EleanorMcDaniel

We are here now, the week after the last poster's comments.

While it is school vacation week for us (central Connecticut), the place is fairly empty.

Our reservation was fairly complicated, three different reservation numbers for different nights. They had everything tied together, and check in was totally smooth, even though I was prepared to defend myself and everything I'd learned and asked about.

Yes, the Resort Fee is $45 per day, whether you're paying money or on points. That is what all my reservations said (made in January). The RF includes high speed internet, so as a platinum you get a $10 coupon for each day of resort fee you're paying. PLEASE NOTE you can not hand in the coupons at checkout and get a credit to your account. You have to spend them as you go.

Our room wasn't ready at 3pm checkin, and we got handed five more $10 coupons. That was a nice one.

Speaking of money, the 10% and 13% taxes are not charged on the points nights, only on the paying nights.

I had emailed before arrival, and got clarification in writing on the platinum amenity in regards to the Resort Fee, and whether we would have to pay tax on the points nights. Printed out those emails, but they handled everything perfectly.

Upon checkin as a platinum, you have the choice of 500 points, or access to the breakfast buffet for two, every morning, which normally costs like $25/person. That's a no brainer, and the food's very good. There were multiple foods on the buffet that my spouse and I remarked were the "best we've ever tasted."

The reservation agent knew it was our anniversary, and we were gifted a small amenity with chocolate covered strawberries, etc....

We were upgraded (even on points nights) to a full beach facing room, with a walk out to a patio and the beach. Not a suite by any means, but a very nice room and the walkout to patio/beach is wonderful.

The beach is awesome, and there's been plenty of room at the chairs and umbrellas, even when we showed up at like 10:30am.

You can drink the water out of the tap, but it's "island water" with an odd (for us anyway) taste. The resort gave us two bottles of water per day, they're in the room refrigerator. The ones on the counter cost $6.50 each. All are tagged to clearly indicate whether they're free or not.

Will post more as the days go by, but so far, I am quite happy.

EDIT: Three nights into a four night stay, here's some more info.

Be careful, as all rates quoted when you're in the hotel are CI dollars, which are 1:0.8USD. So if you're quoted "ten dollars" for something, it twelve dollars US. Drinks in particular are stupid expensive. While waiting for our room, we had two large piņa coladas, and burnt FOUR of the US$10 coupons. They spin the exchange rate in their favor all the time. For example, the "$10 coupons" are CI$8, US$10.

Food is great, but expensive, as expected. This is an island, after all. On the other hand, I had a nice order of fish tacos at the poolside bar, and it was $15. Fair enough.

Beach House, the high end on-site restaurant, cost us US$200 for a very nice dinner for two, including a $50 bottle of wine.

Ferdinands, the medium restaurant, will be about US$100 for two.

The service has been VERY VERY good, and we are here in mid April, which is still in season. Every single person has gone the extra mile, and I'd rate the staff at a solid 8 out of 10.

Spouse and I rate this property well above the Westin in Punta Cana, and also above the now defunct Sheraton Four Points in Humacao PR.

We are in one of the ocean front rooms in the 190's. The hotel is shaped like a wide flat U, with the pool in the middle. The 100's are one one end of the U, by the restaurants, the 190's on the other end, by the spa and governor's residence. As I mentioned, our room walks out onto a terrace, and then onto the beach. We have a king with a round table, no desk.

HSIA is included at the premium speed, as an SPG platinum. It is not super fast, but adequate. Includes three devices, we have two phones and two laptops, so I had to "buy" two packages. I am sure both will be credited off upon check out. EDIT: Yes, no internet charge upon checkout.

Taxi to/from airport is US$25 each way, and there are plenty of taxis everywhere. Last night, we took a $20 taxi to the Calypso Grill and had a fabulous dinner. The driver gave us his card, I SMS'd him, and he came and picked us up and brought us back to the hotel.

I would avoid a lot of the older comments in this thread, as the whole hotel was redone in around 2012. The lobby is lovely, the staff is wonderful, the checkin process was flawless, etc...