Caribe Hilton

We love Puerto Rico. We had obvious concerns due to CoVid but have to say as far as precautions, cleanliness and social distancing measures, we were pretty pleased with what they did. We know Caribe Hilton was a pretty reputable hotel so we booked with some degree of confidence. We arrived on opening night (hotel had been closed since Hurricane Maria) and were given a very brief welcome to the property... nothing really informative regarding the measures they were putting in place or what was available to us during our stay... we learned as we went along. There were some understandable issues with the systems they were trying out/using to sign up for beach and pool amenities but the staff were typically helpful and patient in helping get it addressed, especially Miguel & William. Our room had to be switched because the glaze in the tub cracked and some jagged pieces were on the floor of the tub. We pushed the night table forward to eat some food we ordered from one of the two restaurants open that night (we couldn’t get a table or order food without at least a 40 minute wait) and saw a lot of dust build up on the back ledge of the table. On opening night, neither of these should have been a thing. When we moved into a new room the next morning, the light fixture fell and the bulb shattered ??. Before our arrival we took the time to go on the hotel website to familiarize ourselves with the place. We recognized the hotel’s general manager from the video and greeted him as he walked by. He didn’t seem particularly warm or welcoming and never asked how our stay was so far (it is now the first morning after hotel guests have checked in on opening night) or if there was anything they could do to make our stay more enjoyable... instead he just uttered a quick pleasantry, didn’t stop to really take an interest in our answer and moved on (and repeat the same interaction the next day when we saw him except this time he didn’t bother to stop as he said hello). We weren’t looking for any special treatment but would think that there would be much more attention and hospitality given these circumstances. Only other oddity was the rearrangement of one of the lounging beach chairs away from its mapped out location and placed right in front of the pool ladder, blocking the entry/exit and creating an unfavorable situation with social distancing. We didn’t see anyone really wiping down the pool handrails, sanitizing lounge chairs between guests or buttons in the elevators. These security/safety measures should have been visibly obvious and in place throughout our entire stay (5 days 4 nights). We were, as a whole, pretty underwhelmed by our stay and think we probably would have had a similar stay in a much more affordable and less known hotel.

Stayed here 3 nights before a cruise. Absolutely gorgeous hotel. Stunning grounds and view. Staff was very friendly and committed to a superb customer experience. The morning we checked out to board our cruise my mom noticed her Pandora bracelet was open and she was missing a charm I had given her for Mother’s Day. We searched the area where we were when she noticed it, but could not find the charm. At checkout I reported the charm missing to security, although I thought it was a long shot that we would ever see it again. A few weeks later I had a call from security at Caribe - they had found the charm! This team definitely went above and beyond! Highly recommend Caribe for your stay. Grab a piña colada while you are there!

My boyfriend (diamond) and I decided to use his points for a spring break trip - this did not disappoint. We were immediately upgraded to a spacious ocean front room with a balcony. The hotel itself is beautiful - a spacious indoor / outdoor lobby that has a modern feel and multiple restaurants. The resort is gated and has security 24/7. It is very spacious and well-maintained. We stayed at the intercontinental (for comparison) and what that resort lacked this resort made up for. They have a plethora of space - especially outside and you do not feel like you’re on top of other vacationers. They provide beach chairs, towels etc. every day for guests and have a modern swim up bar and beach drink services. The beach also had cabanas for rent if you were interested. There was a complimentary happy hour for gold and diamond members (Hilton for life) which was very nice! You will not find another resort (paying using points) that gives you as much as the Caribe does. The best part is it’s a US territory so no customs or passport needed (time saver). It’s modern, clean and very well maintained!

Upon entering my room, I went to adjust the thermostat and noticed the closet to the HVAC unit was unlocked, so I opened it to find a filter that looks as if it may not have been changed in over a year. Also, the blue side of the filter media is the side that goes toward the coil and is, therefore, the side that will have whatever is on it blown into the room.

Note: This is a pre-COVID-19 lock-down review and some things may have changed. The Caribe Hilton is nice resort hotel, and the staff - especially Hiram Avila at the outside bar - is very accommodating. (More below.) Down side: Not a lot of things that are close enough to walk to ... including alternatives to the onsite dining. However, note to the Uber savvy traveler, despite the warnings about Uber not being very available it IS... even at the airport. The room was nice and looked over the old Fortin de San Jeronimo del Boqueron, the staff very helpful, and the grounds are well kept. One of their best "promoters" is Hiram Avila at the outside bar. Hiram is very friendly, outgoing, makes everybody feel welcome and after a little while you feel that Hiram and you have been friends for a long time. We probably spent way too many hours at the bar because of Hiram. :-) (He also makes a great Pina Colada.) I would stay here again, but now know that with an Uber I can travel further away.