Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

"A Beautiful Property, But the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Experience Has Clearly Declined As a repeat guest, I want to be fair: Dorado Beach is still a beautiful property, and there are still team members who are kind, hardworking, and doing their best. But there are a lot of small, meaningful changes that are very noticeable if you have stayed here before. Unfortunately, those changes add up, and the overall experience no longer feels consistent with the Ritz-Carlton Reserve standard or the price point. The most obvious issue is service. The experience feels like it has been redesigned to be more “efficient” for the hotel, not more luxurious for the guest. In practice, that appears to mean fewer staff and less attentive service. During my most recent stay, even members of the pool staff acknowledged that service is being impacted. One example: it makes absolutely no sense that a guest has to get up from a pool chair to order food from Positivo. At a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, poolside service should be seamless. Guests should not feel like they are chasing service at this level of property. There are also noticeable cutbacks in the room and bathroom experience. The luxury amenities are not what they used to be. Yes, I am specifically talking about the exfoliating sponges and other small touches that made the bathroom feel elevated. These may sound like minor details, but at a Reserve property, the details are the product. More concerning, the towels and robes had a mildew smell. That is below the standard of any serious luxury hotel. At a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, it is completely unacceptable. I have also seen other recent reviews and comments raising similar concerns about inconsistent service, cleanliness, slow response times, and the feeling that the property is not delivering at the level guests should expect for the cost. I agree with that sentiment. For the price, the service is lacking and has fallen over the last few years. Part of the issue may be that the hotel is only one business operating within a much larger property. It feels like the broader development is increasingly focused on the luxury home buildout, while the hotel guest experience is not receiving the same level of attention. That may be good for real estate, but it is not good for guests paying Ritz-Carlton Reserve rates. The golf experience also does not match the pricing. The West Course is well maintained, but it plays more like a very nice public course than a nearly $400 luxury resort golf experience. Dorado Beach still has beauty, history, and potential. But repeat guests can feel the decline. At this price point, the property should not simply be beautiful. It should be exceptional, consistent, and effortless. Right now, it is not."

Embassy Suites by Hilton Dorado del Mar Beach Resort

Aquarius Vacation Club at Dorado del Mar

"Great location!"

Villas de Playa 2

Viento Beach Lodge

"We had a bad experience. We had to wait all afternoon for them to give us a code to access the room. A wasted vacation afternoon. And they were so calm. They didn't even worry about the delay or compensate us in any way. And the worst part is that we returned to the same hotel later and the same thing happened to us! We contacted them beforehand so it wouldn't happen again, and it happened again. Incredible! Again without a sorry or compensation. It's never happened to us before. Very little professionalism and respect for customers. We're not the only ones this has happened to. They only work with email and don't handle it properly. It's a shame because this treatment ruins their business, since the place and facilities are very nice. The room is well decorated, modern, and has all the amenities. The staff is friendly and attentive. The price-performance ratio is not good. The price is high."