Looking to take a short get-away in mid-September 2003, my wife and I finally settled on the Las Casitas resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, which is part of Wyndham's El Conquistador resort complex. Because my wife can be "picky" (she prefers "selective") in her choice of accommodations, we relied upon the AAA's 5-Diamond designation in choosing Las Casitas (one of only two Caribbean resorts to earn this accolade), as well as various guidebooks and on-line reviews which confirmed Las Casitas as a luxurious destination. Through the internet, we discovered an excellent "off-season" rate, but decided to book four nights directly through Wyndham's 800 number to take advantage of a "third-night free" offer available to American Express cardholders.

Two days before our arrival, I called to set-up transfers from the San Juan airport to the resort. The next day, someone from Las Casitas called me to confirm our flight information. So it should have been no surprise to the Las Casitas staff that we would be arriving. Our "butler" was to have met us at the entrance to the resort and escorted us to our room. He did not. So, we meandered about until we found the reception desk, where we were informed that this had been horrible breach of protocol, and received many apologies from the desk clerk and the manager.

Las Casitas is comprised of several pastel-painted separate buildings, each made up of 1, 2, or 3 bedroom "casitas" or apartments. Together, they resemble a quaint, almost Disney interpretation of a Mediterranean village. Each apartment has a balcony, living area, bedrooms, and kitchen, in addition to butler service.

Our butler finally arrived to escort us to our casita, which despite the resort's description, had no view of mountains or ocean, only the parking lot. Moreover, it had not been thoroughly cleaned, with a pronounced ketchup stain (I assume it was ketchup) running down the front of the stove in the kitchen. My wife asserted herself, and we were given our choice of two other rooms - one overlooking the parking lot and the ocean, and one overlooking the ocean. Of course, we decided to abandon the parking lot and chose the latter. Our change in rooms also brought a change in butlers. Carlos proved to be fantastic and helped to make our stay tolerable.

Our guidebook said that Wyndham had purchased and remodeled the resort almost a decade ago. Unfortunately, it showed. The appliances in the kitchen section were out-dated and rusted (reminding me of my college apartment). The sofa in the living room was saggy, out-dated, and unclean. The tub had rusted where enamel had chipped. The tile countertops had cracks, and the toilet overran every time it was flushed. (We called maintenance to fix it, but they never did.) During a rainstorm, the water flooded under the door and into the living room. The air conditioning unit, which was inexplicably located in a closet in the bedroom, made loud sounds that kept us up all night. Are we being picky? Selective? Not when one brings the expectation that Las Casitas is supposed to be a 5 Diamond resort.

Notwithstanding the room, the remainder of the resort proved to be excellent. It is beautifully manicured and sits atop a hill overlooking the ocean. We enjoyed the resort's private Palomino Island, where the beach and water sports are located. (However, the major drawback to the concept of the private island is the long boat ride to get there and back, and then the long wait on the funicular to get back to the hotel from the dock area.) We also enjoyed the Golden Door Spa, where we had massages, and the pool and hot tub in the center of the Las Casitas village. The restaurants, though predictably expensive, also met our expectations.

As viewed from the balcony of our casita, Wyndham is expanding that portion of the resort with the construction of new casitas. If I were to return to Las Casitas, I would wait until they are completed and stay there.

In the interim, I would ask AAA's reviewer to stay a few nights in 5270, and then re-evaluate the 5 Diamond designation.


Recommended: No