We had a group of 13 ladies between two casitas and we had a great experience at the resort. Everyone on staff was very helpful but there were several who stood out. Carmen, a concierge, was extremely helpful prior to our arrival and answered many questions and helped make transportation arrangements. Wilfredo, our butler, was fantastic and took care of any requests very quickly. Omar at the Ballyhoo bar was great, too.

The food was really good throughout the resort. The pools were beautiful and the property was very well maintained.

We just returned from staying at the El Conquistador, from 4/23/08-4/28/08. There were 11 of us, celebrating my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary. Ages ranged from 4 - 78 years old. While our stay was enjoyable, we would not stay there again. The rooms were expensive, the food prices were OUTRAGEOUS, as was the price of other items (I ran out of sunscreen, went to buy 2 small bottles, but the total was $32, so I left them there). We were prepared for the prices, but for that kind of money, the hotel and the service should be impeccable. They were not.
We chose rooms in the Marina area, so we could be close to the water park and the boat to Palomino Island. The location was convenient, and the kids had a great time at the water park. However, the rooms look much more luxurious in the photographs. I was not impressed when we saw them in person. Out of our 3 rooms, 2 of the balconies were so small, that you barely had room for your feet once you sat in your chair! Travelling on the funicular to reach the main portion of the hotel did get a little old after a while, but it was made worse by the fact that one or the other cars on the funicular was not operational about 25% of the time.
We also found Palomino Island to be a great disappointment. The beach area was not what we expected, and once you go in the water, the sand mostly disappears and you have very rough and sharp coral under your feet. We needed to buy water shoes, at $20 a pair. And the staff on the island mostly had the attitude that we were bothering them, from the woman selling the water shoes, to the 3 guys renting the jet skis.
The restaurant staff proved to be the biggest disappointment of all. With sky-high prices, these people should be giving service to match. Not happening. From the bar & grill at the marina to Otello's Italian Restaurant, to Blossoms Teppanyaki restaurant, we had one disappointment/aggravation after another. From having to ask repeatedly for things like drinks for the kids (which sometimes never came at all) to waiting over an hour after being seated in Blossoms before the chef showed up, to the maitre d' in Otello's actualy being rude to my teenage daughter when she asked a question about a menu special he mentioned, I've had better service at McDonald's.
Don't get me wrong - the trip was not all bad. The rooms were nice, the food in general was good, and we had a great time. But we have travelled all over the world, and felt that this place definitely did not meet our expectations, or its price level.

El Conquistador Resort was the selected location for our company's Award of Excellence gathering in mid-April. I cannot imagine a more ideal spot for an award-winning getaway!

My guest and I shared a beautiful room overlooking the marina, which made it an ideal location for a quick excursion to Palomino Island, the resort's exclusive property. A white, well-groomed, sandy beach; beautiful wildlife; stunning flora; and, excellent customer service greeted us on the island, along with opportunities for horseback riding; hiking; jet skiing; and, more than I can remember. Families with children wandered freely on the island, too, enjoying the safety and security of the beach.

On the main resort property we found excellent dining, bargain shopping, opportunities for organized tours, fabulous entertainment and a small casino frequented by resort guests and local residents. And needless to say, there were pools, pools, pools and more pools... each one more refreshing than the next.

Was there a bad experience during the week? Well, beside the need to depart - which was more sad than bad - I had an unfortunate experience in the grill next to the marina, for which the resort management more than compensated me. Slow service was the problem, which caused me to miss the departure time for my planned afternoon group activity.

When I returned to my room, intending to rest and do some shopping instead, I decided to alert the front desk - careful not to make a huge fuss - so that this incident could become a positive, teachable experience for the grill employees. Within 10 minutes, the hotel manager-on-duty called to get the details, and he promised to compensate me for the event. Within another 10 minutes, the manager called to advise me that the hotel had made arrangements with Golden Door Spa for a 25-minute massage at my choice of timeframes that afternoon. It was an unexpected treat, and I would gladly re-visit the Golden Door Spa at any location.

The highest compliment that I can offer is the fact that my guest and I are already discussing a return to El Conquistador Resort next year, even though we will be paying for the trip...not our company. It will be worth every dollar!

I would not recommend this hotel to anyone. I have traveled to many resorts and this was by far my least favorite. We arrived to a very dirty room...something splashed all over the walls and doors in the bathroom as well as something smeared on the walls over the bed. We immediately called the front desk and to their credit, they did have it cleaned immediately. We know another couple that was here with us who switched rooms 3 times before they got one that was acceptable.

The service EVERYWHERE in this hotel is SLOOOOW! Espeically the pool - we waited over an hour for pizza one day and were told not even to bother ordering a burger because it would be forever until we got it. You have to hunt down waiters to get food. There was just nothing relaxing about this. The casino bar and marina bar was slow you didn't even want to drink anymore once they got to you. The one place we received good service was at "Strips" a restaraunt within the hotel...there was very good food here and our waiter was excellent.

I would rather not waste more time with the details, but I really would find a different hotel to stay at if you are considering. Too many people, slow service, average food and Ritz Carlton prices!!

We did go over to the island to hang out and that was by far the best day - although - it takes an hour just to get over there by the time you get down the elevator, down the tram (one was broken, of course) and on the boat. Nothing seemed convenient.