The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico [Master Thread]
Aug 31, 2022, 10:25 am
#556
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,315
Aug 31, 2022, 10:31 am
#557
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum (3MM), QF Lifetime Gold, Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum, Ex-Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 7,541
Originally Posted by bmwe92fan;[url=tel:34561074
34561074[/url]]Bummer -- hope the tennis experience is as good as yours was at the other property!
The GM was [email protected]. Maybe he can help you.
Aug 31, 2022, 12:22 pm
#558
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
As for expecting the staff to know more about it, well... all I can say is you are likely going to experience similar communication in all kinds of contexts. It's Puerto Rico. You're not going to get Aman-level service anywhere. But you'll get warm, friendly service with a top notch hard product. Hope you have a great time, it remains one of our favorite properties anywhere.
Aug 31, 2022, 12:26 pm
#559
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,315
Wife and I have played tennis there. The tennis courts are by the entrance to the compound off the main road, a long walk from the hotel (you can of course get a buggy ride if you don't want to walk). Keep in mind they serve not only the hotel but also the condos, etc. There is a pro shop with a gym there by the tennis courts (separate from the hotel gym). They definitely had free rackets, but we definitely paid for balls. We ended up buying more from Walgreens at some point for cheaper, but the price difference wasn't huge (we had to go to Walgreens anyhow). Courts were fine. You should reserve your times in advance. I agree there is very little demand for tennis (it is often excruciatingly humid on the island, particularly this time of year... not too bad hiking El Yunque where it's cooler, but even at 8am it was too much for us to play more than one hour of tennis). But when we have played, there have been others playing too (more so from the condo side, I believe).
As for expecting the staff to know more about it, well... all I can say is you are likely going to experience similar communication in all kinds of contexts. It's Puerto Rico. You're not going to get Aman-level service anywhere. But you'll get warm, friendly service with a top notch hard product. Hope you have a great time, it remains one of our favorite properties anywhere.
As for expecting the staff to know more about it, well... all I can say is you are likely going to experience similar communication in all kinds of contexts. It's Puerto Rico. You're not going to get Aman-level service anywhere. But you'll get warm, friendly service with a top notch hard product. Hope you have a great time, it remains one of our favorite properties anywhere.
Sep 1, 2022, 12:28 am
#560
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
Thanks for the detailed information -- do you know if they have ball machines / carts? Mmy wife and I both enjoy drilling each other and it's much easier if you aren't picking up balls all the time! We are very familiar with the humidity levels there -- but they are nothing compared to Tokyo when we play (my wife is Japanese and we live in NYC / Tokyo) - so we are prepared for that I hope! We will be bringing boxes of the Gatorade zero powder to replenish!
Sep 1, 2022, 10:28 am
#561
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: New York, NY
Programs: Marriott, United, Jetblue
Posts: 156
Sep 1, 2022, 10:59 am
#563
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,315
I used the chat feature and got totally different information from the butler than I did from the wellness center -- so we will just bring our own equipment...
Sep 4, 2022, 5:33 pm
#564
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,315
We are wrapping up our brief but memorable stay for our anniversary at this property and wanted to provide the review I promised. We had a great time and we are really enjoying our time here. We reserved a St. Regis Oceanfront Suite and planned to stay for three nights as my wife needs to return to our place in Tokyo (glad I’m not going this time summer is horrific there)… Sorry for the longer review -- took many pictures and wanted to share throughout the post not just at the end...
Pre-Arrival
We were contacted about 5 days in advance by our butler and arranged for their hotel meet and greet roundtrip airport package – about $315 for round trip transfers. Yes it’s more than Uber / taxis but we were glad we did it as there were literally no Taxis / Ubers when we arrived at noon – which was quite odd – and the lines were long waiting for taxis…. As others point out -- getting an Uber way out at Bahia beach to go to SJU seems nearly impossible – and if the hotel arranges a taxi for you it is cash only (and FYI the resort doesn't accept cash)...
Resort Arrival
We arrived at the resort after about a 30 minute drive in an enormous Lincoln Navigator – great driver and plenty of water. Upon arrival we were welcomed by name and seated for check-in with a great drink – unfortunately our room was not ready so we headed off to Seagrapes for lunch – and since our room was not ready by 2pm it was off to the tennis center to work up a sweat. We were allowed to change in the Spa and then driven directly to the tennis center.
Note that the $99 per day includes wifi and use of the resort amenities, the spa, fitness centers and resort equipment like kayaks. This resort is LGBTQ friendly and it is important to know that the resort has limited facilities for the disabled. There are no elevators that I am aware of and the majority of the buildings require quite a walk – and there are only stairs to the second levels AFAIK. There are plenty of main floor units however that can accommodate the disabled – I would definitely recommend you call the property if you have special needs so that there are no disappointments when you arrive.
After a few hours in the sun playing tennis – and plenty of sweat – we headed back to the hotel. Although the property has a 4pm check-in – and it was well after 4pm -- our suite was still not ready -- which made for some sticky sitting on the veranda waiting for it to be cleaned. We did enjoy two glasses of Champagne for an astounding price lol – After tax and tip and service charges it was $50 per glass! Finally after 5pm we were given or room keys and walked to our suite two buildings away…
The Rooms
The pictures you see on the website are quite accurate (ours are below). Our suite was about 1,200 square feet and very clean -- as one would expect. AC works well and room finishes were solid. The bathrooms are getting a bit tired as one would expect from all of the moisture – but definitely still up to STR standards.
Our advice if you book an ocean front room / suite like we did is to make sure you are on the second floor. “Oceanfront” is actually not what this property offers – at least not like most of us are used to – as you are about 100 yards from the ocean itself (we included a picture of the view from our first floor suite). Now – this wasn’t an issue at all to us but it is important to know that these rooms are barely ocean view – we loved the view but just wanted everyone know to manage expectations….
In room amenities are Remede – and there was always a fresh stock of free bottled water in the room. Linens / Robes are Frette (we love the Frette slippers) – while the towels are high quality (and plentiful) sourced from India - and room décor is understated and elegant – definitely island luxury with lots of sand and teal colors...
FYI -- Unfortunately – the Covid QR code craze has taken hold here (as it has most places I guess) – there are no menus, no in room maps of the resort – no nothing – you scan a code for everything – it’s ANNOYING as heck to me – but I guess I’m old. To me – at a place like this a simple menu is way more elegant – my wife doesn’t like us to bring our phones when we go out – now we have no choice!
SPA / Gym
The Spa and gym facilities are located in a nice building adjacent to the main building – the Spa has separate facilities / buildings for each type of function (i.e. nails, hair, resort clothing, massage) – and the facilities for men and women are separate. All of the facilities we used were in great shape. In addition to being a tennis nut I also value the gym facilities – and the gym here, although somewhat smaller for a resort of this size – it well equipped with modern strength and cardio equipment. There is also another fitness facility at the Wellness center that has more equipment and space – and has facilities for a variety of sports – like basketball, table tennis, and others – and a nice veranda overlooking a pond and the resort area.
Just a heads up – while this resort is obviously high end and the prices are to match – the Spa deserves special notice – my wife’s 50 minute massage was about $400 including services charges and taxes – before any extra gratuity . The actual massage itself was of course excellent and the oils were high quality – but this price is among the highest we’ve ever experienced for a less than one hour massage.
One nice note – in the Spa shop they have clothing from Nono Maldonado – who helped with the freshening of the property after the hurricane. I bought one of his linen shirts – good quality and way less than the massage!
The property
Grounds are gorgeous – very well maintained. Golf course looks immaculate – and the paths around the property really are worth a walk. The remote Wellness center is a hidden gem – they have another nice gym and of course our favorite – the tennis facility. They have two clay courts and two hard courts – and a solid teaching pro available for lessons. Courts are quite well maintained for a resort. They also hold group classes on weekend mornings. You do have to purchase your own balls but they do have racquets available – we were glad we brought ours as the freebies aren’t great quality. We did not use the resorts special water area (seems mostly for kids) but it looked well maintained and fun.
The Sabering
As most of you know this is a St. Regis tradition – at 6pm the ceremony is performed )at this property in the main building veranda overlooking the ocean) – which typically draws a lot of people to the location. To us it’s nice to learn the history – but when they only do a few bottles – everyone ends up with a literal thimble of Champagne – not worth it to us but fun to watch as they usually involve some of the guests.
The Food
As many others have pointed out – the food is where this property struggles the most. Yes you need reservations for most places – and yes it is busy and the food is not what we’re used to at a property of this caliber.
We did find some gems though – on Friday in the bar they have a “Sushi Sunset menu” – which was pretty good considering my wife is Japanese and we live in Tokyo and NYC – is it up to quality we are used to – no – but after reading all of the negative reviews here we enjoyed the Sushi. They had some Nigiri and Sushi – but most of it was Maki – rools. The spicy tuna roll was solid – as was the Sashimi salad and the "El Coqui" roll....
Seagrapes has been somewhat maligned in the reviews – but we enjoyed it and didn’t expect too much from what is really a pool / beach bar. The seared Ahi tuna tacos at made it’s way into our bellies day. The pizza was also decent as they make it in the dedicated pizza oven outdoors – our favorite was the spicy chicken – but the pepperoni was nice too.
Room service is, well, slow – and expensive. We ordered a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (interestingly – if you buy this bottle at the bar in Seagrapes it costs much less than on the room service menu) and it cost $100 delivered to our room (took a picture of the receipt lol) – which took about 90 minutes in the early evening. The poor butler that delivered it was clearly over-run -- this is an area where the resort needs a few more people – the food and service standards need improving. It was never “Bad” – but when you come to a place like this – and pay what we pay – you expect better…
The Staff
The entire team here really does go out of their way to provide great service – they could probably use a few more staff as during peak periods service is very slow – but if you get on island time it’s ok… We had great service in the bar area and really like the bartenders – who are knowledgeable and friendly. They also have some decent bar bites – which one night was fine with us! The boneless spicy chicken bites were nice (and plentiful).
Everyone we encountered – from the staff in the spa, the gyms, the wellness center and the restaurants were very friendly and addressed us by name. As mentioned many times – they just need more of them!
Overall Impression
We enjoyed our stay here a lot – not too much noise (except at the pool area in the early evening) and most people dressed up quite a bit for meals – but even those with flip shops and shorts were nicer than the average pool bar place… The St. Regis is an elegant property with amazing grounds and the location is beautiful. Service is warm – and while not efficient – it was sufficient for us. We noticed a variety of tourists here – from South America, North America, and also many local residents from the community. It was a nice blend – it didn’t feel like NYC visits Puerto Rico.
Would we return – yes we would – if prices moderate to something that reflects the quality of the experience – at an average daily price of about $2.5k for a suite you should rightly expect a lot!
PS - Sorry for the picture sizes -- doing this from my iphone!
Pre-Arrival
We were contacted about 5 days in advance by our butler and arranged for their hotel meet and greet roundtrip airport package – about $315 for round trip transfers. Yes it’s more than Uber / taxis but we were glad we did it as there were literally no Taxis / Ubers when we arrived at noon – which was quite odd – and the lines were long waiting for taxis…. As others point out -- getting an Uber way out at Bahia beach to go to SJU seems nearly impossible – and if the hotel arranges a taxi for you it is cash only (and FYI the resort doesn't accept cash)...
Resort Arrival
We arrived at the resort after about a 30 minute drive in an enormous Lincoln Navigator – great driver and plenty of water. Upon arrival we were welcomed by name and seated for check-in with a great drink – unfortunately our room was not ready so we headed off to Seagrapes for lunch – and since our room was not ready by 2pm it was off to the tennis center to work up a sweat. We were allowed to change in the Spa and then driven directly to the tennis center.
Note that the $99 per day includes wifi and use of the resort amenities, the spa, fitness centers and resort equipment like kayaks. This resort is LGBTQ friendly and it is important to know that the resort has limited facilities for the disabled. There are no elevators that I am aware of and the majority of the buildings require quite a walk – and there are only stairs to the second levels AFAIK. There are plenty of main floor units however that can accommodate the disabled – I would definitely recommend you call the property if you have special needs so that there are no disappointments when you arrive.
After a few hours in the sun playing tennis – and plenty of sweat – we headed back to the hotel. Although the property has a 4pm check-in – and it was well after 4pm -- our suite was still not ready -- which made for some sticky sitting on the veranda waiting for it to be cleaned. We did enjoy two glasses of Champagne for an astounding price lol – After tax and tip and service charges it was $50 per glass! Finally after 5pm we were given or room keys and walked to our suite two buildings away…
The Rooms
The pictures you see on the website are quite accurate (ours are below). Our suite was about 1,200 square feet and very clean -- as one would expect. AC works well and room finishes were solid. The bathrooms are getting a bit tired as one would expect from all of the moisture – but definitely still up to STR standards.
Our advice if you book an ocean front room / suite like we did is to make sure you are on the second floor. “Oceanfront” is actually not what this property offers – at least not like most of us are used to – as you are about 100 yards from the ocean itself (we included a picture of the view from our first floor suite). Now – this wasn’t an issue at all to us but it is important to know that these rooms are barely ocean view – we loved the view but just wanted everyone know to manage expectations….
In room amenities are Remede – and there was always a fresh stock of free bottled water in the room. Linens / Robes are Frette (we love the Frette slippers) – while the towels are high quality (and plentiful) sourced from India - and room décor is understated and elegant – definitely island luxury with lots of sand and teal colors...
FYI -- Unfortunately – the Covid QR code craze has taken hold here (as it has most places I guess) – there are no menus, no in room maps of the resort – no nothing – you scan a code for everything – it’s ANNOYING as heck to me – but I guess I’m old. To me – at a place like this a simple menu is way more elegant – my wife doesn’t like us to bring our phones when we go out – now we have no choice!
SPA / Gym
The Spa and gym facilities are located in a nice building adjacent to the main building – the Spa has separate facilities / buildings for each type of function (i.e. nails, hair, resort clothing, massage) – and the facilities for men and women are separate. All of the facilities we used were in great shape. In addition to being a tennis nut I also value the gym facilities – and the gym here, although somewhat smaller for a resort of this size – it well equipped with modern strength and cardio equipment. There is also another fitness facility at the Wellness center that has more equipment and space – and has facilities for a variety of sports – like basketball, table tennis, and others – and a nice veranda overlooking a pond and the resort area.
Just a heads up – while this resort is obviously high end and the prices are to match – the Spa deserves special notice – my wife’s 50 minute massage was about $400 including services charges and taxes – before any extra gratuity . The actual massage itself was of course excellent and the oils were high quality – but this price is among the highest we’ve ever experienced for a less than one hour massage.
One nice note – in the Spa shop they have clothing from Nono Maldonado – who helped with the freshening of the property after the hurricane. I bought one of his linen shirts – good quality and way less than the massage!
The property
Grounds are gorgeous – very well maintained. Golf course looks immaculate – and the paths around the property really are worth a walk. The remote Wellness center is a hidden gem – they have another nice gym and of course our favorite – the tennis facility. They have two clay courts and two hard courts – and a solid teaching pro available for lessons. Courts are quite well maintained for a resort. They also hold group classes on weekend mornings. You do have to purchase your own balls but they do have racquets available – we were glad we brought ours as the freebies aren’t great quality. We did not use the resorts special water area (seems mostly for kids) but it looked well maintained and fun.
The Sabering
As most of you know this is a St. Regis tradition – at 6pm the ceremony is performed )at this property in the main building veranda overlooking the ocean) – which typically draws a lot of people to the location. To us it’s nice to learn the history – but when they only do a few bottles – everyone ends up with a literal thimble of Champagne – not worth it to us but fun to watch as they usually involve some of the guests.
The Food
As many others have pointed out – the food is where this property struggles the most. Yes you need reservations for most places – and yes it is busy and the food is not what we’re used to at a property of this caliber.
We did find some gems though – on Friday in the bar they have a “Sushi Sunset menu” – which was pretty good considering my wife is Japanese and we live in Tokyo and NYC – is it up to quality we are used to – no – but after reading all of the negative reviews here we enjoyed the Sushi. They had some Nigiri and Sushi – but most of it was Maki – rools. The spicy tuna roll was solid – as was the Sashimi salad and the "El Coqui" roll....
Seagrapes has been somewhat maligned in the reviews – but we enjoyed it and didn’t expect too much from what is really a pool / beach bar. The seared Ahi tuna tacos at made it’s way into our bellies day. The pizza was also decent as they make it in the dedicated pizza oven outdoors – our favorite was the spicy chicken – but the pepperoni was nice too.
Room service is, well, slow – and expensive. We ordered a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (interestingly – if you buy this bottle at the bar in Seagrapes it costs much less than on the room service menu) and it cost $100 delivered to our room (took a picture of the receipt lol) – which took about 90 minutes in the early evening. The poor butler that delivered it was clearly over-run -- this is an area where the resort needs a few more people – the food and service standards need improving. It was never “Bad” – but when you come to a place like this – and pay what we pay – you expect better…
The Staff
The entire team here really does go out of their way to provide great service – they could probably use a few more staff as during peak periods service is very slow – but if you get on island time it’s ok… We had great service in the bar area and really like the bartenders – who are knowledgeable and friendly. They also have some decent bar bites – which one night was fine with us! The boneless spicy chicken bites were nice (and plentiful).
Everyone we encountered – from the staff in the spa, the gyms, the wellness center and the restaurants were very friendly and addressed us by name. As mentioned many times – they just need more of them!
Overall Impression
We enjoyed our stay here a lot – not too much noise (except at the pool area in the early evening) and most people dressed up quite a bit for meals – but even those with flip shops and shorts were nicer than the average pool bar place… The St. Regis is an elegant property with amazing grounds and the location is beautiful. Service is warm – and while not efficient – it was sufficient for us. We noticed a variety of tourists here – from South America, North America, and also many local residents from the community. It was a nice blend – it didn’t feel like NYC visits Puerto Rico.
Would we return – yes we would – if prices moderate to something that reflects the quality of the experience – at an average daily price of about $2.5k for a suite you should rightly expect a lot!
PS - Sorry for the picture sizes -- doing this from my iphone!
Last edited by bmwe92fan; Sep 4, 2022 at 5:48 pm
Sep 7, 2022, 4:29 pm
#565
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,315
One last picture -- sunrise on our day of departure -- amazing property that with a few tweaks could be back to world class easily... I tried to edit my post but for some reason certain things on FT aren't working well right now?
Dec 12, 2022, 9:25 am
#567
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 13
* The boat house - we spent 3 mornings kayaking and paddleboarding. The kids loved it
* Biking - the resort fee covers daily bike rental. not very enjoyable due to limited biking trails
* Pools and beach - very relaxing - ordered pizza and drinks for the kids. The kids got 2 kites from Sheraton Old San Juan. They enjoyed flying kites at the beach.
Since you have your own car, I would highly recommend snorkeling at Seven Seas Beach near Fajardo. We had a guided tour with Pirate Snorkeling Shack - a wonderful experience. I think they also provide tours for the biobay. We went to the biobay at Vieques so we didn't book it here.
Feb 1, 2023, 9:32 pm
#568
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
Stayed 2 nights this past Friday and Saturday. Booked on points (something like 102,000 per night) and paid $350/night extra to confirm a suite (i.e. a points + cash upgrade rate).
Pros:
-I had booked an Astor and was proactively upgraded to a St. Regis suite (422 -- one of the best rooms IMO for proximity to everything and view of ocean from room)
-Your24 was approved for 1pm check-in and check-out (this is huge in my book, even though it's just 3 hours early and 1 hour late... those can be really tough hours to get at this place)
-We were able to check in upon 12:30pm arrival with no trouble, crib was waiting in the room
-Saturday was wife's birthday... we had dinner at Paros (fantastic) and when we came back there was a cake and balloons including a giant E balloon (the first letter of her name). Very very cool, we were both impressed
-Service was the best ever. We used palapa number 14 (discussed up thread -- first come first served, not a proper cabana, just a thatched-roof hut thing with beach chairs) on Friday and Saturday... had the towel guys set them up each day. Bar service doesn't technically go that far but they made it happen anyhow (I tipped accordingly). That was all fine and good, but Sunday I went down to the palapa (visible from our room) and was kind of annoyed because it looked like they hadn't cleaned anything off from the previous day... but when I got there I was surprised to see that they had set up the three chairs in advance for us. Theoretically anyone else could have come and used them but those palapas never saw any use other than by us (as opposed to the two over by the beach bar, which were heavily used). That kind of proactive anticipating-your-needs service is special. We really felt like everyone went out of their way to make the weekend awesome.
Cons:
-pre-arrival emails were frustrating -- we had big trouble getting a crib last time we stayed, so I tried to get some confirmation in advance that they would actually have one available this time, but the agent simply refused to commit and said it would be based on availability. I was like "can you see how many you have and how many crib requests you have and give me an idea" but was told no, have to wait and see. So we brought an extra suitcase to bring our own (rather than risking it or wasting time renting one), and it ended up not being necessary, but that seemed like such a simple problem not to have in the first place
-the birds at breakfast are worse than ever
-that's about it? this was pretty close to flawless. I only left the property once to get supplies (side note: the famcoop grocery store has great booze selections -- I picked up a 2013 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque rosé for $175).
Will be back.
Pros:
-I had booked an Astor and was proactively upgraded to a St. Regis suite (422 -- one of the best rooms IMO for proximity to everything and view of ocean from room)
-Your24 was approved for 1pm check-in and check-out (this is huge in my book, even though it's just 3 hours early and 1 hour late... those can be really tough hours to get at this place)
-We were able to check in upon 12:30pm arrival with no trouble, crib was waiting in the room
-Saturday was wife's birthday... we had dinner at Paros (fantastic) and when we came back there was a cake and balloons including a giant E balloon (the first letter of her name). Very very cool, we were both impressed
-Service was the best ever. We used palapa number 14 (discussed up thread -- first come first served, not a proper cabana, just a thatched-roof hut thing with beach chairs) on Friday and Saturday... had the towel guys set them up each day. Bar service doesn't technically go that far but they made it happen anyhow (I tipped accordingly). That was all fine and good, but Sunday I went down to the palapa (visible from our room) and was kind of annoyed because it looked like they hadn't cleaned anything off from the previous day... but when I got there I was surprised to see that they had set up the three chairs in advance for us. Theoretically anyone else could have come and used them but those palapas never saw any use other than by us (as opposed to the two over by the beach bar, which were heavily used). That kind of proactive anticipating-your-needs service is special. We really felt like everyone went out of their way to make the weekend awesome.
Cons:
-pre-arrival emails were frustrating -- we had big trouble getting a crib last time we stayed, so I tried to get some confirmation in advance that they would actually have one available this time, but the agent simply refused to commit and said it would be based on availability. I was like "can you see how many you have and how many crib requests you have and give me an idea" but was told no, have to wait and see. So we brought an extra suitcase to bring our own (rather than risking it or wasting time renting one), and it ended up not being necessary, but that seemed like such a simple problem not to have in the first place
-the birds at breakfast are worse than ever
-that's about it? this was pretty close to flawless. I only left the property once to get supplies (side note: the famcoop grocery store has great booze selections -- I picked up a 2013 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque rosé for $175).
Will be back.
Feb 4, 2023, 10:42 pm
#569
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador
Posts: 598
Stayed 2 nights this past Friday and Saturday. Booked on points (something like 102,000 per night) and paid $350/night extra to confirm a suite (i.e. a points + cash upgrade rate).
Pros:
-I had booked an Astor and was proactively upgraded to a St. Regis suite (422 -- one of the best rooms IMO for proximity to everything and view of ocean from room)
-Your24 was approved for 1pm check-in and check-out (this is huge in my book, even though it's just 3 hours early and 1 hour late... those can be really tough hours to get at this place)
-We were able to check in upon 12:30pm arrival with no trouble, crib was waiting in the room
-Saturday was wife's birthday... we had dinner at Paros (fantastic) and when we came back there was a cake and balloons including a giant E balloon (the first letter of her name). Very very cool, we were both impressed
-Service was the best ever. We used palapa number 14 (discussed up thread -- first come first served, not a proper cabana, just a thatched-roof hut thing with beach chairs) on Friday and Saturday... had the towel guys set them up each day. Bar service doesn't technically go that far but they made it happen anyhow (I tipped accordingly). That was all fine and good, but Sunday I went down to the palapa (visible from our room) and was kind of annoyed because it looked like they hadn't cleaned anything off from the previous day... but when I got there I was surprised to see that they had set up the three chairs in advance for us. Theoretically anyone else could have come and used them but those palapas never saw any use other than by us (as opposed to the two over by the beach bar, which were heavily used). That kind of proactive anticipating-your-needs service is special. We really felt like everyone went out of their way to make the weekend awesome.
Cons:
-pre-arrival emails were frustrating -- we had big trouble getting a crib last time we stayed, so I tried to get some confirmation in advance that they would actually have one available this time, but the agent simply refused to commit and said it would be based on availability. I was like "can you see how many you have and how many crib requests you have and give me an idea" but was told no, have to wait and see. So we brought an extra suitcase to bring our own (rather than risking it or wasting time renting one), and it ended up not being necessary, but that seemed like such a simple problem not to have in the first place
-the birds at breakfast are worse than ever
-that's about it? this was pretty close to flawless. I only left the property once to get supplies (side note: the famcoop grocery store has great booze selections -- I picked up a 2013 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque rosé for $175).
Will be back.
Pros:
-I had booked an Astor and was proactively upgraded to a St. Regis suite (422 -- one of the best rooms IMO for proximity to everything and view of ocean from room)
-Your24 was approved for 1pm check-in and check-out (this is huge in my book, even though it's just 3 hours early and 1 hour late... those can be really tough hours to get at this place)
-We were able to check in upon 12:30pm arrival with no trouble, crib was waiting in the room
-Saturday was wife's birthday... we had dinner at Paros (fantastic) and when we came back there was a cake and balloons including a giant E balloon (the first letter of her name). Very very cool, we were both impressed
-Service was the best ever. We used palapa number 14 (discussed up thread -- first come first served, not a proper cabana, just a thatched-roof hut thing with beach chairs) on Friday and Saturday... had the towel guys set them up each day. Bar service doesn't technically go that far but they made it happen anyhow (I tipped accordingly). That was all fine and good, but Sunday I went down to the palapa (visible from our room) and was kind of annoyed because it looked like they hadn't cleaned anything off from the previous day... but when I got there I was surprised to see that they had set up the three chairs in advance for us. Theoretically anyone else could have come and used them but those palapas never saw any use other than by us (as opposed to the two over by the beach bar, which were heavily used). That kind of proactive anticipating-your-needs service is special. We really felt like everyone went out of their way to make the weekend awesome.
Cons:
-pre-arrival emails were frustrating -- we had big trouble getting a crib last time we stayed, so I tried to get some confirmation in advance that they would actually have one available this time, but the agent simply refused to commit and said it would be based on availability. I was like "can you see how many you have and how many crib requests you have and give me an idea" but was told no, have to wait and see. So we brought an extra suitcase to bring our own (rather than risking it or wasting time renting one), and it ended up not being necessary, but that seemed like such a simple problem not to have in the first place
-the birds at breakfast are worse than ever
-that's about it? this was pretty close to flawless. I only left the property once to get supplies (side note: the famcoop grocery store has great booze selections -- I picked up a 2013 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque rosé for $175).
Will be back.
I was shocked to see that the cash rate for next week (for the standard room) is only about $530 and includes breafast...last year it was over $1000/night. Perhaps they are struggling with occupancy.
Also, I forget, was the breakfast amenity the full buffet or did you have to pay to upgrade?
Feb 4, 2023, 11:40 pm
#570
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,670
Great review. Heading here next week and cannot wait! We paid $200/night to upgrade rooms to oceanfront, hoping we can get a suite upgrade, but we'll see. Didn't even think about using Your24 - thanks for the reminder!
I was shocked to see that the cash rate for next week (for the standard room) is only about $530 and includes breafast...last year it was over $1000/night. Perhaps they are struggling with occupancy.
Also, I forget, was the breakfast amenity the full buffet or did you have to pay to upgrade?
I was shocked to see that the cash rate for next week (for the standard room) is only about $530 and includes breafast...last year it was over $1000/night. Perhaps they are struggling with occupancy.
Also, I forget, was the breakfast amenity the full buffet or did you have to pay to upgrade?
I forgot to mention -- they said that as Ambassador the full buffet was included with no upcharge, which was nice. (Still had to pick breakfast as the amenity, but it's a solid amenity.) Made-to-order omelets and eggs were quite good and the buffet quality was high (passionfruit, dragonfruit, good berries, good salmon, meats/cheese, etc.). One mimosa per person is also included at breakfast!