We stayed here because we were visiting friends in the area. The hotel is fine, but it is an Embassy Suites hotel. It is not going to be a 5 star establishment. We found the English speaking staff to be very friendly and the hotel offers a wonderful breakfast. The pool area is great for the kids. What we did not like about the hotel is that it was far from many of the activities that we wanted to do. Also the hotel does have a beach, but it is not that great. There are many other better beaches in the area that one should drive to.

My husband and I flew down to PR for a long weekend to escape the winter weather. We flew into San Juan, rented a car, and drove to the Embassy Suites Dorado. The property is beautiful and well maintained. The pool area is nice and they have drinks/food available at the bar until four. The staff is extra friendly, even though we were only there for four days they all remembered us and greeted us by name by the second day. The beach is small and there is not much "nightlife" in the area but if you are looking for a place to relax and unwind this is it.
We are going to make this trip an annual every January. You can't beat the weather and it is not too crowded.

Given the photos on the Hilton/Embassy website one might assume that the hotel you see is the hotel you get. It is NOT. The right portion of the photo is not the hotel at all -some said it was a timeshare property. The hotel extends behind the wing you see in the photo on the right. What you get on the back side is a view of dumpsters, parking lot and beyond the homes in the distance you will see the ocean. Upon arrival and immediately upon entering the room we were shocked and disappointed. I returned to the front desk and told the staff about my numerous calls and that this was not at all what they described or what they advertised on their website photos. I lodged numerous complaints because in planning I thought I was careful and had personally phoned the 800 number and the hotel itself making sure to clarify what it was that we were seeking. Ocean, ocean view -the beach- we live in a landlocked community and wanted the beach. I was reassured that the room would have at a minimum a partial ocean view and we would be accommodated. The first evening the manager more or less told me too bad, the next morning the am manager offered to move us to the other side. There we looked over a gated community and if you sat in the right corner of the patio the beach was visible. If we could have returned to the airport and gone home w/o $$ penalty- (5 travelers) we would have. We especially wanted to leave after the day we spent traveling on a "dry run" to the other side of the island to set up our snorkeling and night swim outings. A long trip from Dallas this was to be our big family "island" vacation. The "oceanfront" beach offered is a miniscule bay with moss/scum on the bottom of much of the area you can walk. Likely due to the lack of movement within the man made cove. That drive to the other side of the island to do any of the things one might want to do, snorkel, deep sea fishing, ferry to other island or swim in the evening with glowing fish - well the traffic is worse than metro DC, Dallas and any other city we have lived or traveled to and the drive took us 3.5 hours one way. We were advised at the hotel that it was worse during the week. The breakfast buffet was the highlight. The servers wonderful. I have not eaten eggs since returning though. The all inclusive happy hour in California included frozen non-alcoholic drinks for the kids, not here they charged 3.50 or more for them. This is a desolate area of the island and if you want to eat anywhere but this hotel - forget about it. A deli/bakery in town is delightful but that is it. Yes they have KFC, Burger King etc. not what we went to an island to eat and even there you better be bilingual. One of our best vacations was on family business but was at the Embassy Suites in Oxnard, CA. That hotel is beautiful; staff treats you like you are in a 5 star resort. Trust that all Embassy Suites are not equal and do your homework better than I did. Also, be prepared, Puerto Rico is quite dirty and the people are not particularly friendly. Quite a shame. Too many islands too many choices I recommend you make a different selection!

This is my second stay here and will do it again! 01/04 to 01/10
The minute we arrived, my sister and I were greeted with smiles and "Buenos Dias", by courteous valet attendants and bell captains.
Parking is $7.00 per day, Valet parking is the way to go. $14.00 per day, but you don't have to worry about finding a parking space. The car is parked inside in a garaged area.
The front desk staff was very pleasant and since we arrived early and our room was not ready, suggested we leave our cell number and head out to the pool area where there’s a stunning 3 tier pool and a gazebo bar over looking the ocean. We got a call in no time and our room was very nice, clean and had all the needed amenities; small refrigerator, sink, and cabinets for snacks. I did forget to ask for ocean view... I guess we can’t have everything. We had a king size bed and a pull out sofa bed, both very clean and comfortable. A hair dryer and Ironing board were also provided. We had two television sets, one on each room with cable. There is a door in between rooms for privacy if needed. The Beach is public, but it has not real access for others so it is shared with just a few. Yes there was a soap opera being film as it has been for a while, we were not inconvenience in anyway by filming. The staff was very helpful in accommodating all our requests, from directions to recommendations on restaurants and places to visit. The times for the restaurants are posted and can be obtain ahead of time to plan on eating in or go to a local restaurant. There are two restaurants, one in the hotel and the other across the street. The Oregano restaurant is not open on Mondays and Tuesdays. Both served great food at reasonable prices and great service. I recommend “The Ladrillo" in the center of town for dinner (a little pricy, but worth it). You do have to ring the buzzer for them to open the door. Don't dine here if you are in a hurry, sit back and enjoy!

Breakfast is free every morning and offers many items to choose from; cold cereal, pancakes, French toast, donuts, fruit, and eggs cooked to order, pastries, bacon, sausage and an omelet station etc. The line can get long so plan ahead.
There are laundry facilities in the basement area next to the game room and workout gym.

If you are visiting San Juan on your first night staying here, I recomment hiring a driver. San Juan It is approximately 30 minutes away. I hired a driver for $65.00 each way (worth every penny) we got dropped off and called him back when ready (didn't have to worry about drinking and driving or getting lost the first time around)
You can also hire a driver to take you around the Island. I recommend Guavate on the weekend. They have a local fiesta every weekend, vendors, crafts and traditional food and music. It is in a mountainous area, not for the faint at heart. I paid $165.00 for round trip for both (he stayed with us the entire time and made sure we were comfortable, approximately 4 hours, also explaining the different foods and customs) Again worth every penny. Not every tourist experiences this. The driver’s name is John Benuchi and the hotel can provide his number. I used a rental the rest of the time and the two times I hired a driver instead of driving my self, I was not charged for parking.

If you would like additional information on my stay and photos, please email me at dee@massopenhouse.com. I visited the Bioluminescent bay in Fajardo with Kayaking Puerto Rico and Scuba dived in Aguadilla at Cable Beach with Aquatica. I also visited briefly Camuy and Ponce. I will be glad to share my experience. I would stay at this hotel again and again!

If you are looking for someone to kiss your feet at every turn, this is not the place for you, but if you are looking for great service from nice people at reasonable prices, you found it!