This was the first time in Puerto Rico, for my husband and I. We had a really great visit. The grounds were clean, very friendly staff, housekeeping staff were very efficient. The food was great. The onsite restrauants were great. Weather could not have been better. The golf course is still under work. The hotel was beautiful, bellboys and staff were so friendly. By the end of the week they new you by name or bungalow number.
The beach was nice with all the water activities. The pool was great. Really nice sitting areas around pool and lots of lounge chairs. No problem finding any. Would like visit again.

My husband & I just returned from a 6 night stay at the Paradisus. I noticed lots of mixed reviews, so thought I would write my own to help out anyone that is planning a trip.

Royal Services-
I'd like to start by suggesting to everyone to book a "Royal Service" room. I was unsure if this room category would be worth the extra cost. IT WAS!!! It is especially worth it if you want a quiet, pampered stay. You will be provided with rooms that are in closest proximity to the beach and pools (although still very private and far from any loud activitiy). Butler service is a phone call away - the butlers were fantastic - they gave us a thorough tour of the resort with tips and ideas for things to do. They set up our ocean front deck (which had a nice jacuzzi) with a "champagne sunset" including a bottle of champagne and a set up bubble-filled jacuzzi to relax in. They also were able to "squeeze us in" to a restuarant of choice although it was booked on my birthday, and when we returned to our room there was a birthday cake for me! These are just a few the the perks of this Royal Service. There is also a private lounge area which has free internet acess, breakfast, snacks and drinks throughout the day. It was a nice place to grab coffee in the morning and read the paper. There is an "adults only" pool which had plush teak lounge chairs and palapas surrounding the pool. The music was quiet and relaxing, the bartenders there were fantastic. One tip - grab a chair early, although the bartenders will bring up regular beach lounge chairs when the plush ones run out - I just like to be spoiled. Royal Service also reserved an ocean front palapa (bed-type cushioned lounge under a thatched roof) each day, where we took our 5:30 naps).

Staff-
Okay - moving on to the rest of the resort. Everyone in the staff was terrific - and very helpful. There was a "mess up" when we first arrived, mostly because of the hour that we arrived (4:30 am). Although we were supposed to have a Royal Services room, the front desk had sent us to Suite which was not in this category. When the bellman brought this to our attention, we went back to the front desk, where they were not able to do anything until the morning. So, we had to stay for the night in one room, then move to another the next day. Because of this mix up, the hotel quickly upgraded us from a Garden View Royal Services Suite to and Ocean View Suite, which I thought was a great way to handle the mix up!

Restaurants -
Make your reservations upon arrival! Make sure to go to Romantico - it was the best there. If for some reason you can't get in, stop by the restaurant at 6:00 (opening time) and they can sometimes squeeze you in. Bamboo was good - a typical hibachi restaurant. Avocado was best for lunch, and dinner was okay, but service at dinner was slow. My husband & I are not big fans of buffets, but thought that Avocado's lunch buffet & Toscano's dinner buffet were both great. Please realize that all restaurants have lunch buffets! Mirador is on the beach/large pool, but has very casual food, and seemed to have poor service anytime we went there.

All-Inclusive-
We have only been to one other all-inclusive resort (Sandals St. Lucia) and that didn't compare. The brands of liquor at the bar are great for an all-inclusive (although with royal services you can get just about anything you want - just ask). The food is very good quality and the grounds are spectacular!

Property-
The Paradisus is beautiful! The open-air lobby area is georgous at night - lit by hundreds of candles and lanterns. The main pool area is huge. This area is expecially fantastic for families with children (try to grab a palapa to hang out in - many families used this as a shady escape). There is also a swim up bar in this area and lively music. It is true, the beach is not a clear-blue swimmable beach. However, for someone like me who loves the ambience of the ocean surrounding you while you enjoy the pool - it is perfect! It is lagoon-like (the waves break far out over a reef) so many people are out on paddle boats and hobie cats. It is still beautiful - don't let this stop you from coming to the Paradisus! There is a very large sand beach area with many, many lounge chairs, so there is always somewhere to lay around.

Our experience overall was excellent (and I am a tough critic when it comes to resorts). Go - enjoy! And - try out that royal service (Travelocity gave us a good deal on this - look there!)

Email me with any questions!

The hotel was amazing i just had a problem with dinner reservations and some people were very rude! But, overall it was a place i will never forget.

My wife and I returned from a five-night stay at this lovely all-inclusive resort in January, and, like any new property (opened 3/04), it has kinks that have to be ironed out. I preface this posting by saying that my wife and I both work in the hotel/ hospitality industry for large hotel companies, and i must say that the Paradisus passes the test. The positives severly outweigh the negatives, and by reading many of these December postings, I have to believe that the Paradisus took the criticism to heart and "fixed" most of these bugs.

This is an all-inclusive resort where tips/ charges are taken care of by your daily rate. But I must say, the staff treated us like royalty from the moment we stepped out of our taxi. The door/bell staff are very cheerful and make an effort to please. They socialize with you and offer assistance before you even have to ask. In the hospiatlity industry, we are expected to anticipate our guest's needs, and at the Paradisus, they do that. From the bellmen down to the maids, they make a sincere effort to make you happy. I happen to believe that, despite it being all-inclusive, it's Ok to tip a couple of bucks. There were times I didn't have change and did not leave a tip, and it was fine with their staff. They didn't seeme bothered or slowed their service because of this. Believe me, this happens at many resorts (Cancun and Domomican rep. come to mind). I received terrific service on my first day through to the fifth day. My wife was there for a conference and I just tagged along and had fun.

The lobby bars are very good. You get top of the line liquor and you get your drink refreshed before you're even finished with the one y0ou have in your hand. There was a waiter, which I cannot remember his name, who must have swerved around 50 people in this one area. He was efficient and very friendly. I watched as he filled everyone's order (correctly) and quickly. No one tipped him. Not one. But he came back and gave the 100% service time and time again. I live in Chicago and let me tell you, I can go 15 minutes without having my drink refreshed or even have trouble getting the waiters attention. But at Paradisus, you almost never have to wave a waiter/ waitress over to you because they're already there.

I disagree with the assertion that the pool bar/ waitresses sucked. The days varied as far as occupancy ( ranged from 40-75%), but I received great service in the pool. I had a waitress ask me at least every 15-20 minutes if i wanted something. Yes, she did her rounds. Best of all, when i was just snoozing, she didn't bother me like some resorts do.

Enough has been said about the restaurants. They're all good, even the buffet ones. Romantico, Bamboo and Avaocado were very good to good. You got to make reservations for them. Do so at concierge as soon as you get there. The Carribeno, Toscano and Madoro Grill were good. What can you say about buffet-style joints? The'ye are not going to be first-class al lof the time. If anyone can tell me a 5-star buffet exists, please tell me. All of the outlets had freindly hostesses and waitstaff. Again, we never had to wait for drinks or requests. Food was hot and fresh. The desserts were good as well.

Yes, the beach is not much to look at. I love poweder-sugared beaches like everyone else, but it's relaxing. The sea is dark because it's winter time, so that's not the resort's fault. Also, the sea is cold. It's January for Gods sake. That's how it is. You can Kayak, windsail, paddleboat, etc. It's all included and the staff was very cool. The beach is empty--no other guests around.

The entertainment was a bit corny but what do you expect, Vegas? The music was loud but not overwhelming, but I guess that'll be up to you to decide. They have nightly shows that are of decent quality and they have the casino, which i believe is adequately proportiioned for the resort. I won some cash, so maybe that's why I liked it. There are at least 50 slots, a roulette table, 4 Black Jack tables, Carribean Stud, 3-card Poker, Keno and Limit Texas Hold'Em. Again, if you're expecting Vegas, then you'll be disappointed. but the casino is big enough and is never crowded or packed. The dealers are very friendly and love to converse -- unlike many casinos where the dealers are robotic and not very personable.

The spa and gym are OK. They could be better for a facility this large. I did not try the spa, but I hear it's expensive, but again...what do you expect? The gym has free weights, treadmills, etc. All the things you need to work out. Fresh fruit, water and towels are provided. There is also a spa private pool for use if you wish.

They have two business centers on the property. One is for all guests to use while the other is a VIP/ Premeir Member class facility that has all of you bc needs plus comforts such as leather sofas, wide screen TV and a waitress to offer you cigars and drinks while you check your e-mail. nice touch.

I have two small children but I did not bring them on this trip. They are 4 and 2 years old and I believe they would have had fun. They have a large kiddie pool and play area, and there were kid activites throughout the day. I guess it depends on whether there are lots of kids around the pool area for the activities to occur. There were board games available to use for the kids, pool toys, all sorts of balls to play with. Ping Pong and Billiards, Chess also available by the pool. And best of all, if you're hanging out by yourself like I was while the wife was attending her conference, the entertainment staff would play with you.

Gift shop was adequate -- had everything you needed. You get fresh fruit/ wine in your room on a daily basis. Newspaper to your door. Shuttle guy driving around asking if you want a lift. I had a room close to the facilites so I didn't utilize him. He always offered and was courteous.

Rent a car if you can. Taxis are outrageously priced. Aiport shuttle is expensive as well. One way cab is $66-75 and shuttles run $30 one-way. Rip off.

All in all, this property should get better with time. I paid a group rate so, for me, it was definitely worth it. I easily consumed $200 worth of food and drink per day. But for $469 a night...I don't know about that. Not yet, anyway.