Four Points Humacao, Puerto Rico [Master Thread]
Feb 13, 2006, 1:33 pm
#1
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Four Points Humacao, Puerto Rico [Master Thread]
i just finished a stay at the four points in humacao. basically, the four points humacao is a nice property. service can be a bit incompetent, but you have to expect that in puerto rico. just keep saying "manana" to yourself (over and over and over).
i was upgraded to a suite but the furnishings were worn. i did find the bed comfortable, however. the shower had decent pressure but i didn't have hot water on my first day (it was barely warm....not a fun shave).
my key de-magnitized (is that the correct term?) several times a day. apparently, you can't keep the key anywhere near a cell phone or even credit cards. i went through about three keys a day during my stay.
housekeeping didn't arrive until 5 pm one day. they provide two bottles of water each day. the rooms didn't have seattle's best coffee...it was a non-name brand.
high speed internet isn't wired to each room. instead, the property provides a netgear wireless card and software. but, i didn't get a signal in my room even with the hotel's card. so, when you check-in, tell them internet is important. you want a room near wi-fi equipment. even when you are near the wi-fi equipment in the lobby, the internet comes and goes. so, if you have to work during your stay, be careful.
but, if all you want is quiet and a nice beach/pool, this is a great place away from the clutter of san juan. it's a fairly painless hour drive from the airport.
the casino is tiny...it used to be on the hill but it was torn down. the temporary casino has three blackjack tables which are regularly packed. the craps table was removed.
the best restaurants are in an area called "the plaza" which is near the palmas supermarket. there is also a pizzeria in the plaza called "flying pizza."
i was upgraded to a suite but the furnishings were worn. i did find the bed comfortable, however. the shower had decent pressure but i didn't have hot water on my first day (it was barely warm....not a fun shave).
my key de-magnitized (is that the correct term?) several times a day. apparently, you can't keep the key anywhere near a cell phone or even credit cards. i went through about three keys a day during my stay.
housekeeping didn't arrive until 5 pm one day. they provide two bottles of water each day. the rooms didn't have seattle's best coffee...it was a non-name brand.
high speed internet isn't wired to each room. instead, the property provides a netgear wireless card and software. but, i didn't get a signal in my room even with the hotel's card. so, when you check-in, tell them internet is important. you want a room near wi-fi equipment. even when you are near the wi-fi equipment in the lobby, the internet comes and goes. so, if you have to work during your stay, be careful.
but, if all you want is quiet and a nice beach/pool, this is a great place away from the clutter of san juan. it's a fairly painless hour drive from the airport.
the casino is tiny...it used to be on the hill but it was torn down. the temporary casino has three blackjack tables which are regularly packed. the craps table was removed.
the best restaurants are in an area called "the plaza" which is near the palmas supermarket. there is also a pizzeria in the plaza called "flying pizza."
Last edited by fly co to see the yanks; Feb 13, 2006 at 1:39 pm
Feb 14, 2006, 12:49 am
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Originally Posted by sbtinme
Thanks for the report, but I have to ask ...
why ON EARTH were you here in the first place????
why ON EARTH were you here in the first place????
Feb 14, 2006, 7:35 pm
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oh, i should also point out that a daily newspaper was not provided even though it was promised in the key holder given at check-in. small point but even the san juan star would have been nice.
full disclosure: if anyone has questions on this resort, i've spent about two weeks a year there since i've been about 13 years old (aside for the past four or five years approx). my parents used to own timeshare on this resort and i basically spent every new years and xmas on palmas for about 20+ years.
full disclosure: if anyone has questions on this resort, i've spent about two weeks a year there since i've been about 13 years old (aside for the past four or five years approx). my parents used to own timeshare on this resort and i basically spent every new years and xmas on palmas for about 20+ years.
Mar 4, 2006, 10:42 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 132
We are planning a long weekend stay in Puerto Rico with young children. Is either of the Four Points hotels ideal for a family short holiday? Which one has a nicer beach and pool(s)? We also plan to visit old San Juan and the rain forest. We will rent a mini van. It seems that Westin Rio Mar is sold out for the weekend in question.
Thank you in advanve for any tips and advice.
Thank you in advanve for any tips and advice.
Mar 4, 2006, 11:08 pm
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Originally Posted by LH-AC
We are planning a long weekend stay in Puerto Rico with young children. Is either of the Four Points hotels ideal for a family short holiday? Which one has a nicer beach and pool(s)? We also plan to visit old San Juan and the rain forest. We will rent a mini van. It seems that Westin Rio Mar is sold out for the weekend in question.
Thank you in advanve for any tips and advice.
Thank you in advanve for any tips and advice.
Mar 5, 2006, 6:30 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 132
Originally Posted by fly co to see the yanks
i would stay at the four points humacao any day of the week over the westin rio mar. but, then again, i would stay in alaska for a week over the westin rio mar. i've never been to the caguas property. the sheraton in old san juan is poorly suited for kids to say the least. it's hard core city.
How far is the beach from the Four Points Humacao?
How would you describe the property itself? It says that it is a resort but is it a well maintained resort? clean? recently renovated? Are they a Platinum friendly hotel? How are the suites there?
Thanks again.
Mar 5, 2006, 8:51 am
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Westin Rio Mar
Please see other threads on the Westin Rio Mar before dismissing it on one persons comments....as noted on several threads, service is spotty, but the grounds and hotel are very nice, and kid friendly.
Mar 5, 2006, 10:07 am
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regarding the westin rio mar, comments for the most part have been mediocre at best to downright abysmal. let's just say there have been awful reviews but few stellar ones. i most definitely prefer the four points over the westin rio mar.
at the four points, the beach is on the resort. you just have to schlep it to the sand.
there is probably more organized kids activities at the rio mar. honestly, i wouldn't know since i am single so i don't really notice those things. but, i don't think the four points humacao has a lot going on in that regard. but, again, i wasn't paying attention. i would think a quick call to the resort could answer that "pregunta."
platinums are treated well at the four points. the rooms themselves haven't seen much renovation in years. but, the pool and grounds have been renovated. the hotel has a new pool, hot tub, bar area which includes an outdoor grill for lunch preparation.
like the westin rio mar, service is typical for PR (i.e., spotty, lousy, incompetent). but, the service is definitely less spotty at the four points. but, expect at least one brain freeze on the part of staff.
i was upgraded to a suite during my stay. again, the room could use renovation but it was a suite nonetheless.
at the four points, the beach is on the resort. you just have to schlep it to the sand.
there is probably more organized kids activities at the rio mar. honestly, i wouldn't know since i am single so i don't really notice those things. but, i don't think the four points humacao has a lot going on in that regard. but, again, i wasn't paying attention. i would think a quick call to the resort could answer that "pregunta."
platinums are treated well at the four points. the rooms themselves haven't seen much renovation in years. but, the pool and grounds have been renovated. the hotel has a new pool, hot tub, bar area which includes an outdoor grill for lunch preparation.
like the westin rio mar, service is typical for PR (i.e., spotty, lousy, incompetent). but, the service is definitely less spotty at the four points. but, expect at least one brain freeze on the part of staff.
i was upgraded to a suite during my stay. again, the room could use renovation but it was a suite nonetheless.
Mar 5, 2006, 3:59 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 132
Originally Posted by fly co to see the yanks
regarding the westin rio mar, comments for the most part have been mediocre at best to downright abysmal. let's just say there have been awful reviews but few stellar ones. i most definitely prefer the four points over the westin rio mar.
at the four points, the beach is on the resort. you just have to schlep it to the sand.
there is probably more organized kids activities at the rio mar. honestly, i wouldn't know since i am single so i don't really notice those things. but, i don't think the four points humacao has a lot going on in that regard. but, again, i wasn't paying attention. i would think a quick call to the resort could answer that "pregunta."
platinums are treated well at the four points. the rooms themselves haven't seen much renovation in years. but, the pool and grounds have been renovated. the hotel has a new pool, hot tub, bar area which includes an outdoor grill for lunch preparation.
like the westin rio mar, service is typical for PR (i.e., spotty, lousy, incompetent). but, the service is definitely less spotty at the four points. but, expect at least one brain freeze on the part of staff.
i was upgraded to a suite during my stay. again, the room could use renovation but it was a suite nonetheless.
at the four points, the beach is on the resort. you just have to schlep it to the sand.
there is probably more organized kids activities at the rio mar. honestly, i wouldn't know since i am single so i don't really notice those things. but, i don't think the four points humacao has a lot going on in that regard. but, again, i wasn't paying attention. i would think a quick call to the resort could answer that "pregunta."
platinums are treated well at the four points. the rooms themselves haven't seen much renovation in years. but, the pool and grounds have been renovated. the hotel has a new pool, hot tub, bar area which includes an outdoor grill for lunch preparation.
like the westin rio mar, service is typical for PR (i.e., spotty, lousy, incompetent). but, the service is definitely less spotty at the four points. but, expect at least one brain freeze on the part of staff.
i was upgraded to a suite during my stay. again, the room could use renovation but it was a suite nonetheless.
Thank you so much for the info.
We are not going to take part in any organized children programs, so it's not important to us.
It's great to know that the beach is right on the property at either Humacao or Rio Mar. This is important to us, as are the pools for the kids. The suite upgrade is also important for space.
So, it seems Humacao it is for us.
Dec 17, 2006, 10:27 pm
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Thank you so much for the info.
We are not going to take part in any organized children programs, so it's not important to us.
It's great to know that the beach is right on the property at either Humacao or Rio Mar. This is important to us, as are the pools for the kids. The suite upgrade is also important for space.
So, it seems Humacao it is for us.
We are not going to take part in any organized children programs, so it's not important to us.
It's great to know that the beach is right on the property at either Humacao or Rio Mar. This is important to us, as are the pools for the kids. The suite upgrade is also important for space.
So, it seems Humacao it is for us.
Jan 5, 2007, 1:52 pm
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stayed there for 10 days over Christmas and New Years. the resort was pretty dead for the first few days but steadily ramped up NYE week.
the beach has eroded a bit since my last visit but it is still a very beautiful resort. it rained quite a bit (on and off...no complete wash out days) so the golf courses (two 18 hole golf courses) were mushy.
the internet was completely down the last several days of my trip as the T1 to the resort was dead.
the food on this resort has always been pretty dreadful but Sebastians (the restaurant in the hotel) was a very, very pleasant surprise this trip. i had meals that i would have thought were great in new york city. very pleasant surprise.
if i think of anything else, i will add it later....
the beach has eroded a bit since my last visit but it is still a very beautiful resort. it rained quite a bit (on and off...no complete wash out days) so the golf courses (two 18 hole golf courses) were mushy.
the internet was completely down the last several days of my trip as the T1 to the resort was dead.
the food on this resort has always been pretty dreadful but Sebastians (the restaurant in the hotel) was a very, very pleasant surprise this trip. i had meals that i would have thought were great in new york city. very pleasant surprise.
if i think of anything else, i will add it later....
Mar 16, 2008, 7:33 pm
#13
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I plan on staying at this hotel in the late summer. Whats the best way to get there on the cheap? taxi, van shuttle?
thanks
thanks
Mar 16, 2008, 9:57 pm
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the resort is an hour from the airport, so a taxi will cost quite a bit.
Apr 27, 2008, 4:29 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Great Resort, POOR service & rooms
Just spent the past five days in Palmas Del Mar, particularly at the Four Points Sheraton in Humacao. Here's my report for flyertalk:
Arrival
Pros: Nice drive into the resort, beautifully manicured lawns, a "country club feel", mediterranean architecture, expensive look & feel, friendly bell boys/porters/maids.
Cons: No attendee(s) at the Gold/Plat preferred desk. The one employee working the front desk was very slow & unresponsive, portrayed an attitude of being bothered by incoming guests, and not helpful. No upgrade provided for being a plat and said "You already have the best room" so I didn't press any further thinking my room should be nice. No welcome gift upon checking in!
Room
Pros: Close proximity to the beach, privacy, and ground floor since I have two small kids
Cons: HORRIBLE inside to say the least, had a very musty smell to it, the flow of water wasn't constant (or even on some days) and hot water came on and off at random, nothing was done about it and we just had to deal with it, pillows were as flat as a pancake
Staff
Pros: A few extremely helpful people, genuinely happy about being at work with good people skills
Cons: Overall, full of incompetent, lazy, and unhappy people, it's a herculean task for any staffer to come unlock the beach chairs and provide a service for the guest, even while earning TIPS.
Amenities
Pros: Palmas Del Mar resort as a whole (not the hotel) had 19 nineteen restaurants, a shopping plaza, two golf courses, hotel had parking valet service, nice & open reception area with a baby grand piano
Cons: Main on-site restaurant was over priced but food was bland with less than adequate quantity, only one Blackjack table in the casino and a hundred slots, no live music/entertainment even though advertised, small fitness room, have to request beach towels at the front desk everyday as they don't provide any at the pool, and finally lizards (Iguanas) running around everywhere
General info & Observations
Expect ridiculous lines at the airport and the incompetence as well. I am all about local culture/language etc, but really wish people spoke in English at the airport especially being a US state. It can get downright annoying at times. Airport taxi is $77 one way plus tips, so rental car was the option I went with and I liked having the freedom to roam. I rented an intermediate car for sub $200 for the five days. Gas is sold in liters, and was about $3.96 a gallon. We found Puerto Rican culture to be somewhat lackadaisical as far work or services are concerned. Being a tourist place, I found it odd that souvenior shops & gift places close at 7pm sharp and people will no less tell you straight up to your face to leave. I would think twice before going back to Puerto Rico for a future visit. Maybe a U.S. colony, but not U.S. friendly at all in my opinion.
Arrival
Pros: Nice drive into the resort, beautifully manicured lawns, a "country club feel", mediterranean architecture, expensive look & feel, friendly bell boys/porters/maids.
Cons: No attendee(s) at the Gold/Plat preferred desk. The one employee working the front desk was very slow & unresponsive, portrayed an attitude of being bothered by incoming guests, and not helpful. No upgrade provided for being a plat and said "You already have the best room" so I didn't press any further thinking my room should be nice. No welcome gift upon checking in!
Room
Pros: Close proximity to the beach, privacy, and ground floor since I have two small kids
Cons: HORRIBLE inside to say the least, had a very musty smell to it, the flow of water wasn't constant (or even on some days) and hot water came on and off at random, nothing was done about it and we just had to deal with it, pillows were as flat as a pancake
Staff
Pros: A few extremely helpful people, genuinely happy about being at work with good people skills
Cons: Overall, full of incompetent, lazy, and unhappy people, it's a herculean task for any staffer to come unlock the beach chairs and provide a service for the guest, even while earning TIPS.
Amenities
Pros: Palmas Del Mar resort as a whole (not the hotel) had 19 nineteen restaurants, a shopping plaza, two golf courses, hotel had parking valet service, nice & open reception area with a baby grand piano
Cons: Main on-site restaurant was over priced but food was bland with less than adequate quantity, only one Blackjack table in the casino and a hundred slots, no live music/entertainment even though advertised, small fitness room, have to request beach towels at the front desk everyday as they don't provide any at the pool, and finally lizards (Iguanas) running around everywhere
General info & Observations
Expect ridiculous lines at the airport and the incompetence as well. I am all about local culture/language etc, but really wish people spoke in English at the airport especially being a US state. It can get downright annoying at times. Airport taxi is $77 one way plus tips, so rental car was the option I went with and I liked having the freedom to roam. I rented an intermediate car for sub $200 for the five days. Gas is sold in liters, and was about $3.96 a gallon. We found Puerto Rican culture to be somewhat lackadaisical as far work or services are concerned. Being a tourist place, I found it odd that souvenior shops & gift places close at 7pm sharp and people will no less tell you straight up to your face to leave. I would think twice before going back to Puerto Rico for a future visit. Maybe a U.S. colony, but not U.S. friendly at all in my opinion.