My wife and i traveled with our 22-month old for a much needed vacation. We booked a two-bedroom unit, and it was absolutely wonderful.
First, the room was awesome. The room was very clean, with nice tropical furnishings and bright colors. We had two bathrooms with marble floors and double sinks, and the toilets were in their own separate rooms. The tubs in both bathrooms were huge -- great for washing off our daughter after the beach. The staff brought in a crib for our daughter, and she slept in the second bedroom and was able to get her afternoon nap in while we enjoyed the HUGE balcony with small palm trees and incredible view of the ocean and lounge chairs. (The two bedroom units are at the very end of the hotel.) The small kitchenette (refrigerator, sink, microwave, plates, cups, coffee maker) was fantastic, too. The room also had a plasma flatscreen in the family room with 5.1 surround sound. There as also a nice big dining room table, but we mostly ate outside on the table on the balcony. The master bedroom had two sliding glass doors with a corner view of the pool, seven mile beach, and the beautiful hotel grounds.
Second, this is a great resort with kids. The beach is calm and gentle, and our daughter spent hours building sandcastles. The pools have multiple depths ranging from less than a foot to well over my head, giving adults and kids the best of both worlds. The menus at the beach bar and Hemingway's are also very kid-friendly. Our daughter also enjoyed chasing the iguanas and lizards that call the resort home.
Third, this hotel had some of the best hotel food I have ever had. Hemingway's is outrageously good, and they even deliver to the room. We had a few dinners on our balcony with some spectacular and creative Caribbean / Cuban inspired seafood dishes. Hemingway's had some of the best food on the island, period. The beach bar also had some awesome food -- the conch fritters and fish and chips were excellent. They also make a mean mojito.
Fourth, the hotel's location is excellent. There is a Foster's Food Fair just north (about a two-minute drive), which is a wonderful grocery store. We got everything we could have possibly needed. You are also close to a lot of great dining, including options across the street to the excellent restaurants at the Ritz. The airport and other major attractions are just a short drive away.
Honestly, we couldn't have been happier. We debated staying at the Ritz, and I'm glad we didn't. It's a huge hotel, and the smaller feel of the Beach Suites (along with its fantastic amenities) worked perfectly.
My only minor gripes were that our room could have used a little bit of rehab in that one of the drawers of the nightstand was broken and one of the knobs on the door to the bathroom vanity fell off. I also was not keen on the Pebble Tec surface of the pools (a bit rough), and most of the parking is across the street. Other these minor issues, this was just about perfect. We highly recommend this resort.
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