We just returned from a 10 day stay at the Embassy Suites with our two children, ages 9 and 6. Storms in the Northeast kept us there for three extra days and the hotel staff was very accomodating in extending our stay. When we arrived late at night we were told the Embassy Suites was overbooked and we were moved to the Aquarius/Golden Sands rooms that are adjacent to the main hotel. The rooms in this building are larger than the Embassy Suites with more substantial kitchens (full sized fridge, dishwasher and a two burner stove). As Embassy Suites guests, we were still able to go to the free breakfast each day and the hotel happy hour in the evening. We ended up preferring the larger room and quieter building. The only con was the housekeeping services were basic - I would have liked a more thorough cleaning each day - two days the housekeeper didn't even show up.
You need a car if you plan on doing anthing in Puerto Rico besides sitting at the hotel pool. We rented one at the airport when we arrived along with a GPS which was a godsend. We visited the rainforest (beautiful), the Arecibo Observatory (we could have skipped this ), Languillo Beach(dissapointing, crowded and dirty) El Morro and Old San Juan (great day) and took an all day catamaran trip on the Spread Eagle II (not a joke) to Icacos, an uninhabited island off Fajardo - the trip was beautiful, but if you have snorkeled before you will find the fish/reefs a dissapointment.
The other days we stayed at the hotel and used the pool which is perfect for kids. The beach sand is coarse and not white, but most of the beaches in Puerto Rico are like that except for the off islands.
There are very few places to eat in Dorado and the places that were recommended were lousy. The Italian restaurant at the hotel, Oregeno, was the worst. The food took nearly two hours to come out, and one hour into our wait they came out to tell my husband he couldn't have the pesto pasta because they were out of pesto. My sons chicken strips were RAW in the middle. The hotel restaurant in the main building was ok, but don't expect to eat well on this trip. Lots of fried food with very few options for children. The pool bar was perfect for a late lunch in our bathing suits and the waitstaff was terrific.
We saw them filming the soap opera at the hotel, but there were never any areas closed to guests.
Overall, the value of this hotel is good. The people were very nice and bingo every afternoon was a big hit with the kids! This trip was not as "pampering" as others I have taken, but a smart choice for our family especially having a suite rather than a single hotel room in a major resort. If you keep your expectations reasonable, you won't be dissapointed.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
Most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
Great pool scene, Families with Small Children
I do not recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilities, tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Outdoor / Adventure