Aquarius Vacation Club - Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar

This is a wonderful place to stay if you like pool/beach activities. This is a three or four years old hotel, so all the facilities are relatively new. If you have kids, I bet they’re going to have a great time!! The rooms are very clean and have almost every appliance you may need (refrigerator, washer machine, dryer, elec stove, microwave, dish washer machine, iron, hair dryers, Jacuzzi, TV, stereo, cable TV, and a beautiful view from any point of the hotel. The people were friendly with us. There’s a very peaceful place at the left corner of the beach where you can relax. You can ask at the front desk for tours around the island. AHH! Almost forgot, there are many fast food places outside the hotel, Pizza Hut, Burger King, MC Donald’s, Subway, Church’s Chicken, basking Robbins, a supermarket and a Walgreen’s. If you like restaurants, there’s a couple in the Dorado Area. If you can rent a car....much better, so you can drive around San Juan.

We stayed here the last week of April '05 and had a wonderful time. The pool is beautifully laid out with plenty of shade for those who do not want to take in the sun. The beach was not as small as I read about. Excellent spot for snorkeling, rocky, but not rough. Staff was friendly. I didn't like the fact that you have to pay for parking. The rooms are very spacious. The only thing was the kitchen could be better stocked with the necessary cooking supplies, ex: large frying pan, strainer, can opener, mixing/serving bowls, etc. Easy to get to/from the city and the west coast. A great family resort.

We will definately return.

I went with the family and enjoyed the stay. The ideal place to relax. The rooms are big and clean. The 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom have kitchen, washer, dryer and dishwasher, complete unit. It has a nice tranquil beach and pool. The hotel service is good and employees are polite.

We happened upon this resort after my wife decided 'she' did not want to travel to Jamaica. It was the first time we visited PR, and will surely not be our last. Except for driving (traffic), most activities we choose were on the Eastern part of the island, our stay was outstanding. Don’t be concerned with local ‘drivers’ – if you have ever driven in NYC or Boston – no problem!!!

As per others comments, there is no nightlife in the resort (except swimming in the pools), which was fine for us (we had 4 kids 15 - 20 yrs old).

The resort was clean, we had an ocean facing 2BDRM suite, our room spacious and the staff very helpful. The pool area is great. We enjoyed the ferry ride from Catano to Old San Juan (too many jewelry stores....); the El Yunke (spelling) rainforest was great, as was the trip to Vasquez including our Bio-Bay tour. We chose a package deal out of Farjaro so that we would not have to spend the night. We used East Wind Adventures (I believe), expect the meal to be terrible, the staff very friendly and the evening ocean ride great!!! I would recommend driving the off roads - better scenery. Some points; ferries run on time (we missed the one to Curbela) since the signs are not the best (ask the locals), we also found that 'quite a few' people do not speak English outside of the cities. My kids had a real time ordering lunch at McDonald's outside of Liquillo - 3+ years of spanish 'right' :)

Although the forecast was stated to be ‘rainy’ all week, our only day of rain was ‘of-course’ the day we visited the rainforest. As for food, there are grocery stores located in town, your typical fast food restaurants – and a must visit is Pee Wee’s for the ribs - just a few miles into town!!! You will also find plenty of resturants along the way of your travels (except for PEE WEE's - none to mention in Dorado). Overall – our week was far to short and we will surely return for there is so much more to see and do on the island.

p.s. the beaches are great!!!

My husband and I rented a week in March. We were very disappointed with the treatment we received. First of all it is also an Embassy Suite Hotel. We were treated like 2nd class citizens becasuse we were "timeshare people." No happy hour from 5- 7p.m.and no complimentary breakfast. You were only entitled if you were a guest of the hotel. No activities to speak of. Also it was a 25 minute $50.00 cab ride to San Juan. Other timeshare owners were equally unhappy. We would not reccommend staying there. Diane

We had a wonderful time here, with the beautiful pool, beach, gorgeous sunsets. The rooms were very clean and well kept, great set up. We went Presidents week, so there were plenty of kids, and they had a great time. Although, we would have liked to have seen more activities planned around the beach and pool. Always plenty of chairs and towels. Staff was very helpful, would have liked to see more control of the hot tub, all the kids in there using it as their main pool, (but we see this happening wherever we stay). Not much to do on premises, horeback riding on the beach was 1 1/2 hours away, need a car, but well worth the trip!! Water sports are located in San Juan, approx 1/2 hour away, but be aware of traffic after 2 pm, you could kill 2 hours of time. Plenty of resturants in the resort area, the best being Mangiore, excellent food, service and ambiance. The resturant on site is closed on Monday and Tuesday nights, and the entertainment & bars close at 11pm. So if you are with a group, it's an early night. It was my first timeshare experiance and I loved it, and will definately do it again!

Season: Summer Flexible

This is a biennial timeshare. There are 99 years to use.

Our unit was an ocean/pool facing lock-off unit. It was immaculate, very nicely furnished with a mini-kitchenette, two full-sized beds, a lanai and full bathroom. The resort is directly on a protected beach within the Embassy Suites Dorado resort which is a gated golf & beach type resort. Beautiful lagoon-type pool. Great caribbean views; palm trees, Atlantic ocean,tropical birds &vibrant colors. Staff very friendly and helpful. Close to everything.Great for singles & families. There is a spa, laundromat & fitness center on site. Also, two restaurants and a bar. One late night, a group of guests were talking loudly near the pool (outside our window). I called Security who were prompt and courteous in redirecting these guests.I can't say enough good things about this resort. There are larger units available which are absolutely beautiful. We hope to buy there.

The village is located in a commercial area were you can found fast foods and other stores.

EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICES, BEST VIEW AND A LOT DO AROUND THE AREA IF YOU NOT PLANNING TO STAY ALL DAY INSIDE THE RESORT

Our unit was an ocean/pool facing lock-off unit. It was immaculate, very nicely furnished with a mini-kitchenette, two full-sized beds, a lanai and full bathroom. The resort is directly on a protected beach within the Embassy Suites Dorado resort which is a gated golf & beach type resort. Beautiful lagoon-type pool. Great caribbean views; palm trees, Atlantic ocean,tropical birds &vibrant colors. Staff very friendly and helpful. Close to everything.Great for singles & families. I requested an interval ownership tour and was met with friendly, professional & courteous salespeople (Caesar & Mr. Nobriga).There is a spa, laundromat & fitness center on site. Also, two restaurants and a bar. One late night, a group of guests were talking loudly near the pool (outside our window). I called Security who were prompt and courteous in redirecting these guests.I can't say enough good things about this resort. There are larger units available which are absolutely beautiful. We hope to buy there.