Wyndham Rio Mar, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico - January 2009
My husband and I just returned from a week stay at the Rio mar. When we landed we picked up our rental car and drove to the hotel. The ride is only about 40 minutes (however if you take the toll road 66 you will probably bypass a lot of the lights on Rte 3).
We are By Request Members so upon check in we were upgraded to a junior suite. The room itself was nice. It was large with a seating area, very clean, and had a nice bathroom. Of course some things could have been nicer - large crack in the ceiling of the bathroom, mini fridge should have been cleaned better etc.
The grounds of the hotel are very nice. The grounds staff really works hard on the property. The pools are a bit small compared to other resorts we have stayed at but we are more ocean people so it didn't bother us too much. We did rent a cabana one day on along the pool. Definitely worth the $150 comfy chairs, plenty of towels, cooler with water, snacks, fruit plate, and designated waitstaff.
The beach was great. Very clean, lots of chairs, warm water, and plenty of room. The ocean did have some strong waves while we were there but that just kind of made it more fun. You could stay in the shallow area, or body surf in the big waves, or just hang out in between.
After reading other reviews we decided we didn't want to eat at the restaurants on property we wanted to experience Puerto Rico's food. The only exceptions to that was our breakfasts we went to the ERL next to the casino for coffee and pastries and we tried the appetizers at Boleros lounge and the lobby bar.
We ate dinners at Antojitos (on the road to the rio mar) - they have delicious food and great staff. We also tried La Parilla (Kiosk #2 at luquillo beach) - great food as well. For lunch one day we tried Richies - the food was good but you could tell it was a little more touristy. We did try a non Puerto Rican meal one night because it was so recommended. We went to the Sushi Boat in Fajardo. A must try is the Tempura Shrimp Roll - delicious!
A must do is driving to San Juan for a day of sightseeing or shopping but take the scenic route. Take Rte 3 west to Rte 187. The road takes you through Rio Grande but then you head along the coast through Loiza, and Pinones. There are some great small beaches, sand dunes, and picture perfect stops along the way. In San Juan we had tapas at el picoteo in the El Convento hotel (our favorite San Juan hotel) - the tapas were our favorite meal - simple and delicious!
We did encounter a few problems with the hotel. The first is the drink prices. I know it's a resort and I have no problem with marked up drinks but I will say the Wyndham is definitely at the top of the higher prices. $10 for a mojito or a capirinha is definitely over priced considering the only alcohol in it is rum or cachaca and it was not premium liquor (I don't qualify Bacardi as premium especially when it's local). The next problem is the pool side restaurant. We stopped in twice and everytime it was closing. One day it had literally been open for an hour and a half. On the last day of our vacation we finally received a document detailing when restaurants should be open and what activities should be happening - would have been nice to get this the first day of our stay though.
I know that Wyndham really wants to sell their vacation property so okay they have sales people at the towel hut so every time you go there they ask you if you're interested. That was fine with us didn't bother us at all. Then we tried to use the conceirge - big problem! We originally booked with EGBH sailing but the Captain was sick and in the hospital so they had to cancel. We tell the conceirge our problem and ask them to help us with finding a private sailing tour. First thing they say is probably not a private one - is this not a resort, do you not have contacts on the island? The second thing they say is have you been asked about joining our breakfast to learn more about our property. I finally give them my name and room number and ask them to contact us with the information about tours (even with other people) - not once did they contact us all week.
Overall we had a nice vacation. The hotel is nice and located near anything you need but (with the exception of the Bell Service Staff ) the service at the Rio Mar is inconsistent. When we go back to Puerto Rico we decided we would try another resort.
We are By Request Members so upon check in we were upgraded to a junior suite. The room itself was nice. It was large with a seating area, very clean, and had a nice bathroom. Of course some things could have been nicer - large crack in the ceiling of the bathroom, mini fridge should have been cleaned better etc.
The grounds of the hotel are very nice. The grounds staff really works hard on the property. The pools are a bit small compared to other resorts we have stayed at but we are more ocean people so it didn't bother us too much. We did rent a cabana one day on along the pool. Definitely worth the $150 comfy chairs, plenty of towels, cooler with water, snacks, fruit plate, and designated waitstaff.
The beach was great. Very clean, lots of chairs, warm water, and plenty of room. The ocean did have some strong waves while we were there but that just kind of made it more fun. You could stay in the shallow area, or body surf in the big waves, or just hang out in between.
After reading other reviews we decided we didn't want to eat at the restaurants on property we wanted to experience Puerto Rico's food. The only exceptions to that was our breakfasts we went to the ERL next to the casino for coffee and pastries and we tried the appetizers at Boleros lounge and the lobby bar.
We ate dinners at Antojitos (on the road to the rio mar) - they have delicious food and great staff. We also tried La Parilla (Kiosk #2 at luquillo beach) - great food as well. For lunch one day we tried Richies - the food was good but you could tell it was a little more touristy. We did try a non Puerto Rican meal one night because it was so recommended. We went to the Sushi Boat in Fajardo. A must try is the Tempura Shrimp Roll - delicious!
A must do is driving to San Juan for a day of sightseeing or shopping but take the scenic route. Take Rte 3 west to Rte 187. The road takes you through Rio Grande but then you head along the coast through Loiza, and Pinones. There are some great small beaches, sand dunes, and picture perfect stops along the way. In San Juan we had tapas at el picoteo in the El Convento hotel (our favorite San Juan hotel) - the tapas were our favorite meal - simple and delicious!
We did encounter a few problems with the hotel. The first is the drink prices. I know it's a resort and I have no problem with marked up drinks but I will say the Wyndham is definitely at the top of the higher prices. $10 for a mojito or a capirinha is definitely over priced considering the only alcohol in it is rum or cachaca and it was not premium liquor (I don't qualify Bacardi as premium especially when it's local). The next problem is the pool side restaurant. We stopped in twice and everytime it was closing. One day it had literally been open for an hour and a half. On the last day of our vacation we finally received a document detailing when restaurants should be open and what activities should be happening - would have been nice to get this the first day of our stay though.
I know that Wyndham really wants to sell their vacation property so okay they have sales people at the towel hut so every time you go there they ask you if you're interested. That was fine with us didn't bother us at all. Then we tried to use the conceirge - big problem! We originally booked with EGBH sailing but the Captain was sick and in the hospital so they had to cancel. We tell the conceirge our problem and ask them to help us with finding a private sailing tour. First thing they say is probably not a private one - is this not a resort, do you not have contacts on the island? The second thing they say is have you been asked about joining our breakfast to learn more about our property. I finally give them my name and room number and ask them to contact us with the information about tours (even with other people) - not once did they contact us all week.
Overall we had a nice vacation. The hotel is nice and located near anything you need but (with the exception of the Bell Service Staff ) the service at the Rio Mar is inconsistent. When we go back to Puerto Rico we decided we would try another resort.
**** El Jibarito280 Calle Sol, San Juan 00901, Puerto Rico
December 2010
The food was delicious, the service was friendly and helpful, and the guitar music was a nice touch on a Sunday afternoon.
The food was delicious, the service was friendly and helpful, and the guitar music was a nice touch on a Sunday afternoon.
**** Antojitos
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
January 2009
They have delicious food and great staff. Especially the chicharones and rice with beans.
They have delicious food and great staff. Especially the chicharones and rice with beans.
**** La Parilla
Kiosk #2 at luquillo beach, Puerto Rico
January 2009
Fabulous chicarones and whole fried red snapper
Fabulous chicarones and whole fried red snapper
*** Richies
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
January 2009
The food was good but you could tell it was a little more touristy.
The food was good but you could tell it was a little more touristy.
*** Sushi Boat
Fajardo, Puerto Rico
January 2009
A must try is the Tempura Shrimp Roll - delicious!
A must try is the Tempura Shrimp Roll - delicious!
**** El picoteo
In the El Convento Hotel, Old San Juan Puerto Rico
January 2009
Tapas! Marinated olives and onions, chorizo, and an omelet. - simple and delicious!
Tapas! Marinated olives and onions, chorizo, and an omelet. - simple and delicious!
