Ok, I will preface by saying I am Dominican (my grandparents were from Puerto Rico) and my wife is 100 % Puerto Rican, so for us to be disappointed, annoyed, or upset regarding one our OWN island is extremely difficult. We are very laid back and are very low maintenance. We went for 5 days, 6 nights without the kids as we try to travel on our own at least once a year to relax and this was that trip.

I'll start by with the check in. So my wife and I get there in an older toyota corolla that we borrower from my father-in-law (1) because he insisted and would feel offended if I rented a car (2) I really didnt care since we usually get to a hotel and stay there until it's time to leave and we were also staying at other hotels and different places around the island. But we wanted the "RESORT" lifestyle for the time we stayed. This was my first mistake of many. So anyways we get there, I pull up, my wife gets out, I get out and we just stand there while the two bellmen just talk to each other and ignore us. After 5 minutes or so (again we are pretty laid back) they turn to us and don't even say welcome or address us. My wife immediately says something to them (obviously a little annoyed) but nothing out of the ordinary. It was something to the effect of thanks for noticing. In any case the guy goes "But Honey I waiting for you" in spanish. I almost flipped since my temper goes awry when it comes to those things but I let it go. I then asked what to do with the vehicle, they kind of just grunted and pointed me to the parking site which was not too far way. I actually wanted to Valet since I didnt care to pay whatever it was (I later found out it was 25/day if I recall correctly) but they never asked nor gave me any options. So we then check in (took about 30 minutes), and it was ok. Again no Welcome, no cold towel, no smiling faces, nothing. Everyone seemed bored and upset to be working, which we can all understand since we all work, but I dont expect that at this type of resort and not at the price I paid. We, unfortunately, went to Punta Cana and had the greatest hotel and resort vacation and experience EVER so we compare it a LOT whenever we go anywhere and this was like comparing the experience of Disney World (live in Orlando) to watching TV in black and white with rabbit ears in 1980. Maybe, we expect resorts and hotels like Punta Cana or just people in General like Dominican Republic but not here, not at this hotel, not even close.

On with the appearance of the hotel. The hotel is Beautiful and has a lot of potential for the location where it is. It is pretty well kept, the grounds are usually nicely trimmed. The Beach is "blah" at best, not the hotels fault but if you think you are going there to swim in the beach, think again. The pools are nice and long, well cleaned and kept . Pools are pools so what can I say? The service at the "Wet Bar Grill" is HORRIBLE to say the least, aside from very expensive. I will pay whatever if the service is good, but this was something out of the twilight zone. I went to the bar and said, "Hello, how are you doing today" and I just saw the girl stare at me and say "what do you want"? I said politely I'd like a mojito please, she then looked down, walked away, came back, talked to her coworkers about 5 minutes, then made it. I said "thank you". She just grunted. Mind you this is all in spanish, my native tongue, and I'm just a nice guy that just always says please and thank you, I figure everyone works, so just be polite. In any case the mojito was $11.00 which is a lot even on vacation, and I still gave her a $4 tip--I dont think I should have but I thought this was just an anomaly. Wrong--This is the attitude of the hotel in general. I wont bore you with details, but most employees were exactly like the one I mentioned--bored, unhappy, unprofessional, jerkish, and just plain rude.

Food- ate at the cafe for breakfast and dinner- 70 and 95 respectively for two people. My wife had a coke i think and i had water. Yea. Both Buffets, both horrible. Very little selection. Very expensive for what it is. My wife had some cheese, crackers, and ham. Crappy service again and crappy food both times we went. We kept thinking things wood change--never did. Again we are really outgoing people and very nice--we met some couples and they shared same sentiments with us. Dont eat the food here, it's overpriced and just crappy food. We didnt eat at the japanese restaurant or the italian (I learned my lesson after this next story), but we talked to some guests and said it was equally crappy.
Ok---so the morning we're having breakfast (1st day after checking in previous night) and I get up to get some bread and behind the bread I find two HUGE cockroaches, which I dont care for but I'm pretty cool with these things and I just laughed about it. So I go up to one of the ladies that host and I say discretely what I saw and to take care of it before anyone notices. She shrugged it off and said ok and dindt even thank me or anything. Again, I dont care that much about this---it's the caribbean and insects are all over the place, but I expect better service. 30 minutes later we finish eating and I notice the same bread basket and layout still there, so nothing was changed or removed. I never went back to ANY of their restaurants. Enjoy

Rooms are not that clean, we found a lot of dust (extreme amounts) throughout the room and candy wrappers under our bed. The bathroom was "ok", not greatly cleaned. I found hair in the shower and the tub was somewhat dirty. THe room looked good an we had a nice balcony and nice view on the 2nd floor.
If you dont like walking a lot from your room, I dont suggest you leave it. The golf carts supposedly are all over the place, my wife and I walked a LOT because we would just wait and wait and wait and even if they saw you they wouldn't stop or even say I'll be back. We walked a LOT to and from the rooms, and were pretty far from the main lobby. So yea.

The one and ONLY person that made us feel welcome was the Manager/Supervisor "OTTO". This guy us very friendly and understanding after we vented about some of the things we found out towards the end of our stay. He is extremely helpful, professional, understanding, and always had a smile. I asked him why he worked there because he's by far the best treatment we received. I would only go to this resort to say hi to him, but I would not stay here again. Thank you, Otto for all your help and comfort.

I have more to write but this is long enough. To those that have very good reviews about this hotel, you were one of the few lucky ones and you probably have not been to Punta Cana or a comparable resort--this hotel is terrible on so many levels I am missing so much because it was ALL so bad.

Oh by the way, the day we checked out I had to walk with 3 suitcases from my room to the lobby (about 15 min walk) because front desk would not pick up the phone for whatever reason and no carts would pass by either. We did speak to a manager when checking out because we had it. She was very nice about it and apologized, so we did tell her all the things we found right and wrong with the hotel. I cant recall her name, but she was nice about it. We didnt yell or act inappropriate but we let her know we were upset and disappointed with our stay and treatment.

If you want to have a good time or just relax, dont come here. The people we met at the pools were great. Some locals, some tourists and most agreed with our perception. There was one couple that said they were having a good time and that this was the 1st time in a resort like "this". When you have nothing to compare it to, I guess it's mediocre at best instead of horrible.

Puerto Rico is beautiful and most of the older generation is very helpful and nice. There are a lot of beautiful places to visit and we actually had a great time EXCLUDING our stay at the Gran Melia. I will never come back here, ever. I may give them another try in a different country.

Good Luck in your future vacations! If you would like a more in depth look or review, please e-mail me as I have probably missed a lot more things that went wrong.

My wife and I spent the 4th of July weekend at the resort. The resort was beautiful and the staff was very attentive, polite and helpful. The pool area was great- the beach is rocky and sea grass near the shore. A car is a necessity to get out, the restaurants are OK- make sure you have a reservation if you plan to eat on site.
As you leave the resort not much there or pleasing to eat, we tried Martin BBQ chicken on C-3-it was very good.
If you are going for Beach and Pool I would recommend the Dominican Republic all-inclusives, $5 a can of beer, specialty drinks, breakfast, lunch and dinner it all adds up at Gran Melia.
If you like the mountains, rainforest and relaxing in the pool this is a perfect location.

We honeymooned for a couple of days at this resort and could not have asked for a more relaxing time here. This resort was huge with a great golf course and spacious rooms. We did not use the royal sevices but still felt the service was excellent.

One problem that we did have was the check in and check out times were considerably longer then we expected. They seemed to be short staffed and created a long wait for rooms and then again at check out. But after that the conceirge was excellent and proficient in making sure that we were comfortable. The rooms were large as well as the bathtub and all were immaculantly clean. And our beach view was excellent.

The pool is luxiurious with a swim up bar and lots of room to be comfortable. The beach however is not so hot. This is not one that one would like to swim in. The "sand" is rocky and unpleasant without shoes and the man made beach was not something I would recommend to swim in.

The lobby, and other common areas of the hotel were lavish and beautiful! Had an exotic feel in the evening with candles lit everywhere. The restaurant was beautiful but lacked the service at the outside terreace seating and the food at "Tempo" the italian rest was mediocre at best. But overall the experience here was wonderful and would def come back again!

My husband and I just got back yesterday from Gran Melia and we can not say enough about this place! In fact, we are already planning a return visit. I thought the property was beautiful and pristine and the staff was excellent-catering to our every need. I highly recommend upgrading to the Royal Service package. If you want privacy and tranquility, the Royal Service pool alone is worth it. It is adults only and Lesley, the pool attendant, was so attentive and accommodating to our every need. The cabanas are included in the Royal Service and such a great way to relax and get out of the sun. The main pool was crowded and with kids it got to be quite loud at times, but the Royal Service pool was a world of difference. Also included in the Royal Service package is the three hour open bar and appetizer selection in the lounge. Again, quiet and exclusive and Pedro was an outstanding server. I can’t imagine why anyone would not upgrade for these amenities alone.

One day, we left the Do Not Disturb sign on the door all day and later that evening got a voicemail making sure we didn’t need anything. One of the valets, Jose, was also very well informed and helpful. We decided to go to El Yunque before checking in. He gave us very precise directions and also made some other suggestions for excursions. On the final night we were there, we came back from dinner to find a bucket of champagne. These are just a few examples of service that will not only bring us back, but which we will recommend the property to others.

With any vacation, it is important to do your research as far as prices and other factors. I would recommend a car rental if you want to leave the property and do some sightseeing. As for prices, they were what anyone should expect from a five star resort. Average dinner prices ranged from $10-$30 and drink prices were $3-$10. The sushi at the Asian restaurant was outstanding!


This is a luxury resort in the lush and tropical area of Rio Grande. The beaches are natural and untouched, which is the kind of scenery we were looking for. It was so quiet and removed from the hustle and bustle of the city, the nighttime sky was as clear as I have ever seen. And the property was so quiet. It was exactly what we needed. If you have a family and want to be closer to other activities or want a party atmosphere on a budget, then go to San Juan, but if you want to be pampered and relax, then the Gran Melia is just the place.

There were some reviews I read before we left which I found to be totally unfounded. I think that some travelers will just never be satisfied with anything. The place was beautiful, the staff was superb and the management was completely attentive and accommodating. We will be back as soon as we can.