. We also dined at Antonito's by the corner of the street to turn into the Westin and had a good meal. We also stopped at some of the road side stand for "pinchos", kebobs of chicken or pork usually, with bbq sauce and a piece of bread, $2 each, YUM.

The rainforest was beautiful, it's about a 13 mile drive through and we stopped along the way to hike along the trail that lead to a waterfall where you could swim. It rains there about 4 times a day, so bring something to protect your camera, although under the canopy of trees, you don't get really wet.

We went horseback riding at Hacienda Caraballi- beautiful Paso Fino horses and a 2 hour ride through the foothills of the rainforest, along a river, and through an area with gorgeous horse farms and houses.

They also rent 4-wheelers.

The bioluminescient bay out of Fajardo was INCREDIBLE! We did not kayak (had a problem getting in touch with the guy we made reservations through), but did take Cpt. Suarez's little boat. The tour through the mangroves at night was the coolest thing! Huge iguanas in the trees, egrets sleeping, etc. The actual bay is phenominal. A must to go swimming in. I admit, I was a little hesitant at first, it's pretty dark and the water is 20 ft. deep. After one of the children on the tour jumped right it, I figured I couldn't be shown up by her, so followed right after! :)

The ferry out of Fajardo to Culebra is the way to go. It's about a 45 minute ride. Unfortunately, there were problems with the boat after we left the dock, so we had to turn around and they ended up cancelling the ride out and refunding our $2.50 ea. Later in the week, we caught the Hi Speed Island Ferry out of San Juan, which was 1 hour 45 minutes long, and considerably more expensive ($68 RT per person). The boat had a shop to get drinks and sandwiches, which the other ferry did not have, and they showed a movie. My suggestion is to take some dramamine before you go, even if you usually don't get sea sick, there were some huge swells on the ocean, and probably 1/3 of the passengers got sea sick. Culebra is a beautiful island, you can get around to the beaches by taking the cabs that pick up at the doc, $2 per person was a great deal, and they pick you up and get you back to the ferry on time too. We went to Flamenco Beach and it was beautiful and clean. They have changing areas and rest rooms (bring your own TP) and some stands that sell water, ice, empanadas, pinchos, and batidas (I think? frozen fruit drinks made with fruit, ice, milk and sugar). All of the prices were reasonable.

Casa Bacardi was pretty "touristy" but interesting, and you get 2 free rum drinks- great daiquiris for sure! Rum there is about $.05- $.10 more there than at the duty free at the airport, but they have some varieties that are only available in Puerto Rico and one that is exclusive to the gift shop. There was no charge to go on the tour. I was surprised that the gift shop was not over prices. $12- $18 for nice t-shirts and hats, more for polo's.

Old San Juan was interesting, lots of brightly colored buildings and I loved the blue paved streets. Picoteo's is a Spanish tapas bar that we dined at one evening, and it was very good. It was by El Convento hotel. We decided next time we'd rather stay over by the Westin and make San Juan a day trip. Definitely less traffic. We did not need the rental car in San Juan, and we took the bus down town to the boat docks and to Old San Juan.

[LoneStar]

I returned to this Westin for $80 again. Not much has changed -- although the fee to park your car is up to $15, + a new 6 or 7% tax! Avis rent-a-cars still park for $5 (+ tax), so it's a real incentive to rent from Avis if you'll be spending a few days here. Just settle your parking charges at the booth in the garage and not at the front desk.

The pool area is still quite nice, but they seem to have taken away the cushions on the loungers. Oh, well.

I actually had 2 stays at this property -- 3 nights, then a visit to Vieques, and then 1 night. It was interesting because my first stay was before Thanksgiving, and my second visit was during the Turkey Day weekend. Very different atmosphere: the hotel is almost sleepy during off-peak (few activities, closed restaurants), but busy during the peak days (extra activities, but the resort feels somewhat crowded). I don't know which is better -- I guess it's individual preference. It was nice to get free rum punches in the lobby and bonfire by the beach (no smores) during the peak season -- and my kids enjoyed the bouncehouse and "dive-in" movies by the pool -- but I'm not sure it's worth the crowds.

For my off-peak check-in, my Starwood Gold card got be a great oceanfront room this time. The lady said she'd block me a nice room for my return visit, but when I got there at 4 pm it wasn't ready. I didn't want to wait an hour, so I got a bad room overlooking the parking lot. For a night it was fine, but had I been staying longer, I would try to angle for a room with at least some view.

My previous "to do" recommendations still stand: if you have a car, try to find Sandy's in Luquillo for an authentic lobster asopao soup (now $6 for lunch, including salad and a pepsi). I tried the nearby Antojitos this time: while not my favorite Puerto Rican restaurant, it's worth a visit, and the red snapper filet was tasty and affordable. Metropol on Rt. 3 in Fajardo is a great Cuban-Puerto Rican restaurant; try the chocolate tierretas for dessert. The Isamar Bakery on Rt. 3 at the turnoff to the hotel has great inexpensive desserts. Both my wife and I thought they had the best flan we've ever tasted. They're almost always open (breakfast sandwiches on cuban bread, pizza available in the evenings), so it's quite convenient for a snack or take out.

Food at the hotel looks expensive, but not outrageous. And they do have an affordable kids menu. With all the nearby dining options, I didn't try any of the restaurants (the breakfast buffet looked vastly inferior to the Caribe Hilton's, at the same $19.50 per person price, with kids paying half), but if I didn't have a car, I think we could have survived.

Before going to the rain forest (15 minutes away) look at the mountain; if it isn't in clouds, it's a great time to go because it won't be raining. The El Portal visitor center is missable; but at $3 (kids are free), you could stop in.

I took my rent-a-car to Vieques (nobody seems to know if it's allowed, but they won't stop you). You'll need advance reservations (multiple phone calls necessary to reach the agent) to take a car, but it's only $26 roundtrip. A very different experience from the Westin, but very worthwhile. Great beaches, and the bioluminesent bay there was amazing on a moonless night (the previous poster noted her trip to the Fajardo bay; that could be a viable and easier alternative). Without a car, you could probably get transporation from the Westin to the ferry dock and rent-a-car on Vieques. If you don't need constant luxury, Vieques makes a great add-on to a trip to the Westin.

[LoneStar]

I forgot to mention that a new toll road ($1.50) has just opened from near the San Juan Airport to about 5 miles west of the Westin. It's so new you won't find it on many tourist maps yet. The road is important because it eliminates most of the slow and unpredictable drive from San Juan east on Rt. 3. It makes day tripping to Old San Juan from the Westin more pleasant, and makes staying here after an evening arrival (or before a morning departure) at SJU more tenable. I'd guess you could get to the airport in under 40 minutes (I took the toll road, but wasn't headed to the airport).

That said, if you're going to San Juan, you might want to first try bidding for the Caribe Hilton (see the reviews). While I think the Westin is much more pleasant than staying in MOST San Juan "resorts," I'm not sure it's nicer than the Caribe Hilton. And since the Caribe Hilton seems to be the CHEAPEST San Juan resort these days, if you don't get hit under $80, you can likely guess it won't be the Caribe you'll wind up at.