My husband and I chose to stay at Copamarina to take advantage of their scuba diving. We had never dove the reefs in Puerto Rico, and their website claims that they are a "world-class dive resort" which was completely false. The first night there we went to the Dive Shop to book a dive for the following morning. The girl wrote us on the schedule with no problem, but then twenty minutes later called our room to inform us there wasn't going to be diving the next day because it was the divemaster's day off. At normal world-class dive resorts such as those in the Caymans and Sydney, there isn't a day with no diving available. That was only the beginning.

We went to the shop again to sign up for the following day when the instructor was to return, and the same girl took our names. The following morning we woke up at 7am for a 730 dive trip, only to find out when we got to the dock that the diving was canceled again. "The weather was too bad." It wasn't raining. There were no waves. More or less, the divemaster appeared very hungover and not in a the mood to go out. We were furious because already two of the four days we planned to dive had been wasted.

Four days at Copamarina for the two of us alone cost $2700, and only $1040 went toward the actual fees for the room. The first meal we had at their on-resort restaurant, "Las Palmas," cost over $50. We had ordered a cheeseburger, a chicken quesadilla, and four beers between us. When the bill arrived, the beers were $6.43 each! We consulted the waiter, in shock that the local Puerto Rican beer, Medalla, would cost that much. He said it didn't matter if we had ordered that or Heineken, that all the beers were $6 flat rate. Medalla at the PR liquor stores were $1 per bottle, so Copamarina definitely got their money off of us.

We did not do an all inclusive package because we planned to go away from the resort a few times for meals and entertainment, unaware that Guanica is in such a remote location that we would have had to take at least a forty minute taxi ride to reach a city. After spending so much money already, we wanted to spare the cost of a taxi, so we decided to do the best we could to eat light and not order any alcohol, which completely ruined the stay. It's very sad that a beer has to break your wallet so much that you're unable to enjoy yourself on vacation. We are always willing to spend money on whatever we want, and we understand that vacations are expensive, but at the same time, we're too smart to get ripped off that much just to enjoy a few brews.

Also make note that if you are looking for any sort of nightlife, this is NOT the place for you! This resort has two pools, many water activities, like scuba (sometimes), snorkling, sailing, and jet-skis, two hot tubs, a fitness center, and two restaurants, both of which are pricey after you add in the drinks (one can of coke = $3, a bottle of water $3) with no refills, as well as a little store with snacks and sunscreen available.

Positives about the resort: The landscaping was beautiful! We could not have asked for a more perfect scenery from our balcony (oceanfront room). There were all varieties of palm trees, orchids, and flowers all around the resort, as well as the greenest grass in all of Guanica. The rooms were very clean and cozy, too. If we had not been there to dive and had we bought the all-inclusive package, we probably would have been more satisfied.

We're at Copamarina now, and I must admit we're a bit disappointed. For the price, the service is less than what I would expect. In fact, the service (front desk, waiters in the restaurant) is quite impersonal. We arrived late last night, and even though our room is quite a ways from the restaurant, we could still hear the live music blaring in our room past 11. We had gone there for a drink right after arriving and the music was so loud, you could not even have a conversation. When I asked politely when the music would stop for the night, I was told 11pm (even though it was past 11 at the time) and there was nothing they could do. (How about asking them to turn down the volume a tad??!)

Our kids are 14 and 12, and while they are finding ways to entertain themselves, there aren't a lot of other kids here their ages. Most of the kids are quite a bit younger.

So far, the food (have just had one meal - the breakfast buffet - is just ok. Cost of the buffet was $16/each and they charge our 14 year old as an adult. Again, not worth it for the quality.

We're going to eat in and around Guanica the rest of the trip, as much as possible. And while none of us are saying it, we are wishing we were back in Playa del Carmen at Shangri-La Caribe (where we went two years ago...they SO spoiled us!).

I hope things turn around for the better, but right now I would not recommend Copamarina to my friends, especially for the price. It is a beautiful place though, just don't expect top notch service or a great beach (we knew about the beach before arriving).

I am so hoping things get better. If they do, I will definitely post an update.

P.S. Also, if you have any issues with pillows, be sure to bring your own. The ones here are very flat and foam...seem kind of old.

We wanted to spend a week away and get some sun and relaxation without a lot of cost or multiple plane changes. Coming from NY, Puerto Rico seemed like a good option. So we checked out the Trip Advisor reviews, looked at the hotel prices and decided on the Copamarina Beach Resort. We were not disappointed.

We flew from Newark into Aguadilla arriving after midnight and the drive to the resort was straightforward -- though you absolutely need a rental car. From the town of Guanica to the resort, you do have to drive along a narrow, windy road, so drive slowly and carefully especially at night.

The resort was quiet, with excellent facilities. The pools and hot tubs were perfect for relaxation. And it was an easy drive to towns such as Ponce.

We also spent a day going to El Yunque -- a fascinating spot but not an easy drive at all from Guanica -- I'd suggest saving it for a different trip (e.g., from San Juan or the Eastern shores of Puerto Rico).

The hotel's restaurant is excellent, but we wanted to try other places as well. We enjoyed Rincón Argentina in Ponce and Pito's Seafood, on Route 2, East of Ponce -- the service and food was excellent at both. The Blue Marlin in Guanica was fun and provided local color. There are plenty of fast food places around as well if you prefer that.

The hotel staff were friendly and polite. The grounds were immaculately kept. They have a computer set up in a lounge for checking email. When it was down on one of the days, they let us use their office computer to print out our boarding passes.

Some of the other reviews have commented on the beach. My step-daughter complained about sand flies at the beach but was quite content to sun herself by the pool. I went to Gilligan's Island and enjoyed the water, but didn't find it as impressive as the reviews would suggest. And the snorkeling was also unimpressive (lots of fish, but most were fairly drab). Apparently, they had to dock the boat in a different location because of hurricane damage so this may have accounted for the discrepancy in the reviews.

The dry forest was interesting. The hotel distributes an excellent, illustrated brochure for those interested in hiking through it and seeing the botanical and animal life.

The rooms were clean, comfortable and in typical Caribbean style.

One night there was a family with multiple loud children in the adjoining room but they left the following day. We couldn't tell if the walls were thin or the sound was traveling through the door that connected our room to theirs. Or whether they were just extremely loud children. (But we think it was the latter.)

I suspect they were less elegant than the rooms in the hotels on the East Coast; they were definitely less elegant that the rooms in the beach hotels where I've stayed in San Juan such as the Caribe Hilton. But our week's stay cost us about 1/3 of the price that we would have spent at any of those places for 3 travelers/2 rooms.

Overall, the Copamarina was just what we wanted: a quiet, friendly, laid-back, relaxing spot to catch some rays and get a flavor for the area.

We'd be quite happy to return at any time!

The Copamarina grounds are beautiful, but the food at the cafe, which is the only restaurant within miles that serves breakfast or lunch, was horrific and expensive--especially considering the poor quality. Our main complaints were lack of freshness and low quality, which we found unforgiveable from such a luxurious ($$$) property . While our family of 4 (mom, dad, 22 year old and 12 year old) hails from the S.F. Bay Area and has high standards when it comes to food, we travel frequently and try to eat simple local food because it's the freshest and usually the most tasty. Unfortunately, nothing seemed fresh at the cafe. The warm fruit salad looked like it had been stewing in its own juice for quite a while and the shrimp in the casa dia had a decidedly over-the-hill odor. Even just a basic turkey sandwich was made with gelatinous pressed meat and served on squishy bread--hardly what one would expect at a high-end resort where most guests are at least somewhat health conscious. As much as we loved the property, we left after just two nights although we were scheduled to stay for five. Our stomachs was rumbling and our 12 year old was bouncing off the walls since she was pigging out on the only food she could stand: chips and ice cream from the snack shop.

NOTE: We must add that the food at the Alexandra Restaurant, which only serves dinner, is very good. This establishment is formal and not appropriate for small children. It is also quite pricey. Plan on spending at least $200 for a family of 4.

One last thing: there is grass growing in this bay and it is very shallow so unless you just want to get your feet wet in the ocean, plan on swimming in the pools.