We stayed at the Ritz last weekend for two nights. Overall, it was fine for our needs, especially considering we were able to get a very nice rate using the Marriott Friends and Family program in the low $200s. The rack rate was closer to $600 that weekend and had I paid that, my expectations would have been much higher. So, here's my recap:
The Good - The property is very close to the San Juan airport and on a very nice stretch of beach where the sand is very fine and powdery and not exposed to the shorebreak. The staff on the beach are very good about setting you up with chairs and umbrellas. Overall, all the staff we encountered were extremely pleasant and customer-friendly. Any place that hands you a guava mimosa at check-in rates high with me.
As a Marriott Gold, I was given a one-class upgrade from a city-view room to a pool-view room on the second floor. It was very, very quiet. I was also able to get late check-out extended from the normal 12:30 pm time to 2 p.m. without any additional charge. The property also offers a room you can book for 45 minutes at no charge to use for showering and changing. The room has two shower stalls and a changing area (but no sinks).
The Not-So-Good - The rooms are small and showing a little wear. I found the lack of outlets near the bedside tables to be annoying. However, the bathroom was large and the water pressure in the shower was at fire hose levels. While the beachside location is nice, there's not a lot of other things to do in the Isla Verde area. This was fine with us as we just sat on the beach both days we were there. But, if you want to do some sight-seeing, you are going to need a car or take taxis.
Other. - We didn't spend any time at the pool or eating at the fancy restaurants. For breakfast both mornings, we walked to the Las Canarias bakery next to the hotel and had empanadas and pastries on the cheap. For lunch, we ate at the casual beachside restaurant; the first day we had them bring out the food to us on the beach (took about 30 min) and the next day we sat and ate at a table in the restaurant. I didn't see that many people partaking in the Sunday Brunch. There's also a Walgreens just past the bakery if you need beverages or snacks for the room. We were stocked with four bottles of water each day. There's a few places within walking distance to eat, but we had a hard time getting into places on a Saturday night without reservations.
Getting to/from the airport is limited to either rental car or taxi; Uber isn't allowed to do pickups at either the airport or hotel. Despite the short distance, it's still a $15 or so ride, which is outrageous. There's an Enterprise Rent a Car at the Ritz but they charge a $40 drop fee if you want to do a one-way to the airport.
Overall, we were looking for a place to relax and just sit on the beach and do nothing else. This property suited us just fine, especially considering the rate we booked, Had we paid more or wanted to do more sight-seeing, I think we would have been disappointed.
Originally Posted by
NotJustDreaming
Given our rate, does this make the RC a better choice than la Concha and Condado? We've never stayed at an RC. La Concha has great base ocean view rooms. We have city view at The Ritz.
Our rate at the Ritz was cheaper than any of the other Marriott properties and that, coupled with the close proximity to the airport and great beach made it a no-brainer for us. Here's some other threads in case you missed them:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...-marriott.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...erto-rico.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...erto-rico.html