Hi everyone,
My husband and I are taking a cruise through the Southern Caribbean in April. We want to fly to Puerto Rico a bit early and spend 1-2 nights at a resort, just relaxing before getting on the ship. This will be our first time in the Caribbean. Some of the resorts we are looking at are:

Westin Rio del Mar
Wyndham El San Juan
Marriott Stellaris
Inter-continental San Juan
Hyatt Dorado

Which would you suggest and why? We like a beautiful, tropical beach and pool area, nice rooms, friendly service, and good food. Also, how far from the Royal Caribbean cruise port are each of these resorts? Thank you in advance

If you want to be in San Juan, I'd recommend the Caribe Hilton.

Yes, it's gotten some bad reviews online--but I have no earthly idea why. It's a beautiful property in a great location. It has a sheltered, private beach & very nice pools. The bar is where the pina colada was invented (and they make great pinas there!) Wasn't really there long enough to get a feel for the staff. Had one good meal there but I can't really remember what it was.

You can also usually get a great deal on this hotel through Priceline. I've paid $75/night. Check out www.betterbidding.com and/or www.biddingfortravel.com for recent experiences.

Finally, it's a short cab ride from the cruise docks, and maybe a mile or so from Old San Juan.

Cheers!

This past xmas we stayed at the Mariott on the beach in Old San Juan. Nice hotel. On our way back we did a day rate at the Wyndham Condado Casino right on the beach and thought that hotel was better than the Mariott.

In Rio Grande, we've only stayed at the Gran Melia Resort (www.gran-melia-puerto-rico.com/). It's a top notch place and a bit pricey but a great place to stay if it's in your budget. It's location in fairly centralized putting it pretty close to the docs.

Enjoy!

All good choices. We stayed at the Inter. for a few days post cruise and except for a young asst. mngr. a bit too full of himself (which was more than compensated for by a great concierge) all was well. Everyone was very polite and helpful and its a beach front location. Wherever you decide to stay PR is a great place to see. Try 2-3 days if you can as there is alot to do and to see. For example you can see El Yunque, the rain forest, the old Spanish forts of El Morro and San Cristobal, meander the narrow streets of Old San Juan, see the Bacardi factory and alot more too. There are also some excellent restaurants as well. Dragonfly on Fortaleeza st. is a hot spot and in the Inter. is a wonderful Italian restaurant too. ZCheers, Larry