Royal Isabela

We stayed in Royal Isabela for a short Family vacation and the highlight of our stay was their Signature Complete Experience, E-Bike Trek plus Kayak / Stand Up Paddleboard through the Guajataca River including lunch & beverages. This was my second stay at Royal and I absolutely love this place, the rooms, the peacefulness, views, food, everything is amazing. But now combining the relaxing nature of this place with the outdoor experiences just makes it perfect. The experience began with the Santa Cruz e-bikes expedition where we met our guide Jorge who makes this experience super fun and unforgettable. He's the ultimate outdoor adventure specialist and explains everything from the organic farms in the property, to different plants and birds we came across, little bit of local history, surrounding beaches and even some tips on handling this amazing e-bikes. We rode the bikes through the property where we passed through an old railroad passage and trails that lead us straight to an amazing beach. From there we kept surrounding the Isabela coast, went through the Guajataca Tunnel and ended up by the river where the second part of the adventure began. We went paddleboarding down the river with amazing views of the mountains and surrounded by nature and ended up at the river mouth where we took a swim. Then, we paddled our way back to find out that lunch and beverages were waiting for us on a really nice picknick Jorge setups under a tree by the river. After lunch, we rode our e-bikes back to the Hotel. We really had a special day and Jorge even took some pictures and videos so it's well documented. I highly recommend this experience or any other that Royal has to offer as it kind of complements the relaxing nature of this Hotel. Take advantage of this amazing property and all that Royal has to offer. Next time I'm going out surfing with Jorge!!

It’s hard not to appreciate being away from home in Chicago but a getaway to Puerto Rico was just what the doctor ordered. With my partner and newborn (6 months), relaxation and minimizing efforts was key. Royal Isabela is well perched on top of the terrain with breathtaking views of the ocean and a manicured gold course to experience. The heat is to be expected with minimal time spent in the sun, where fighting for shade or the pool is a must. Not being a golfer was a disadvantage as I would have liked the course but much less the blazing hot sun. Our on-site resort excursion, as a result, was only limited to the long 177-step trek down to the ocean beach. Quite exhilarating to experience along with the feel for lots of foliage surrounding your descent and an amazing feeling of seclusion, like being in the deep forest. However, reaching the beach was a very desolate and seemingly uncharted zone. No chairs, or amenities to support this arrival (No water, chairs or towels) so you’re on your own to just experience the view and waves and trek back up. However, there are some things not to be desired at Royal Isabela. At this price point (+$500 paid), one of the most expensive around, housekeeping should happen more frequently, automatically and not after 12/1pm. We would wake up, have breakfast, head to the pool and then see housekeeping knocking on our door. Our response was always, come back, you had your chance all morning, it’s time for the baby’s afternoon nap. Similar resorts in Mexico have housekeeping multiple times a day voluntarily, and with staff that is overly friendly in greeting guests. Also, bringing the room towels, refreshments and water in a large plastic clear bag was also super low-class service that are found typically in a seedy cheap motels. Food at the Resort restaurant was very, very, tasty. My favorite was the Brioche French Toast, prepared to perfection along with the toppings for a new flavor experienced. However, the WAITING & WAITING around for service was simply absurd. While having breakfast, a coffee refill takes 15-20 minutes, and we were the only guests eating. How is that possible anywhere for a resort restaurant, and this lasted for our entire four-day stay. Even the memory of the same server to constantly ask for the same repeat request for coffee at the start. Asking and requesting everything is how they operate, nothing is proactive done on your behalf as a guest. I was told that it’s the Puerto Rican way, which in that case, save lots of money and find a decent hotel elsewhere with better service. The porters near registration were fantastic as they were alerted of your arrival at the parking lot, to provide pickup and drive you to the room in the cart. Quite helpful usually with a sleeping infant on the hilly terrain. Overall, An “A” Grade for the view, grounds, accommodations and experience of being away. An “F” Grade on the service, housekeeping, and interaction with the staff

Incredibly beautiful property with gorgeous views from all over. The casitas are spacious, well maintained and have incredible bathrooms. Rooms have a plunge pool on the deck and a huge shower that opens onto the deck which we loved Soft drinks, water and beer were restocked daily in our room for free The service at the restaurant can be a bit slow, but the food is very good and reasonably priced for a resort of this caliber There are several pools around the property and one tennis court. The golf course also has great views on many holes and some fun layouts. It was not in tip top shape, but we rarely saw another group when playing so it’s a fun resort course for players of all levels The only drawback here is that the beach is a bit of a trek Overall this is a very lovely, relaxing and enjoyable hotel for couples