Ocean Villas at Rio Mar
May 2, 2001, 11:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Manasquan, NJ
Posts: 1,413
Ocean Villas at Rio Mar
Ms. Fishbait here:
Back from a 5 day reward stay at The Ocean Villas at the Westin Rio Mar, in Puerto Rico (boy, that's a mouthful!) I knew some people were asking about this property and villas in general, so here goes:
It is a fantastic property, MUCH nicer than the hotel (which isn't bad to begin with), and to my surprise, used the same amount of points (there was some mixup between 12,000 and 10,000 points per nt, but SPG booked it at 10,000). You have close access to the main hotel's amenities (spa, casino, restaurants), but a great private villa to return to at night. One bedroom villa was first class, with everything you might need (except a jacuzzi tub would have been nice.) Pool area is much quieter and private than the main hotel pool, and free cont. bkfst, served in the villas restaurant, was great. Casino actually took very little of my money!
Downsides: Only a few. First, we asked about being upgraded to a 2 bedroom on checkin (we had called on way in okay avail with SPG). Was told, "sold out". When we questioned the availability issue, told "Oh, we JUST sold the last 2 br. to a walkin". That was questionable, but 1 bedroom was fine, so, Whatever! It would have been a nice touch if he had even checked the computer... Second, the hotel restaurants were (as typical) VERY overpriced, and food was just okay. Do yourself a favor, rent a car, and get out to other restaurants, there are some GREAT ones. Third, specifically, "Shimas" the Asian Rest. can use some serious help. Ate there twice (I have a sushi problem...) and both times served entree before apps, was there over 2 hrs, and was RE-SERVED the reheated entrees an hour later (not very good when you're eating rare tempura tuna!) Was offered only free dessert when we "tried" to send back the entree, not even a new entree or credit for the old one. Fourth, the parking situation is strange. You are REQUIRED to valet your car, which was parked right under our villa. Not so bad, unless you are lugging surfboards, etc back and forth on 5 minute walks to lobby. Would be MUCH easier to allow guests a choice to access car directly.
All in all, these villas are a fantastic value for reward stays, and I would HIGHLY recommend them!!
Back from a 5 day reward stay at The Ocean Villas at the Westin Rio Mar, in Puerto Rico (boy, that's a mouthful!) I knew some people were asking about this property and villas in general, so here goes:
It is a fantastic property, MUCH nicer than the hotel (which isn't bad to begin with), and to my surprise, used the same amount of points (there was some mixup between 12,000 and 10,000 points per nt, but SPG booked it at 10,000). You have close access to the main hotel's amenities (spa, casino, restaurants), but a great private villa to return to at night. One bedroom villa was first class, with everything you might need (except a jacuzzi tub would have been nice.) Pool area is much quieter and private than the main hotel pool, and free cont. bkfst, served in the villas restaurant, was great. Casino actually took very little of my money!
Downsides: Only a few. First, we asked about being upgraded to a 2 bedroom on checkin (we had called on way in okay avail with SPG). Was told, "sold out". When we questioned the availability issue, told "Oh, we JUST sold the last 2 br. to a walkin". That was questionable, but 1 bedroom was fine, so, Whatever! It would have been a nice touch if he had even checked the computer... Second, the hotel restaurants were (as typical) VERY overpriced, and food was just okay. Do yourself a favor, rent a car, and get out to other restaurants, there are some GREAT ones. Third, specifically, "Shimas" the Asian Rest. can use some serious help. Ate there twice (I have a sushi problem...) and both times served entree before apps, was there over 2 hrs, and was RE-SERVED the reheated entrees an hour later (not very good when you're eating rare tempura tuna!) Was offered only free dessert when we "tried" to send back the entree, not even a new entree or credit for the old one. Fourth, the parking situation is strange. You are REQUIRED to valet your car, which was parked right under our villa. Not so bad, unless you are lugging surfboards, etc back and forth on 5 minute walks to lobby. Would be MUCH easier to allow guests a choice to access car directly.
All in all, these villas are a fantastic value for reward stays, and I would HIGHLY recommend them!!
May 2, 2001, 5:48 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: BOS
Posts: 2,315
Thanks for the report - I'm very interested in this property, and your comments were helpful!
May 2, 2001, 5:58 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 7,149
Same. Thanks very much. My wife and I are planning to go down there for a week, splitting with the Hyatt Dorado.
Sounds like a great place.
Any specific restaraunt recommendations?
Sounds like a great place.
Any specific restaraunt recommendations?
May 2, 2001, 6:30 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Tempe, AZ USA
Programs: Starwood Plat, Hilton Gold, America West Silver
Posts: 179
Try Chef Waynes. It's a 7-minute drive up a winding road, sitting perched on a hill. It's where the locals go and it was fantastic. The hotel's concierge will make reservations for you and give you directions. Another reason to rent a car while you are there, though; the taxi fares are outrageous. Wayne is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and is actually from New Jersey, but he knows his island cuisine.
Another restaurant serving local food is Las Vegas Restaurant, 5 minutes from the hotel Ignore the corny name and go.
The seafood shacks 4 miles north of the hotel are famed. Avoid Sundays, when they are overcrowded.
Rosa's Restaurant (I forget the town, but its about 20 minutes north and east of the hotel in the area where you take snorkeling trips) is famed....
Avoid the hotel's snorking trips--they are outrageous overpriced--and arrange it yourself. Saved half the cost that way.
Another restaurant serving local food is Las Vegas Restaurant, 5 minutes from the hotel Ignore the corny name and go.
The seafood shacks 4 miles north of the hotel are famed. Avoid Sundays, when they are overcrowded.
Rosa's Restaurant (I forget the town, but its about 20 minutes north and east of the hotel in the area where you take snorkeling trips) is famed....
Avoid the hotel's snorking trips--they are outrageous overpriced--and arrange it yourself. Saved half the cost that way.
May 3, 2001, 7:13 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Manasquan, NJ
Posts: 1,413
Rosa's is in Fajardo, not too long a drive. (It's on the tourist map). The lobsters were great and about 1/3 the price at the hotel. Fajardo has a lot of great little seafood restaurants, plus dive shops for snorkeling/diving trips, and the ferries to Vieques and Culebra. On the way back and forth are several supermarkets, etc to stock your villa. We never got to Chef Waynes, unfortunately.
There is a great public beach in Fajardo too, that has some pretty good beachside snorkeling. I have a brain block and can't remember the name, but it is easy enough to find on the map; it's on El Conquistador Road and right next to a nature preserve, before the lighthouse on the point. We weren't crazy about many of the other public beaches and never found the time to go out to the islands, but everyone says they are wonderful.
One more thing about Shimas (at the hotel), concierge had mistakenly made a res for Mon, our arrival day. We checked in late, and called the rest directly to cancel and rebook for Tues. They took our res, and we showed up to find a closed restaurant (they are closed on Tuesdays..) Strange.
There is a great public beach in Fajardo too, that has some pretty good beachside snorkeling. I have a brain block and can't remember the name, but it is easy enough to find on the map; it's on El Conquistador Road and right next to a nature preserve, before the lighthouse on the point. We weren't crazy about many of the other public beaches and never found the time to go out to the islands, but everyone says they are wonderful.
One more thing about Shimas (at the hotel), concierge had mistakenly made a res for Mon, our arrival day. We checked in late, and called the rest directly to cancel and rebook for Tues. They took our res, and we showed up to find a closed restaurant (they are closed on Tuesdays..) Strange.
May 3, 2001, 7:28 am
#6
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 74
Also for an inexpensive, local/mexican food dinner, try Lolita's which is just a few miles south (past the seafood shacks). The concierge set us up (we had a party of 22!).