ChutinClifton

I am looking for a upscale, 4 stars villa/condo this July for a family of 5 (3kids ages 15, 13, and 1) anywhere in Puerto Rico. We are renting a car so distance is not a factor. Any suggestions for a website to search is greatly appreciated. Also, how is the driving/road conditions in PR?

Rob

Try this site -http://www.travelandsports.com/
You might consider Embassy Suites Dorado. It is about 25 miles from San Juan. Rates are reasonable and includes a full free breakfast. The place is kid friendly. Not many restaurants at the hotel but there are plenty of restaurants in Dorado including every fast food place known to mankind. All are located within a 5 or 10 minute drive. My daughter, her husband and three children (10, 6 and 2) were there in April and would go back in a heartbeat. My wife and I were there as well. Each suite has two large rooms with a refrigerator, a coffee maker and a microwave

PRnative

Some resorts with upscale villas are the Westin Rio Mar (www.theclusters.com), Palmas del Mar (palmasdelmar.com), Villa Montana (villamontana.com). Of these, Palmas is the oldest and biggest. There are lots of different neighborhoods within Palmas, some more upscale than others, and some older and a bit rundown. So you have to be more careful about choosing a villa in Palmas. Another area with a lot of upscale villa developments is the Dorado beach area, but I don't know of a site that specializes in just Dorado villas. A good website for finding villas and other rentals, which includes properties from some of the resorts mentioned above, and probably some Dorado villas along with lots of other stuff, is prwest.com.

As for driving, the roads are fine, but don't have the best signage. You need a good map and directions from locals. The driving is a bit crazy, but people used to driving in bad-traffic areas of the States, who know how to deal with chaotic & agressive drivers, usually deal with it well.

Rob

After I posted my other note I remembered there is a Hyatt condo a few miles from the Embassy Suites. I think the name is Hacienda del Mar. You can find it at the Hyatt website and probably at the website mentioned in my other post. The property has the best River Pool I have ever seen. You older kids will love it.

ChutinClifton

Thank you, Rob, PRnative for taking your time and replied to my question. I took your suggestion and booked a suite at Embassy Suites in Dorado.

Rob

Your children would enjoy a visit to the fort, El Morro, in Old San Juan. If you decide to do this you don't have to drive into Old San Juan. You can take a ferry from Catano to OSJ. You can get a shuttle near the ferry terminal that will take you to the fort. You can get directions to Catano at the Front Desk. There is a parking lot at the ferry in Catano. You might also visit the Caves at Camuy. It is about a one hour drive