Trip Report: Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton Reserve
Mar 26, 2013, 4:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Outside Chicago
Posts: 167
Trip Report: Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton Reserve
Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton Reserve
Booked through Classic Vacations using our regular TA
7 nights stayed reduced to 2 nights
Kmkord and two daughters ages 13 & 11
Garden Reserve Ocean Front Luxury Room with Garden 1st Level, 2 Queen Beds- Room 814
I had some concerns prior to booking since the resort has only been opened since December. The initial reviews on Tripadvisor were good, so we decided to give it a try. After researching rates, I decided to book through Classic Vacations. Their rates were significantly less than booking directly with the resort. The rate also included the $95/day resort fee resulting in a total nightly rate (all in) of $1586. This resulted in a savings of approximately $3000 from the rack rate at the resort. The only caveat being that the vacation had to be paid in full up front. I felt this was well worth the savings of $3000. We also took the classic vacations travel insurance that was a bargain at $200. The room rate is considerably more than we paid in December for our trip to FS Maui. That trip was absolutely AMAZING in every way! Needless to say, based on the rates, we had high expectations for this trip.
Our trip started in Chicago with flights on Delta connecting in Atlanta. We booked first class seats and the flights were on time service was pleasant. We arrived in San Juan and were met at the baggage area by the driver arranged through the resort. We were offered an option of 6 different vehicles prior to arrival. Based on the number of people and bags, I chose the Cadillac Escalade option. We retrieved our three bags but were surprised that the driver took only one bag, and had us pull the other two. No problem, it wasn’t a long walk. I walked up to the Escalade parked outside only to find out that we were actually in the Chevy Suburban a few vehicles down. Not a big deal, but don’t offer me choices and then not deliver.
We arrived at the resort approximately 35 minutes later. We were greeted by an employee who showed us the wonderful view and pointed out the gallery and restaurant. The view from the arrival area is beautiful! We were then brought back to the golf cart and taken to our room. The resort is very spread out, so I was expecting a tour in the golf cart so we could get the lay of the land. We were shown the fitness Center which is right across from our room, but nothing else. We had requested a room in buildings 1-5. These building are directly on the swimmable beach. We ended up in building 8 which is across from fitness center.
The room had 697 square feet with a good amount of additional square footage on the patio. The finish was nice. My girls enjoyed the artwork. The outdoor area added a lot of usable space to the room, and contained a small dining table and lounging bed. The bedding was nice, but one of the two beds appeared to be very squeaky and loud when you sat down. That seemed odd since the resort has only been open for a short time. The bathroom contained a nice soaking tub and an outdoor shower. The indoor shower had a strange layout with no separate basin and had a rain shower and hand held sprayer. The tile floor got quite slippery when wet.
We unpacked and headed out to the pool and beach. We were surprised that we were not greeted by anyone when we got to the Positivo pool area. We grabbed a few loungers and my daughters headed into the ocean. I was going to sort out our chairs and secure some beverages. There were not many guests around and we did not see any servers. After no one approached for 30 minutes, I went in search of some towels since the girls would be returning soon. I set up the chairs myself and found some water but no glasses. The pool area is quiet beautiful. I enjoyed sitting in the sand and moving between the beach and pool. After a couple hours, we decided to head back to the room. We didn’t encounter a single employee during that time until we were on the path walking back to our room. We have stayed at many resorts that utilize golf carts for their employees. In most cases, when a guest is approaching the employee will stop the golf cart, wish the guest a good day and let them pass. Unfortunately the usual slow pace of the employees at Dorado Beach was evident everywhere else except while driving the golf carts. On our way back to the room my youngest daughter was nearly run down by a fast moving golf cart.
The skies were starting to look threatening, and a quick check on my ipad (free internet!!) showed that a storm was approaching in a couple hours. We hadn’t made any dinner reservations prior to arrival, and were told by the Embajador that there were not any openings on property for dinner that night. We decided that room service was in order. My youngest daughter has some pretty severe food issues which limit the items that she can eat. She will generally eat the same few things for the entire time we are on vacation. Most recent vacations, the item ends up being Belgium waffles. I know that sounds very strange, but I had assurances that Belgium waffles could be made for breakfast, lunch and dinner during our stay. We placed the room service order with my getting a burger, daughter #1 getting pizza and daughter #2 getting the waffles. I also ordered ice tea to drink and some ice water. We were told the order would take 45 minutes. At 65 minutes I contacted in room dining and was told it would be there shortly. It finally arrived at 75 minutes. They made up the table and set out our order. They had forgotten a few condiments, but I told them not to worry, we could do without. I didn’t realize at the time that they had brought hot tea and a glass, but no ice for the iced tea. I would have drank the tea hot, but didn’t have a cup for that either. In the meantime, daughter #2 tried the waffles and determined that they were awful. I tried them and couldn’t figure out what they added to make them taste so bad. Daughter #1 tried the pizza, which looked like it had been sitting in the box for at least 60 minutes. It was cold and barely edible. My burger was no better, and tasted like it had been sitting for a long time. The fries were soggy. I called and asked for some ice for my tea. It took 15 minutes. When the embajador brought the ice, I told her about my experience by the pool and the lack of service. She told me that she was coming in at 1:00 the next day and said that she would set us up then if we hadn’t found anyone else to do it. I thought that was an odd response to my concern. The employees are very nice; they just don’t seem to understand how to provide the level of service expected. I requested some steamed white rice in lieu of the waffles. It arrived 30 minutes later and was edible.
In the meantime, I contacted my travel agent who immediately contacted the VP of operations for RC in the Caribbean. A few minutes later I received a call from the director of operations at the resort. He was understanding of our problems, and assured me that tomorrow would be a better day. I told him how much we love to start our vacation days with a great breakfast. He assured me that the breakfast at mi Casa in the morning would exceed our expectation. He ever inquired about what time we would be going to breakfast.
The TV reception was bad that night, but there was a lot of thunder and lightning that appeared to be interfering with the signal. We enjoyed watching the storm from our patio, and we each had a great book to read. We noticed that the mechanicals were very loud. We were lucky that the surf was loud and drowned out some of the noise. Upon further inspection, we found that there was some sort of service room located directly outside the rooms that end in 14. It ran constantly and was quite loud. Do not get a room ending in 14 if you are a light sleeper. The TV finally came back on, and we fell asleep with that on in order to drown out the sound of the mechanical room.
We went to sleep feeling positive that tomorrow would be a better day. We walked over to Mi Casa at approximately 8:00. There wasn’t anyone at the hostess desk. After waiting a few minutes, we walked in to the restaurant to see if there was someone who could help us. All the employees were gathered around chatting. A server finally noticed us and we were seated near the outdoor area. They were still cleaning up from the rain, so no one was sitting outside on the patio. The service was VERY slow. My request for iced tea apparently threw them since it took quite some time for them to bring it. It was actually quite good, but I was never offered a refill. I ordered some scrambled eggs and an English muffin. The presentation was quite nice. They delivered the English muffin with no condiments. I requested some butter and raspberry jam. I spread the jam on the English muffin and took a bite. I’m not sure exactly what it was, but the taste was awful. Very sour, and unlike any jam I’ve ever had before. I moved on to the scrambled eggs and almost gagged. They must have poured several teaspoons of salt in the eggs. They were inedible. The breakfast potatoes were good, so I made a meal of the other half of the English muffin and the breakfast potatoes. In the meantime, daughter #2 took a bite of the waffles. Again they tasted awful. The pancakes daughter #1 ordered were fine. We sent the waffles back and daughter #2 had some croissants instead. They were ok, but I warned her off the jam. We waited quite a while for someone to check back with us. The servers seemed to steer clear of the tables after they brought the food. We finally flagged someone down after quite some time and got our check. They had not removed the waffles from the bill, and no one ever questioned why I didn’t eat the eggs. We figured we would just move on and have some fun.
We ended up spending the day at the Positivo pool and went between the beach and pool. We did find an employee to set up chairs for us, but we had to seek him out. I asked him what services are provided, but his grasp of English made the conversation difficult. I explained that I want to be in the shade. They do have cabanas available, but the least expensive is $400 a day. That seems steep for some shade on top of the already high rates. He provided some water and set up our chairs. He was quite pleasant, but it appears that training is lacking. He did check on us once before lunch and replenished the water. It was quite hot, so more beverage service would have been appropriate. We decided to order lunch at the beach. The menu is somewhat limited. I had an upset stomach from my morning meal, so just ordered for the girls. The chicken fingers were ok. They did not know what honey mustard was and offered more ketchup for dipping. We said that would be fine, but they never showed up with the ketchup. We had also inquired about where the paddle boards and water tricycles were located. The attendant did not know what we were talking about. I also asked how to get to the water slides, and was told that they don’t have any water slides. This shows a complete lack of awareness and significant flaw in training employees. We decided to just stay where we were and get directions to the other areas on Sunday.
We headed back to the room midafternoon. The sun was getting quiet hot. We relaxed in the room, and then decided to take showers. Daughter #21 enjoyed the outdoor shower. I used the indoor shower, and then daughter #2 was going to use the indoor one. As she was walking through the bathroom she slipped as soon as she got to the shower area. I happened to be standing right there, and watch her fall and come within an inch of slamming her head on the bathtub. She hit her head on the floor instead. It was quite terrifying. She was very upset and had quite a lump. That was the final straw for me. We had been trying to put a positive spin on everything that had happened so far, but the safety of my children has to be foremost. The design of the bathroom is awful, and I’m sure that many other people will have the same experience with slipping.
We decided at that point to cut the trip short. We made arrangements to fly home the next day. We contacted Classic Vacations and were told that the resort has a 5 night minimum. We would be charged for five nights and would a get a refund for two. They contacted the director of operations, who I had spoken to the evening before. He agreed that they would not hold me to the five night minimum. In fact, as a gesture of good will he said that we would not be charged for the two nights we had stayed, and offered to comp our dinner that night. I felt that the service recovery was handled well.
He made a reservation for us at Encanto for dinner. On our way to dinner, we had another experience with a runaway golf cart driving employee. I actually yelled out “slow down”. She didn’t even look back. A bit down the path, two employees stopped the carts side by side on the path to transfer some towel, and made us walk between them. It was very strange. We had the best service of the trip for dinner that night! Our waiter was entertaining, and attentive. The beef I ordered was well cooked and tasty. The pizza was great. We also met the food & beverage director who apologized for the problems we encountered during our stay. This left us with a positive feeling.
We had a peaceful night after dinner checking out areas of the resort we hadn’t seen. We had arranged transportation back to the airport through the resort. The Escalade we requested was ready and waiting, and the driver was wonderful!
This place COULD be great. The hard product is beautiful! My girls and I decided that if you took this resort and put it on Wailea Beach in Maui with the Four Seasons service, it would be absolute heaven! Based on the beauty of the property, I might be willing to give it another try in a year or so if the service improves. Spring Break may have bought higher occupancy then they were used to.I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
Booked through Classic Vacations using our regular TA
7 nights stayed reduced to 2 nights
Kmkord and two daughters ages 13 & 11
Garden Reserve Ocean Front Luxury Room with Garden 1st Level, 2 Queen Beds- Room 814
I had some concerns prior to booking since the resort has only been opened since December. The initial reviews on Tripadvisor were good, so we decided to give it a try. After researching rates, I decided to book through Classic Vacations. Their rates were significantly less than booking directly with the resort. The rate also included the $95/day resort fee resulting in a total nightly rate (all in) of $1586. This resulted in a savings of approximately $3000 from the rack rate at the resort. The only caveat being that the vacation had to be paid in full up front. I felt this was well worth the savings of $3000. We also took the classic vacations travel insurance that was a bargain at $200. The room rate is considerably more than we paid in December for our trip to FS Maui. That trip was absolutely AMAZING in every way! Needless to say, based on the rates, we had high expectations for this trip.
Our trip started in Chicago with flights on Delta connecting in Atlanta. We booked first class seats and the flights were on time service was pleasant. We arrived in San Juan and were met at the baggage area by the driver arranged through the resort. We were offered an option of 6 different vehicles prior to arrival. Based on the number of people and bags, I chose the Cadillac Escalade option. We retrieved our three bags but were surprised that the driver took only one bag, and had us pull the other two. No problem, it wasn’t a long walk. I walked up to the Escalade parked outside only to find out that we were actually in the Chevy Suburban a few vehicles down. Not a big deal, but don’t offer me choices and then not deliver.
We arrived at the resort approximately 35 minutes later. We were greeted by an employee who showed us the wonderful view and pointed out the gallery and restaurant. The view from the arrival area is beautiful! We were then brought back to the golf cart and taken to our room. The resort is very spread out, so I was expecting a tour in the golf cart so we could get the lay of the land. We were shown the fitness Center which is right across from our room, but nothing else. We had requested a room in buildings 1-5. These building are directly on the swimmable beach. We ended up in building 8 which is across from fitness center.
The room had 697 square feet with a good amount of additional square footage on the patio. The finish was nice. My girls enjoyed the artwork. The outdoor area added a lot of usable space to the room, and contained a small dining table and lounging bed. The bedding was nice, but one of the two beds appeared to be very squeaky and loud when you sat down. That seemed odd since the resort has only been open for a short time. The bathroom contained a nice soaking tub and an outdoor shower. The indoor shower had a strange layout with no separate basin and had a rain shower and hand held sprayer. The tile floor got quite slippery when wet.
We unpacked and headed out to the pool and beach. We were surprised that we were not greeted by anyone when we got to the Positivo pool area. We grabbed a few loungers and my daughters headed into the ocean. I was going to sort out our chairs and secure some beverages. There were not many guests around and we did not see any servers. After no one approached for 30 minutes, I went in search of some towels since the girls would be returning soon. I set up the chairs myself and found some water but no glasses. The pool area is quiet beautiful. I enjoyed sitting in the sand and moving between the beach and pool. After a couple hours, we decided to head back to the room. We didn’t encounter a single employee during that time until we were on the path walking back to our room. We have stayed at many resorts that utilize golf carts for their employees. In most cases, when a guest is approaching the employee will stop the golf cart, wish the guest a good day and let them pass. Unfortunately the usual slow pace of the employees at Dorado Beach was evident everywhere else except while driving the golf carts. On our way back to the room my youngest daughter was nearly run down by a fast moving golf cart.
The skies were starting to look threatening, and a quick check on my ipad (free internet!!) showed that a storm was approaching in a couple hours. We hadn’t made any dinner reservations prior to arrival, and were told by the Embajador that there were not any openings on property for dinner that night. We decided that room service was in order. My youngest daughter has some pretty severe food issues which limit the items that she can eat. She will generally eat the same few things for the entire time we are on vacation. Most recent vacations, the item ends up being Belgium waffles. I know that sounds very strange, but I had assurances that Belgium waffles could be made for breakfast, lunch and dinner during our stay. We placed the room service order with my getting a burger, daughter #1 getting pizza and daughter #2 getting the waffles. I also ordered ice tea to drink and some ice water. We were told the order would take 45 minutes. At 65 minutes I contacted in room dining and was told it would be there shortly. It finally arrived at 75 minutes. They made up the table and set out our order. They had forgotten a few condiments, but I told them not to worry, we could do without. I didn’t realize at the time that they had brought hot tea and a glass, but no ice for the iced tea. I would have drank the tea hot, but didn’t have a cup for that either. In the meantime, daughter #2 tried the waffles and determined that they were awful. I tried them and couldn’t figure out what they added to make them taste so bad. Daughter #1 tried the pizza, which looked like it had been sitting in the box for at least 60 minutes. It was cold and barely edible. My burger was no better, and tasted like it had been sitting for a long time. The fries were soggy. I called and asked for some ice for my tea. It took 15 minutes. When the embajador brought the ice, I told her about my experience by the pool and the lack of service. She told me that she was coming in at 1:00 the next day and said that she would set us up then if we hadn’t found anyone else to do it. I thought that was an odd response to my concern. The employees are very nice; they just don’t seem to understand how to provide the level of service expected. I requested some steamed white rice in lieu of the waffles. It arrived 30 minutes later and was edible.
In the meantime, I contacted my travel agent who immediately contacted the VP of operations for RC in the Caribbean. A few minutes later I received a call from the director of operations at the resort. He was understanding of our problems, and assured me that tomorrow would be a better day. I told him how much we love to start our vacation days with a great breakfast. He assured me that the breakfast at mi Casa in the morning would exceed our expectation. He ever inquired about what time we would be going to breakfast.
The TV reception was bad that night, but there was a lot of thunder and lightning that appeared to be interfering with the signal. We enjoyed watching the storm from our patio, and we each had a great book to read. We noticed that the mechanicals were very loud. We were lucky that the surf was loud and drowned out some of the noise. Upon further inspection, we found that there was some sort of service room located directly outside the rooms that end in 14. It ran constantly and was quite loud. Do not get a room ending in 14 if you are a light sleeper. The TV finally came back on, and we fell asleep with that on in order to drown out the sound of the mechanical room.
We went to sleep feeling positive that tomorrow would be a better day. We walked over to Mi Casa at approximately 8:00. There wasn’t anyone at the hostess desk. After waiting a few minutes, we walked in to the restaurant to see if there was someone who could help us. All the employees were gathered around chatting. A server finally noticed us and we were seated near the outdoor area. They were still cleaning up from the rain, so no one was sitting outside on the patio. The service was VERY slow. My request for iced tea apparently threw them since it took quite some time for them to bring it. It was actually quite good, but I was never offered a refill. I ordered some scrambled eggs and an English muffin. The presentation was quite nice. They delivered the English muffin with no condiments. I requested some butter and raspberry jam. I spread the jam on the English muffin and took a bite. I’m not sure exactly what it was, but the taste was awful. Very sour, and unlike any jam I’ve ever had before. I moved on to the scrambled eggs and almost gagged. They must have poured several teaspoons of salt in the eggs. They were inedible. The breakfast potatoes were good, so I made a meal of the other half of the English muffin and the breakfast potatoes. In the meantime, daughter #2 took a bite of the waffles. Again they tasted awful. The pancakes daughter #1 ordered were fine. We sent the waffles back and daughter #2 had some croissants instead. They were ok, but I warned her off the jam. We waited quite a while for someone to check back with us. The servers seemed to steer clear of the tables after they brought the food. We finally flagged someone down after quite some time and got our check. They had not removed the waffles from the bill, and no one ever questioned why I didn’t eat the eggs. We figured we would just move on and have some fun.
We ended up spending the day at the Positivo pool and went between the beach and pool. We did find an employee to set up chairs for us, but we had to seek him out. I asked him what services are provided, but his grasp of English made the conversation difficult. I explained that I want to be in the shade. They do have cabanas available, but the least expensive is $400 a day. That seems steep for some shade on top of the already high rates. He provided some water and set up our chairs. He was quite pleasant, but it appears that training is lacking. He did check on us once before lunch and replenished the water. It was quite hot, so more beverage service would have been appropriate. We decided to order lunch at the beach. The menu is somewhat limited. I had an upset stomach from my morning meal, so just ordered for the girls. The chicken fingers were ok. They did not know what honey mustard was and offered more ketchup for dipping. We said that would be fine, but they never showed up with the ketchup. We had also inquired about where the paddle boards and water tricycles were located. The attendant did not know what we were talking about. I also asked how to get to the water slides, and was told that they don’t have any water slides. This shows a complete lack of awareness and significant flaw in training employees. We decided to just stay where we were and get directions to the other areas on Sunday.
We headed back to the room midafternoon. The sun was getting quiet hot. We relaxed in the room, and then decided to take showers. Daughter #21 enjoyed the outdoor shower. I used the indoor shower, and then daughter #2 was going to use the indoor one. As she was walking through the bathroom she slipped as soon as she got to the shower area. I happened to be standing right there, and watch her fall and come within an inch of slamming her head on the bathtub. She hit her head on the floor instead. It was quite terrifying. She was very upset and had quite a lump. That was the final straw for me. We had been trying to put a positive spin on everything that had happened so far, but the safety of my children has to be foremost. The design of the bathroom is awful, and I’m sure that many other people will have the same experience with slipping.
We decided at that point to cut the trip short. We made arrangements to fly home the next day. We contacted Classic Vacations and were told that the resort has a 5 night minimum. We would be charged for five nights and would a get a refund for two. They contacted the director of operations, who I had spoken to the evening before. He agreed that they would not hold me to the five night minimum. In fact, as a gesture of good will he said that we would not be charged for the two nights we had stayed, and offered to comp our dinner that night. I felt that the service recovery was handled well.
He made a reservation for us at Encanto for dinner. On our way to dinner, we had another experience with a runaway golf cart driving employee. I actually yelled out “slow down”. She didn’t even look back. A bit down the path, two employees stopped the carts side by side on the path to transfer some towel, and made us walk between them. It was very strange. We had the best service of the trip for dinner that night! Our waiter was entertaining, and attentive. The beef I ordered was well cooked and tasty. The pizza was great. We also met the food & beverage director who apologized for the problems we encountered during our stay. This left us with a positive feeling.
We had a peaceful night after dinner checking out areas of the resort we hadn’t seen. We had arranged transportation back to the airport through the resort. The Escalade we requested was ready and waiting, and the driver was wonderful!
This place COULD be great. The hard product is beautiful! My girls and I decided that if you took this resort and put it on Wailea Beach in Maui with the Four Seasons service, it would be absolute heaven! Based on the beauty of the property, I might be willing to give it another try in a year or so if the service improves. Spring Break may have bought higher occupancy then they were used to.I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
Last edited by RichardInSF; Mar 27, 2013 at 7:57 pm Reason: Move correct spelling to thread title
Mar 26, 2013, 8:18 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
painful. thanks for posting in detail !
considering no other "change" after talking to mgmt, maybe restaurant dinner is ok..
at least true luxury service recovery from mgmt.
example of great details. (and design issues.)
would you have checked out because of service?
how crowded was it? sounds like they did not tell you to make restaurant/spa reservations in advance?
did rates drop between booking and arrival?
$1586 = $1360 for second room category - $100 = $1260 / $1259
$3000 / 7 = $428.57 / 1.09 = $393.18 plus $1260 = about $1650
(odd, room category order might vary..)
1200 / 1900 original rack
959 / 1499 first drop i think (i think 1059 before 959)
759 / 1259 next drop i think
959 > 1999 now until apr 21
619 > 1059 apr 21 to aug 1
519 > 819 aug 1 to nov 4
959 > 959 nov 4 to dec 14
1399 > 1599 after jan 5
plus 9% tax and >
$95 resort fee + 9% tax = $103.55
$75pp spa fee (presumably open to public and dorado residents/members)
several buildings of 3BR+ RC residences are open, with residents, and more buildings coming soon
in hotel inventory from apr 7
considering no other "change" after talking to mgmt, maybe restaurant dinner is ok..
at least true luxury service recovery from mgmt.
how crowded was it? sounds like they did not tell you to make restaurant/spa reservations in advance?
$1586 = $1360 for second room category - $100 = $1260 / $1259
$3000 / 7 = $428.57 / 1.09 = $393.18 plus $1260 = about $1650
(odd, room category order might vary..)
1200 / 1900 original rack
959 / 1499 first drop i think (i think 1059 before 959)
759 / 1259 next drop i think
959 > 1999 now until apr 21
619 > 1059 apr 21 to aug 1
519 > 819 aug 1 to nov 4
959 > 959 nov 4 to dec 14
1399 > 1599 after jan 5
plus 9% tax and >
$95 resort fee + 9% tax = $103.55
$75pp spa fee (presumably open to public and dorado residents/members)
several buildings of 3BR+ RC residences are open, with residents, and more buildings coming soon
in hotel inventory from apr 7
I received an email from the GM at Dorado Beach with the following apologizing profusely for the experience we had at the resort. He stated that he had read line by line, paragraph after paragraph my long feedback and very clear issues that I mentioned. He has gathered all the team and we went through all as to avoid and remedy anything for the future.
I did not forward my review to them so they must have read it here. I take that as a positive and hope that others won't have the same experience we did.
I did not forward my review to them so they must have read it here. I take that as a positive and hope that others won't have the same experience we did.
Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Apr 3, 2013 at 7:09 pm
Mar 26, 2013, 8:31 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 700
Thank you for posting.
We had looked seriously at this property for a vacation next week but, at the end of the day, were scared off by the high pricing and location. Instead we are heading to Mexico.
In a number of trips to PR we have yet to find a great property (we stopped going there years ago). It seems people may still be in search of such a property on the island. Your experience, at a property charging those rates, particularly when PR has a new push to expand luxe tourism, is awful. If they aren't ready for prime time then they should not open for prime time.
While the hotel correctly comped your stay, it is surprising the GM did not personally approach you before you left.
Hope your next trip is more enjoyable.
We had looked seriously at this property for a vacation next week but, at the end of the day, were scared off by the high pricing and location. Instead we are heading to Mexico.
In a number of trips to PR we have yet to find a great property (we stopped going there years ago). It seems people may still be in search of such a property on the island. Your experience, at a property charging those rates, particularly when PR has a new push to expand luxe tourism, is awful. If they aren't ready for prime time then they should not open for prime time.
While the hotel correctly comped your stay, it is surprising the GM did not personally approach you before you left.
Hope your next trip is more enjoyable.
Mar 27, 2013, 12:44 am
#4
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Here, there … you know how it goes.
Posts: 1,518
Terrible. Absolutely dreadful. Unfortunately the service lapses and (poor) communication match what I've been told by others.
I'm not a huge RC, nor PR, fan, and cannot fathom why the rates here are what they are. Even if offered complimentary nights - in advance - I'm not sure I'd take the time to travel here.
Happy your daughter seems to be ok; I'm sure that was quite a scary moment ... both for her and for you.
I'm not a huge RC, nor PR, fan, and cannot fathom why the rates here are what they are. Even if offered complimentary nights - in advance - I'm not sure I'd take the time to travel here.
Happy your daughter seems to be ok; I'm sure that was quite a scary moment ... both for her and for you.
Mar 27, 2013, 7:14 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Outside Chicago
Posts: 167
[QUOTE=kmkord;20487884] After researching rates, I decided to book through Classic Vacations. Their rates were significantly less than booking directly with the resort. The rate also included the $95/day resort fee resulting in a total nightly rate (all in) of $1586. This resulted in a savings of approximately $3000 from the rack rate at the resort. /[QUOTE]
The $3000 savings was over the seven nights. Approximately $428 per night savings through Classic.
The $3000 savings was over the seven nights. Approximately $428 per night savings through Classic.
Mar 27, 2013, 10:03 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: East Hampton/Dorado Beach
Posts: 591
Yikes.......terrible report.
You can find "normal food" in the resort at;
Barlovento - lunch only at the Water Sports section on the East Beach
Zafra - breakfast, lunch, dinner at the Plantation Golf Club House
A new Bake Shop/Deli has just opened opened at the Beach Club.
You can find "normal food" in the resort at;
Barlovento - lunch only at the Water Sports section on the East Beach
Zafra - breakfast, lunch, dinner at the Plantation Golf Club House
A new Bake Shop/Deli has just opened opened at the Beach Club.
Mar 28, 2013, 6:52 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Charlotte, NC
Programs: AA Exec Plat, RCplatinum, Hyatt diamond
Posts: 196
not a luxury experience
We've gone to PR 5 or 6 times over the last two years. We enjoy the restaurants, the beach, short flights and just sitting by the pool but regardless of where we have stayed (RC, Intercontinental W=A, La Concha) we have never had a luxury experience. Service is ok at best, poor usually. We have just come to expect it in San Juan. People just seem indifferent.
Most resorts in Mexico are much better, just don't know if we feel safe there. Charging over $1000 a night and providing this kind of service is a really bad business model. I have a high expectation of service for that amount of money.
Most resorts in Mexico are much better, just don't know if we feel safe there. Charging over $1000 a night and providing this kind of service is a really bad business model. I have a high expectation of service for that amount of money.
Mar 29, 2013, 3:49 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
We've gone to PR 5 or 6 times over the last two years. We enjoy the restaurants, the beach, short flights and just sitting by the pool but regardless of where we have stayed (RC, Intercontinental W=A, La Concha) we have never had a luxury experience. Service is ok at best, poor usually. We have just come to expect it in San Juan. People just seem indifferent.
Most resorts in Mexico are much better, just don't know if we feel safe there. Charging over $1000 a night and providing this kind of service is a really bad business model. I have a high expectation of service for that amount of money.
Most resorts in Mexico are much better, just don't know if we feel safe there. Charging over $1000 a night and providing this kind of service is a really bad business model. I have a high expectation of service for that amount of money.
The acceptable options in Mexico can be counted on one hand in my opinion. In fact, I am only aware of Rosewood and Banyan Tree (now that MO is gone), and possibly a couple of others.
Does Mexico have better resorts than PR? Definitely.
Last edited by MikeFromTokyo; Mar 29, 2013 at 7:34 am
Mar 29, 2013, 6:51 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Mem
Programs: Delta GM, Amex Reserve, Amex Plat, JP Morgan Palladium
Posts: 984
Have you actually stayed at Dorado Beach? You are aware that this is a new property and different from the Ritz-Carlton San Jan, right?
The acceptable options in Mexico can be counted on one hand in my opinion. In fact, I am only aware of Rosewood and Banyan Tree (now that MO is gone), and possibly a couple of others.
The acceptable options in Mexico can be counted on one hand in my opinion. In fact, I am only aware of Rosewood and Banyan Tree (now that MO is gone), and possibly a couple of others.
I personally love vacationing in Mexico and have never felt unsafe.
Mar 29, 2013, 9:01 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Charlotte, NC
Programs: AA Exec Plat, RCplatinum, Hyatt diamond
Posts: 196
Have you actually stayed at Dorado Beach? You are aware that this is a new property and different from the Ritz-Carlton San Jan, right?
The acceptable options in Mexico can be counted on one hand in my opinion. In fact, I am only aware of Rosewood and Banyan Tree (now that MO is gone), and possibly a couple of others.
I was responding to nccarguy's assertion that "most" resorts in Mexico are much better than Dorado Beach, which clearly is not true.
Does Mexico have better resorts than PR? Definitely.
The acceptable options in Mexico can be counted on one hand in my opinion. In fact, I am only aware of Rosewood and Banyan Tree (now that MO is gone), and possibly a couple of others.
I was responding to nccarguy's assertion that "most" resorts in Mexico are much better than Dorado Beach, which clearly is not true.
Does Mexico have better resorts than PR? Definitely.
I've had great experiences at both the Fairmont Mayakoba and Capella Ixtapa
Mar 29, 2013, 9:08 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Charlotte, NC
Programs: AA Exec Plat, RCplatinum, Hyatt diamond
Posts: 196
I've personally never felt unsafe but as violence has crept into tourist areas it becomes more concerning. Doesn't matter whether you've been targeted or a bystander.
Mar 29, 2013, 10:49 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
Thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear of the experience. I've stayed at the St Regis, RC and El Conquistador ... And wanted to leave early at each property as well.
I don't think this island can offer luxury on a world class standard.
I don't think this island can offer luxury on a world class standard.
Apr 3, 2013, 5:12 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Outside Chicago
Posts: 167
Trip Report: Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton Reserve
I have reposted this report since we could not get the spelling corrected in the title. I want people to be able to find this trip report using the search function.
Also wanted to add that I received an email from the GM at Dorado Beach with the following apologizing profusely for the experience we had at the resort. He stated that he had read line by line, paragraph after paragraph my long feedback and very clear issues that I mentioned. He has gathered all the team and we went through all as to avoid and remedy anything for the future.
I did not forward my review to them so they must have read it here. I take that as a positive and hope that others won't have the same experience we did.
Mods, please feel free to remove the other post. I couldn't find a way to delete it.
*****************
See first post in this thread for the review.
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
Also wanted to add that I received an email from the GM at Dorado Beach with the following apologizing profusely for the experience we had at the resort. He stated that he had read line by line, paragraph after paragraph my long feedback and very clear issues that I mentioned. He has gathered all the team and we went through all as to avoid and remedy anything for the future.
I did not forward my review to them so they must have read it here. I take that as a positive and hope that others won't have the same experience we did.
Mods, please feel free to remove the other post. I couldn't find a way to delete it.
*****************
See first post in this thread for the review.
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
Last edited by RichardInSF; Apr 3, 2013 at 6:52 pm Reason: remove duplicate info
Apr 3, 2013, 6:48 pm
#14
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,856
I'm going to combine this with the older thread and try to do it in a way that puts the one with the correct spelling first so it looks right. Mods are supposed to be able to correct titles and I tried but for some reason it didn't work on the original thread. Hope this works!
Aha, it did, so I am going to remove the duplicate review just above.
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
Aha, it did, so I am going to remove the duplicate review just above.
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
Last edited by RichardInSF; Apr 3, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Apr 4, 2013, 7:04 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dublin,Ireland and Nice France
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,059
Good lord.
What a catalogue of bad service for $1500 a night
You may aswell set a match to your hard earned money as spend it on that
Where are hotels standards/quality control?
Not to mention respect for the quantity of money customers spend.
What a catalogue of bad service for $1500 a night
You may aswell set a match to your hard earned money as spend it on that
Where are hotels standards/quality control?
Not to mention respect for the quantity of money customers spend.