The Río Mar Beach Resort & Spa, A Wyndham Grand Resort

Description:

• This is a great spot to have fun in the sun and relax, but if you're expecting roaring nightlife or a cultural experience, stay elsewhere. The resort lies between the El Yunque rainforest and the Atlantic coastline. One of its championship golf courses, designed by George and Tom Fazio, crisscrosses the dramatic coastline, while the other, by Greg Norman, winds through lush tropical forest. Watersports offerings include sailing, snorkeling, scuba, parasailing, windsurfing, kite boarding, and others. There are also other sports activities like volleyball and water polo, and lots to do for children, including the Iguana Club for kids and a game room. There's a kids' pool next to the adult pool, which are both right near the beach. And you can actually fulfill a Caribbean dream and go horseback riding through the rainforest and along the beach. (We highly recommend this.)

  Landscaping includes several artificial lakes situated amid tropical gardens. Guest rooms either overlook the palm-lined Atlantic or the green mountains of the rainforest. The style is Spanish hacienda with nods to the surrounding jungle; unusual art and sculpture alternate with dark woods, deep colors, rounded archways, big windows, and tile floors. In the bedrooms, muted earth tones and natural woods add to the ambience. Bedrooms are spacious, with balconies or terraces, and good mattresses, plus tub/shower combinations in the large bathrooms.

  The resort has ample meeting space, and the number of conventions held here is cause for complaint for some visitors. There's not much going on at night except the lobby bar and the hotel's 6,500-square-foot (604-sq.-m) casino. The restaurants include Italian, Latin American, Oriental, and steak and seafood for fine dining choices and three different cafes. We like especially Palío, but it's on the expensive side, which is the case with most of the resort restaurants.

  Facilities: 8 restaurants; 4 bars; outdoor pool; 13 tennis courts; health club and spa; deep-sea fishing; sailing; children's programs; 24-hr. room service; laundry; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; casino; horseback riding nearby; rooms for those w/limited mobility.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010