Gran Melia Puerto Rico Review
We had a wonderful time in Puerto Rico. With the exception of missing our flight and having to wait over 8 hours at the airport, the trip was perfect.
Gran Melia Puerto Rico - Hotel Review
We arrived at the hotel almost at 1:30 AM. I’ve called reservation to let them know I was doing a late check in, so there was not issue at all when we arrived.
The hotel is just beautiful. The lobby area is huge, with plenty of places to sit and relax. It has several water fountains and ponds that give you the sensation of being in a truly tropical place.
The room was very clean and spacious. It includes a balcony and sitting area. Although our room was not ocean front, you could see the beach from the balcony. The beach is less than 50 meters away.
The staff was very courteous and helpful. They can provide you with maps and driving directions to all the mayor attractions in the area and even to farther places like San Juan (the hotel is about 45 minute drives from the Airport and about 1 hour from San Juan)
Grand Melia Puerto Rico is not a traditional hotel .The rooms are villages grouped in units of 4 to 6 each (three on the bottom and three on the second floor) There are not elevators and you cannot park in front of your village, instead you must park near the lobby or the casino and they will take you to your room in a golf card. If you don’t want to walk you must wait for the golf car to pick you up and take you back to the car. They pass by frequently or you can call the front desk and ask them to send someone to pick you up.
The hotel also have separate villages, most of them ocean front, that are reserved for the Royal Service category. Meaning you pay more, but they also assign you a butler to take care of your every need. These Royal Service villages come with a private outdoor Jacuzzi and you have access to a pool that is also reserved for guests using the Royal Service.
The casino is small, but clean. You can drink all you want for free as long as you are playing.
Parking is expensive. I can’t believe they charge $16.00 a day for self parking or $25.00 for valet parking. I can understand when hotels located in the middle of a mayor city where parking space is scarce charge for parking, but in this case there was plenty of parking space within the hotel property to justify the charges. On top of that, you must validate your parking ticket every time you leave the hotel.
The hotel has three restaurants. One with Italian food, the other with mix American and Caribbean food and the third one is an outdoor restaurant by the pool which opens only during the day (it serves mostly hamburgers, sandwitchis and salads). Food in Puerto Rico is expensive compare to other places like Miami. On average, be prepared to pay around $30 per person every time you eat out. The restaurants at the hotels are of course even more expensive. Forget about ordering room services, unless you are willing to pay $15.00 for a hamburger (no fries included).
We ate twice at the hotel and the food was decent, but not outstanding.
The beach is clean, but the water is not too clear, at least not during this season. Several staff told us there was a huge coral reef in front of the hotel that you can snorkel to, but we did not went into the water because it was way to cold in November. They rent snorkeling equipment at the hotel.
Overall, the hotel is beautiful, clean and very well kept. Staffs are friendly and they all speak English and Spanish. The swimming pool is huge, with plenty of area to sit down and relax. The beach is clean but not spectacular. This is the perfect place for a honeymoon or romantic getaway. I did not see too many children at the hotel, but plenty of couples.
Here are some pictures
Beach in front of the hotelPool cabanas. You can rent them for $50/dayLobby AreaPond and fountains near the lobby
