This is my second stay here and will do it again! 01/04 to 01/10
The minute we arrived, my sister and I were greeted with smiles and "Buenos Dias", by courteous valet attendants and bell captains.
Parking is $7.00 per day, Valet parking is the way to go. $14.00 per day, but you don't have to worry about finding a parking space. The car is parked inside in a garaged area.
The front desk staff was very pleasant and since we arrived early and our room was not ready, suggested we leave our cell number and head out to the pool area where there’s a stunning 3 tier pool and a gazebo bar over looking the ocean. We got a call in no time and our room was very nice, clean and had all the needed amenities; small refrigerator, sink, and cabinets for snacks. I did forget to ask for ocean view... I guess we can’t have everything. We had a king size bed and a pull out sofa bed, both very clean and comfortable. A hair dryer and Ironing board were also provided. We had two television sets, one on each room with cable. There is a door in between rooms for privacy if needed. The Beach is public, but it has not real access for others so it is shared with just a few. Yes there was a soap opera being film as it has been for a while, we were not inconvenience in anyway by filming. The staff was very helpful in accommodating all our requests, from directions to recommendations on restaurants and places to visit. The times for the restaurants are posted and can be obtain ahead of time to plan on eating in or go to a local restaurant. There are two restaurants, one in the hotel and the other across the street. The Oregano restaurant is not open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Both served great food at reasonable prices and great service. I recommend “The Ladrillo" in the center of town for dinner (a little pricy, but worth it). You do have to ring the buzzer for them to open the door. Don't dine here if you are in a hurry, sit back and enjoy!

Breakfast is free every morning and offers many items to choose from; cold cereal, pancakes, French toast, donuts, fruit, and eggs cooked to order, pastries, bacon, sausage and an omelet station etc. The line can get long so plan ahead.
There are laundry facilities in the basement area next to the game room and workout gym.

If you are visiting San Juan on your first night staying here, I recomment hiring a driver. San Juan It is approximately 30 minutes away. I hired a driver for $65.00 each way (worth every penny) we got dropped off and called him back when ready (didn't have to worry about drinking and driving or getting lost the first time around)
You can also hire a driver to take you around the Island. I recommend Guavate on the weekend. They have a local fiesta every weekend, vendors, crafts and traditional food and music. It is in a mountainous area, not for the faint at heart. I paid $165.00 for round trip for both (he stayed with us the entire time and made sure we were comfortable, approximately 4 hours, also explaining the different foods and customs) Again worth every penny. Not every tourist experiences this. The driver’s name is John Benuchi and the hotel can provide his number. I used a rental the rest of the time and the two times I hired a driver instead of driving my self, I was not charged for parking.

If you would like additional information on my stay and photos, please email me at dee@massopenhouse.com. I visited the Bioluminescent bay in Fajardo with Kayaking Puerto Rico and Scuba dived in Aguadilla at Cable Beach with Aquatica. I also visited briefly Camuy and Ponce. I will be glad to share my experience. I would stay at this hotel again and again!

If you are looking for someone to kiss your feet at every turn, this is not the place for you, but if you are looking for great service from nice people at reasonable prices, you found it!

First of all, I'd like to say that this was not my first stay at this property. My friends and I were return guests because we'd been so impressed with the property during our first stay. When it opened in 2003 we had been among some of its first guests. We had a great time then and very much looked forward to returning.

What a difference 4 years makes. As has been mentioned by a number of reviewers here, a soap opera was being filmed during our entire stay. If I'd been alerted to the fact that the property would pretty much be monopolized by the cast and crew, I'd have chosen another property. There were times when the lobby, the restaurants, the beach, or the pool were not available to us.

We also found that the restaurants and larger bar in the hotel closed at 5pm! That was definitely not the case during our first visit. There was no experienced, capable concierge available during our stay. Another disappointing change from our first visit where the concierge was knowlegeable and helpful. Apparently, all their contracts with such vendors as major car rental companies, and tour operators have been severed. We had to rent a car and drive to excursions and sites ourselves. The staff at the pool charged with dispensing towels, cleaning lounge chairs etc., needed more than retraining. They needed to be fired. They were downright rude. When we requested towels the young man on duty said in spanish to his two female co-workers "Toallas grandes para las gordas." Translation: "Big towels for the fat girls" Unfortunately for him, 3 of the 4 of us are spanish-speaking.

Add to all that the furnishings are shabby at best, the beach was absolutely filthy and they've added a playground area around the pool for children that was also filthy and needless to say that as a seasoned travel and a travel agent, I'd never recommend this property to anyone.

Our family spent the week of Christmas here and we had a wonderful time!!! We've stayed at the Westin Rio Mar near the rain forest side of the island and also the Ritz Carlton in San Juan another time. We enjoyed ourselves just as much at the Embassy Suites Dorado and at half the price!!! The staff was wonderful and they worked so hard to accomodate you. Every morning there is a buffet breakfast with a chef who will make whatever omelet you want and this is included in your room rate. They offer complimentary happy hour each night from 5:30 to 7:30 with great beer and wine and the bartenders couldn't have been nicer, especially Jose!!!
The rooms were just fine, nothing too grand but also nothing to complain about. Most importantly, our king bed wa very comfortable and our 10 yr old daughter said her pullout queen bed was also very comfortable. Each room has seperate bedroom and living room w/pullout and a fridge and microwave. Although we never used our room except to sleep, shower and change. There is a good golf course right on the property and the most beautiful course 5 mins. down the road at the Dorado Beach club that is open to the public to use.
The pool is wonderful and the property grounds are beautiful with palm trees and manicured shrubs all around. The beach is small but great for swimming as the water is very calm due to the jetty that is very far out. Food was simply ok, except breakfast which was great. However, there are so many resteraunts around the area that it didn't matter. Definitely rent a car. All in all we would absolutely come back again. If it is a Spa and being waited on hand and foot then this is not the hotel for you. If it is a beautiful relaxing vacation and having to go get your drinks rather than being served them you will love it here. Never crowded and never had a problem finding a chair!!!
Also, you get an hour of tennis court time free each day included in your room rate. We paid $56 over at the Westin.

Overall, I would suggest staying at this property. We checked in Friday, Dec. 7 and left on Monday, Dec. 10. They were filming the Chilean soap opera in front of the hotel when we arrived, but it never interfered with our stay at all.

The staff is extremely nice, as we found most of the Puerto Ricans to be. They were friendly and full of suggestions of places to visit during our short stay. The bartenders were our favorites because they ALL overpour on drinks!

The breakfast was a challenge, but not bad. We made it down late on a weekend so we were greeted with crowds, but we were always able to find a table and it only took about 10 minutes to get through the line. The breakfast food was mediocre, but good enough being that it's free! We never tried any other food in the hotel so I can't speak to its quality.

The rooms were adequate. They were spacious and comfortable, but in need of some simple maintenance. For example, the bathroom could use a good coat of paint. The room looked its age, but was comfortable nonetheless. We had a side view of the ocean which was very nice.

Although the Puerto Rican people have their own driving rules that can be quite exciting at times, I highly suggest renting a car. There's fast food, a drugstore, and a grocery store just outside the resort - all of which came in handy! We paid extra for a GPS unit which made traveling around the area much easier.

The hotel was full of senior citizens and families with young children. It was definitely a family oriented hotel.

One of our favorite parts was the musicians that played on Friday and Saturday night. On Friday there was a local band set up next to the pool singing popular local songs. They were a lot of fun. Both nights there was a group of 5-6 musicians who roamed the property playing more traditional Puerto Rican music. We all really enjoyed the music!

Overall, the hotel is nice and I will stay there again when I return. The price is right, the staff is great, the rooms are nice, and the pool/beach is very relaxing. I definitely suggest this hotel, esepcially if you're on a budget.