My husband and I stayed here for our honeymoon and we absolutely loved it. We did the all-inclusive, which covered all our meals and drinks, and non-motorized water sports.
I do think that whether it's a good fit for you really depends on what you expect. We loved the fact that this is not in a high-traffic, highly-touristy area. We chose to go here because we could stay longer and do what we liked more easily than at other more expensive resorts. We don't golf (there's no golf course). We don't gamble (there's no casino). We don't go clubbing (there are no clubs - there's not much of anything else nearby, really). We swim, sail, kayak, snorkle, eat, sleep, and read. If you want a pool boy to put a drink in your hand, you should look somewhere else, but we are very independent and found this to be a perfect fit, from the beach to the restaurant to the room.
Our room was not fancy but it was very comfortable. For those of you who don't want to make a complete break with the outside world, there is cable TV and wireless internet access. (We were pleased to find this when it rained one afternoon.) It is really a pretty place. The view from our balcony was amazing.
We loved the water. There is some sort of sea grass growing right around the dock in front of the resort, but we pulled lounge chairs into the warm sea - ahhh. For a swim, we walked a ways towards the public beach, where the sandy bottom extended quite a distance. My husband was a big fan of both swimming pools and the hot tub. We also spent an entire afternoon lounging in one of the beachside "beds," under the canvas canopy, reading.
But what excited us most of all were the active options. Two days, we took out the little sail boat and skirted all around the bay. We paddled the kayak one afternoon. Towards the end of the trip we went snorkeling at Gilligan's Island. You do have to hit the dive shop early to get snorkeling gear - there's a limited amount and it gets checked out pretty fast. Take a few dollars - you'll need to pay the ferry boat guy who stops at the resort dock. Gilligan's Island is a small, uninhabited park. Its main lagoon gets crowded on the weekend, but we went off to a secluded spot on the side and saw some beautiful fish.
We put on nice clothes and ate at the Alexandra restaurant every night. Our waiters were really pleasant and attentive. We tried just about everything on the menu, and thought every dish was nice and some were superb. (The steak with red wine sauce and the lobster risotto were tops.) The breakfast was extensive and changed throughout the week: yummy crepes one day, waffles the next. Lunches and appetizers at the bar were just fine but nothing exceptional, although the guitarist playing live music in the evening was a nice touch. I love cheese, and the local Puerto Rican cheese was a delicious discovery. True, there's no room service, but they will give you box lunches or pack up whatever you like.
It was very quiet during the week, and there were families and locals on the weekend. It seemed very friendly to children. There's even a nice playground sliding-board set under some palm trees. An exceptional example: Our last night, we ate very late when the restaurant was almost completely empty. We watched a young, frazzled couple drop into the Alexandra and ask for to-go meals, because they feared their little girl was fussy. One of the waitresses offered to babysit in the empty side dining area, and spent the next hour nearby singing softly, dancing gently to the music, and showing off the fish in the fishtank. That waitress truly went far beyond what was expected, and the parents got to have what must have been their first romantic dinner "alone" in two years.
What else should I add? There's no passport required for US citizens to go to Puerto Rico, they use the US dollar, and most people speak English but life will be even easier if you speak a little Spanish. I don't think there is any laundry service, but we were very happy to discover a coin-operated washer and dryer. We went into La Parguera to see the bioluminescent bay one evening - it was cool, and I'm glad we did it, but it's an expensive cab fare and that's the only thing worth doing there (the town is rather rundown, there was nothing to see, and the food at the resort was better than anything there). Our bathroom had a huge tiled shower but no bathtub - not a problem for us at all, but I imagine some people would find that a turn-off...
All in all, we had a great stay and would return any time.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Outdoor / Adventure, Great food / Wine