Rated 4 out of 5 by 290
reviewers.
Rated 4 out of 5 by craddojm Vieques
The hotel overall is absolutely wonderful, it's well kept, the staff are friendly, the rooms are comfortable, the pool area is glorious.
The biggest issue is communication and responsiveness of staff and willingness to help guests problem solve.
We were not told ahead of time that you should me reservations at the hotel restaurant because it does get full so we had to wait when there is only one place to eat dinner at the hotel.
We were not told that we should rent a car to drive around the island in advance so the hotel could not accommodate all guests.
When we went to dinner outside of the hotel the cab dropped us off but did not mention that cabs stop running at 11pm so we had to ask the waiter at the restaurant for the name of a driver.
The front desk of the hotel told us that a shuttle would be arriving to take hotel guests to an outside beach and that shuttle never came and no one apologized or offered to get us a taxi to take us.
May 27, 2014
Rated 2 out of 5 by DJN911 Almost!
All prior reservations, CAR, MASSAGE, BIO BAY, made and confirmed twice, did not exist when i arrived! I reserved a cabana upon arrival with front desk, they wrote it on a sticky note and never confirmed! Staff did not seem to care! Thank God for WADE at the front desk and Diane at Black beard, they seemed intent on helping.. The rooms smelled of urine!
However, everything about the wedding was amazing.
April 8, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by LuxuryAmy Potential is there...BUT...
Chose the W Vieques for a luxurious, worry-free, high-end vacation and unfortunately it just didn't deliver to the extent I feel a hotel at this price/star level should. The rooms looked great on spg.com and they did not disappoint in that regard! Being Platinum, I was upgraded to a beautiful suite. But looks can only get you so far. In echoing other reviews, the place really needs to focus on service...for the 6 star hotel and the price to match, I expect 6 star service. We waited over 90 minutes for our dinner to be served at Sorce with no apologies or appetizers to make up for the delay, and over an hour for our food by the pool the next day. It also took a long time to get drinks - not because the bar was crowded, but there was just one person servicing the entire bar and pool area. For the rest of the time, we just ate offsite. As my Platinum benefit, I was to get a continental breakfast - this translated to a pastry or bagel at the sundries store onsite. At other properties, the breakfast for Platinum members are much nicer and usually in a dining room. So this felt very low-end and not very "platinum". We also didn't have wifi in our suite. I called to notify Whatever/Whenever and they just transferred me to a call center for customer support. The LAST thing I want to do on vacation is stay on hold with customer support. Whatever/Whenever should have simply taken care of it and fixed it behind the scenes, which they never did during my stay by the way. I did enjoy my vacation over all, but the W was pretty average compared to other Starwood properties. Definitely not a vacation to remember as the price tag would suggest and I had hoped.
March 24, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Yamila63 Beautiful W Vieques
We had a wonderful weekend! The only thing i can complain and you should take care of is the lack of real espresso coffee, i
This is a standard feature in good restaurants and hotels, and i cosider that it could be an excellent add on to offer an array of coffes like the high quality coffees of PR, espresso, frappuccino,etc. Plain bland american coffee is not acceptable
We loved the airport lounge
June 17, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 Good dining, poor service.
The food was great. However, we were disappointed by the service provided by Jose on Wednesday around 8:30 PM. He was not willing to accept changes to the main courses. He indicated that the Chef does not allow changes. Also, we asked for some room service but the alternatives were very limited. This means that the "Whatever you want, whenever you want" is not right for this location.
August 6, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by TomW Private beach, great pool, fantastic relaxation
If you're considering this hotel, just do it; this is the best category 6 hotel I have ever stayed in! Greg and his team do a fantastic job of making you feel welcome and comfortable. The prices for food/drinks is not as bad as many resorts I have been to and if you stick to the special mojitos they make at the pool, then you won't be disappointed with the bang-for-your-buck (strongly recommend the mango version)! Blaine and Karif will take amazing care of you at the pool - recommend asking for them by name to serve you!
Last comment: the view is incredible. What they call a "partial ocean view" is about 80% ocean and 20% beautiful trees and nature.
Only bad part was that our air conditioner broke down one night which made our room get very warm. It was an inconvenience but obviously out of the (reasonable) control of the hotel. They got it fixed promptly and made it up to us, so no complaints overall.
July 16, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by MichaelMc transportation
Hotel gounds beautiful. Rooms very dark. we missed our CapeAir flight due to delay in Atlanta (I allowed 2 hours between). had to rebook next day and pay a night in San Juan and my 1st night not refundable.(but I did incur a resort charge that day!) I think guests should be aware that flights are very small and book very quickly (and winter delays common from US). Also we were told ferry was unreliable but no one at W or CapeAir mentioned that a ferry maybe an option that evening (according to schedule) and I may have considered night near Fajardo instead and canceled flight I would be very reluctant to plan a stay there unless I did an overnight somewhere else in Puerto Rico due to loss of 1st night charge/SPG points. Overall this costs me over $300 taxi/hotel and 20,000 points for a lot of inconvenience. My wife called spa for massage and they said they would call back and never did. (lost revenue!!)Overall not quite up to par experience in spite of good initial reviews in travel mags.
January 20, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by cjpowers Redefining vacations
This is one of the best hotels I have ever stayed at. From the moment you arrive at the airport you are greeted with cocktails. The entire staff at the hotel is so helpful and just plain cool. Robert, the concierge, took care of us every day. Orlando at the bar drew us a map to a local secret beach. Amazing.
November 10, 2011
Rated 2 out of 5 by Sam1908 Underwhelmed
The hotel location was INCREIDBLE!!! However, don't call down and request anything, because you will never get it i.e. towels, room service, etc. We have a malfunctioning television that never got fixed, we were charged for bar and food which we never touched. It took them 3 weeks to credit back my credit card. Spend your time and money at other resorts
April 2, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Julie Check this place out
Amazing quiet resort with great views, pools, spa, beach, etc. loved the atmosphere of the lobby and rooms. Resort not too big where you get lost. Great designed rooms. 4 nights was plenty as there was not too much to do at night on this small island. Biolumescent bay a must. Pools were nice and warm. Check out the plunge pool. Mojitos were tasty.
March 29, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Palmtree7492 amazing place with a few minor missing amenities
I cant say enough good things about the place. Would go there again in a heart beat. they do not have a Jacuzzi- I find this extremely odd for a resort of this caliber. Also the music they had playing at the pool and their lounge the Living Room, was the worst elevator music you could imagine. Minor issues. Amazing place otherwise.
December 12, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Grissi It's a real Retreat
Great hotel with Great Staff. Everybody was kind and attentive. Excellent retreat and beautiful island.
February 3, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by crazy4travel This will soon become one of the top W's in the system
Like most W's, this property is not for everyone. But for those who want something away from kids camps, 20somethings on a booze binge and retirees lugging their cooler around will enjoy this W. (As with most W's no one looked twice at the occasional male couples holding hands on the beach.)
The atmosphere is upscale, but not stuffy or snobby in the least. Very relaxed.
As others have said, the hotel, pool, beach and location are stunning. Rooms are very well thought out. And of course you don't want to leave the W's bed.
I'd say the only downside is service and it's all stuff that can and will get polished over time, which is why I think this property has the potential to become one of Starwood's top properties. Staff need training and to learn little touches can add up to make a big difference. Better notification of a wedding closing the pool is an example.
They should remove the word Spa from the name. It's not a full-service spa in terms of facilities. But who'd come to this beautiful location to spend a day inside anyway?
December 9, 2011
Rated 3 out of 5 by miamibeach the location is great-
the location is great- that alone is why i would recommend; but would prefer to have services that provided more of a "WOW" factor. W's around the world are supposed to make you feel like you are elite customer- here you feel like a regular patron.
July 9, 2012
Rated 4 out of 5 by Teek80 Almost Great - We'll be back....
Highlights:
Great resort, cool vibe, amazing staff and lovely rooms. So many nice little touches that add up (music underwater in the pool, cool branding, free airport transfers, daily happy hour, unique rooms). The open air living room and nearby fire pit is a great place to hang and meet people. Staff was top notch.
Needs work:
Wifi was awful and unreliable. Food needs significant improvement - it was inconsistent and mediocre. Fish tacos should not be inedible at such a great beach location. Oddly, there were far too few towels available poolside - up to an hour wait sometimes. Some wait staff are a bit on island time. Pools were too cold.
January 5, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by niceep LOVED This hotel
The ONLY thing I did not like about this Resort is the proximity to other restaurants and bars on the island. You had to drive everywhere!! Sorce was a delicious restaurant but way pricey. The bar drinks were delicious but pricey as well.
November 29, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Rooker72 Recent Stay
Although I wasn't thrilled with the food (save breakfast - top notch there), everything else was absolutely stellar. Rooms were great, the staff went above and beyond all expectations and I couldn't recommend staying here more.
March 5, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by viky2013 good place to relax
the hotel is a no children place... its good to relax, food needs to improve a little specially on the menu, the waiters needs training rush!!! but overall i a had a nice time!!! and alos needs a jacuzii... rush!!!
February 14, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Litoindc 3 Days in Paradise W Style
Whisper Beach was awesome, the food and drinks exceeded expectations, and the W Staff was beyond friendly. The pool and pool area rock and the W lounge at the airport sets the mood right from the begining.
August 22, 2012
Rated 1 out of 5 by verolero07 Problems since we arrived
Even before arriving at the hotel we already had a bad experience at the airport when we were told that we were not registered at the hotel. We were allowed to use the bus even though they had no record of us. At the hotel it was the same story, we did not appear anywhere in their system, they finally realized that they had registered us for arrival one day later. Eventually we got a room, one that was not the type we had requested, and the cleanliness of the room left much to be desired. The replacement of cleaning products such as shampoo, cream, soap, etc , etc, was really poor. We asked for an ice bucket since the room did not have one, and only after four calls and an hour later did they bring one to the room. Upon leaving the hotel we were surprised with charges that we had not done, both in the room as well as in the pool bar. When we challenged the charges the lady who checked us told us she would check into these charges; almost a week later I am waiting still waiting for her reply. She had mentioned that maybe some other guests had written the numbers wrong, but that was the end of it. I hope some day they will eventually get back to us with a response. The person who served me both times only spoke English, so being a Spanish speaker I spoke with a Spanish speaking attendant who with an angry expression told me that the other person was waiting on me, and to basically leave them alone. I really found it amazing that the service was so bad, especially in a hotel of this category. I have to say also that the person who took us from the airport was very friendly at all times. Hotel facilities are beautiful and the rooms quite comfortable, it is unfortunate the customer service is so bad.
July 10, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by millie845 This hotel has excellent facilities and services
If you are looking for a paradise for your vacation, this is the place to go. Vieques is a a paradise and W's facilities and service are the best.
August 14, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by dianaob Mothers Day Retreat
Josuet makes the difference at our arriving, and one girl at the pool (WET) bar was great and very accommodating and friendly, with our family
May 13, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by DrRod Over Rated
I travel about 60 nights a year so I am not writing as a novice when it comes to destination locations and quality travel. The island and property is very nice. In my opinion, this is below "W quality" (or even Westin) in several categories.
1. I am still wondering what is included in the $60.00 per person resort fee… No steam-sauna, no dry-sauna, no jacuzzi… The health club is smaller then most corporate hotels… the pool is very nice but very small for the amount guest.
2. The most disappointing thing is the advertised "high-speed internet" I am serious when I tell you that, "I am downloading ONE page-a-minute, at best." I have tried three different devices, a new iPad, Mac-Air and iPhone. When I have called the front desk, they just refer me to some internet tech support, (Like I want to be on the phone with their foreign-tech support, trying to diagnose their internet deficiencies.
3. In addition, the food are very, very overpriced for the quality you receive. I believe the dining menu prices here are equal if not more expensive then any 4 hotel in Paris or Manhattan. I've just returned from spending 23 days in both these cities and did not pay more for a lunch or dinner.
The good news is, my wife and daughter are happy to be here and that is very important to me. Thank you W.
November 29, 2013
Rated 5 out of 5 by Tatumok Nirvana
This hotel has the friendliest, most service oriented staff. I treated them with smiles and they gave back with enthusiasm. This island is beautiful. The beaches are some of the best I've ever been. The roads are as if the Navy are still bombing (they are not) so you have to have a jeep if you want to beach-hop. We rented from the hotel. Be sure and check the Internet rate and mention it. We didn't use the hotel scuba company, Blackbeards, to dive because they only had beginner divers but I understand they are very good.
The W has a wonderful hotel pool. The bar service was very good. There was happy hour from 4:30 - 5:30 with half price mojitos, rum punch, and discounted Medallas (local beer) and sangria. They offer a free daily drink from 6:00-6:30. Yes the drinks and food are expensive but considering this is a somewhat remote island their costs are higher than being on the mainland.
We had a prime ocean front room that was huge. The decor is typical W decor. All greys. We had a huge shower and a large tin bathtub we didn't use because it looked uncomfortable.
The breakfasts in Sorce were very good and the dinners were merely OK. The food in nearby Esperanza were outstanding.
We were happy with this property and would love to go back.
September 1, 2013
Rated 3 out of 5 by B903 Recommended with reservations...Don't expect any standard service
This was my second trip to the hotel and I go back for the location. I had a great stay my first time down despite the very mediocre food. The concierge in 2011, Hiram, was phenomenal and he made up for what the Front Desk and management lacked in attention to detail in 2011. This year the I had to go back to the front desk to let them know they had my reservation wrong, there was absolutely NO recognition of status and NO effort to do anything near what one would expect as general service:
1) In the 5 days of my stay, I had to call 3 different days to get my room cleaned (this was after 3pm each day)
2) I had to ask twice to get my towels changed because it was forgotten
3) They NEVER restocked water
4) Food remains mediocre. It is not bad but it is not so good that it merits the prices charged
Honestly, it feels as if management is more worried about their financials and ops budget than providing service to their guest. They rely on the fact that they have a wonderful, beautiful, peaceful location and that they have an amazingly friendly service staff in the bars and restaurants and by the pool.
Kudos still to Hiram for welcoming me back this year. He really represents what one expects from a W RETREAT and spa...too bad that Management hasn't pick up his zeal for service!
December 14, 2012
Rated 3 out of 5 by cc2727 Security Director saved the day
Our son got sick with a stomach virus and Luiz Rodriguiz, the hotel's Security Director, was phenomenal! He totally took care of us the moment we asked for help. He escorted us to the ER, translated and advocated for us with the physican and nursing staff, took care of all the hospital's paper work and fees and even brought blankets and pillows from the hotel to make our son's stay more comfortable. After we were released he went into town and got our prescriptions filled and delivered to our room. Later, a complimentary cracker tray and handwritten note was delivered to our son. He went above and beyond the call of duty and made a potentially scary situation into no big deal. Thank you, thank you Luiz!
April 12, 2014
Rated 4 out of 5 by Laurie Wonderful Resort- Could be even better
The hotel is beautiful and relaxing with a wonderful staff. The airport lounge and transport to the resort is a nice touch. Within 10 minutes of getting there, we wished we had booked more than one night. But, I am in the travel business and there are definitely a few things that would have made the resort outstanding, especially for a longer stay.
l, Orientation: Our ambassador did not explain all of the features of the resort to us so we did not know that the snorkel and kayak equipment could be used for free or that there were tennis courts. I saw this on line when I was writing this review.
2. Resort fee: too high: $65.40 per day with tax and not much benefit that we could see. Rooms at this price should include any services that we received during our stay. Since the hotel is isolated and the Island is small, it would be nice for the resort to offer shuttle service a few set times a day to another beach (?Blue) or into Esperanza, perhaps at dinner. Sorce was good as a dinner choice, but it would not be interesting to have every meal at the same place. Paying a taxi $40 a day to go to the beach or eat is steep.
3. The Biobay adventure with Vieques ECO tour (Eric) was fantastic. It offers a less "touristy" experience (smaller group, no wasted time with drinks etc, and use of the parachute if needed on moonlit nites). This opportunity should be presented to all clients rather than referring them all to Blackbeard tours.
4. You should offer towel service by the pool instead of just at the beach.
We will return, and with the above caveats, will recommend this resort to clients.
March 3, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by MattyIce Enjoyable experience
My overall expirence of the hotel was a good. There were plenty of positives to mention especially some of the staff (Rickie - greater/bell hop) and (Dan was his name I believe but I called him Philly as that is where he is from) It is guys like that that make the stay completely enjoyable and make you feel right at home.
My largest complaint is around the number of staff or lack there of at the concierge desk. The Whenever whatever is a great idea but when they transfer you to the Conciege and no one pick up it becomes extremly frustrating. This did not happen just once but almost everlytime they transfered me. I would then get kicked back to the Whatever whenbver team. Also there was very rarely ever anyone at the desk when I walked through the lobby. This is the type of thing where 2 ppl need to be staffd there at all times and the desk should never be left unattended.
Another issue was the lack of umbrellas abailable for the beach. There were about 5 and when I pay a 65 a day resport fee there should be no issue with obtaining an upbrella at the beach. I could see if there were 25 of them and all being used but I think its time to buy quite a few more. (I know I was not the only guest with this thought).
Lastly was the leak that began in Villa 3 on the day I arrived and flooded the path to villa 1 and 2. The water got worse until the day we left 4 days later and I finally saw a couple of guys placing some dirt on the water. I understand that leaks happen but we had to walk through the mud daily. Someone should have been placing dirt on it daily.until it was fixed.
Other than those issues it was a greate expirence.
Thanks
February 26, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by RafKam Hard Product Great, Service Needs Improvement
First impressions here weren't great, as the check in procedure was just too "confused". I had my Your24 early check in approved, but Suite Night upgrade rejected. When we got there at 10:00AM, we were told that no, our room wasn't ready, but they were upgrading us to a suite. Thanks a lot, but would have been nice to let us know and I could have slept in in San Juan! The upgraded room, when we finally got it at 3:00PM, was beautiful, but the whole attitude marred the experience, especially considering I was impressed at the concierge getting in touch ahead of my stay, to advise of the dining options on the island, and activities...
Anyway, the suite was very nice, huge, with a sea view, and set away from the main pool area. Ask for this section if you don't have children as it's much more quiet. There was a lovely porch area with long chairs and hammock, with sea view where the wild horses would sometimes come by grazing.
Contrary to other reviewers, I actually liked the beaches here, it felt very quiet and private, and much better than the cut-throat scene at the pool, with people wrestling for chairs...
Two further mishaps marred our experience: we tried to have dinner at Sorcé, and the restaurant was about 1/3 full, when the hostess attempted to turn us down by saying they had a 13-people table coming and they wanted to ensure the best level of service for us, and therefore they couldn't accommodate us. Hello?? The restaurant would still have been half empty! We insisted, and when the party of 13 showed up, half of it was children, so its not even like they were serving champagne for everyone! I would be furious if I was the owner of this restaurant.
On another occasion, they did help us out by sending an "ambassador" to pick us up in the middle of the night after we were left stranded after a late bio bay tour, although they could have warned us ahead to let us know we'd have trouble finding taxis at this time.
In conclusion, this is probably the most beautiful W I've stayed at, but better attitude and a more proactive staff could really make a difference.
December 16, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by sebnem Great but not a place for kids - Hotel should make this clear
I traveled quite a lot and have been in several beach properties, from Maldives to Greek islands to view is organized under several titles for easy reference:
W Hotel Service: their slogan is "whatever-whenever and it literally is. Service was great, staff was very friendly, they never say "no" to any request."
W hotel location: It is on the windy side of the island. The otehr side is much calmer. Having said that to have a breeze when you are drinking your coctatil by the pool/ or your balcony is nice.
W hotel food: food is mediocre. One would expect better food (especially where there is not many other place that you can find decent food outside the hotel) there are several reviews mentioning food is expensive but what do they expect when they are in an island. all teh costs are higher in an island (whether it is a Greek island or an island in South East Asia) The resoruces are scarce and transportation is costly so the food is on the expensive side.
W hotel wi-fi: yes it does not work properly but who needs internet in a place like heaven
W hotel design: It is very nice, relaxing, romantic place. You can relax in one of the big chairs with a spectacular ocean view. Very nice choice of colors, furniture, design.
W hotel - kids: It was a great place however do not go with kids. it is not a kids place at all. My son was bored to death. there is no single thing for kids, no water fountains, no kids pool, no playgorund, no single activity. W should note this in theri website. I also specifically called the hotel before I go to ask whether they have nanny services. they said yes. however when I arrived, they provided me a local newspaper with an advertisement of a nanny and told me to call. they do not even arrange the nanny becaue they do not want to take any liability. How can I leave my child to someone from an island that I do not know.
Big mistake to go with kids. Otherwise go with your special someone and you would have your best romantic time.
island: there are several public beaches on the opposite side of the island. Those beaches ara mazing, stunning. So natural, no development. It is like heaven. A must go. And do not forget to reserve your rental car before you go becaue you would need it.
December 2, 2013