Description: TO THE HOTEL: The majority of the route to the hotel was on multi-lane highways; traffic was no problem at all. It would have taken about 50 minutes to reach the hotel; however, I did have problems with the driving directions listed on the hotel website. After calling the concierge and getting better directions, we finally reached the hotel (lost about 20 minutes of driving multiple times past the turn-off point into what is a residential area. All told, I probably should have gotten more detailed directions before I left. My bad.
CHECK-IN: As a Wyndham By Request member, the express check-in took a total of 5 minutes, including time waiting in line. For a busy holiday weekend, I thought this was great!
THE ROOM: We booked a deluxe ocean view room with balcony and requested either the Las Brisas or Las Vista wing so we could be close to the restaurants and pool. We got a room in Las Brisas on the 3rd floor – the same level as the main pool area. The room condition and furnishings were okay. This was more than compensated by the large bathroom with Spanish tile floor, walk-in closet, and spacious balcony with outstanding views of Palomino Island. We reserved the Family Getaways By Request special which gave us a 4th night free, 2-for-1 spa services, and free kid's meals at most restaurants.
PALOMINO ISLAND: The hotel doesn’t have a beach on-site; they have something even better – their own private island. We went on the first full day around 10am in the morning. The hotel has a funicular that you take down to the marina level where the ferry to Palomino Island is. Taking the funicular down to La Marina was quick and efficient. In the four days we were at the hotel, both funiculars were in working order and we never waited more than 3-5 minutes in any direction. The ferry ride to Palomino took about 20 minutes. Once at the beach, it was easy to find an available palapa and relax beachside. I rented a pedal bike for me and my son for an hour ($30) and pedaled our way to a tiny atoll about 1/2 mile away from Palomino. It was a fun little open sea adventure and great exercise!
POOL AREA: My son went to the pool area every day and loved it. He particularly liked the kiddy slide and would spend an hour or more on this alone. We were always able to find deck chairs with tables and umbrellas, which allowed us to alternately sun and shade.
GOLDEN DOOR SPA: I had a 50 minute Golden Door massage ($110), which was just phenomenal. Of course, I've only had three massages in my lifetime, but nevertheless, this was the best. My wife had a facial for $115 and she said it was okay (not the best she's ever had), but worth the price, considering my massage was free of charge.
Close