Situated atop a cliff at the northeastern tip of the island, overlooking both the Atlantic and the Caribbean, 33 miles east of San Juan, this resort is the largest tourist development in Puerto Rico, grandiose in design and mammoth in magnitude. Most guests are entranced by the sheer scale of it and don't seem to mind the major excursion just to get to the beach, which entails riding a funicular and boarding a water taxi to land on a private island (and even then, the beach is shallow and ill-suited for swimming).
Over the past few years, this resort drew numerous complaints about the worn facilities. Now owned by Luxury Resorts, the hotel is experiencing a much-needed facelift to its guest rooms and is expanding its grounds in the hopes of becoming the premier resort in all of the Caribbean.
The Greyhound-sized buses that fetch guests at the airport are the first hint of the dimension of this resort. This varied complex unites Spanish-colonial and Moorish styling in buildings no higher than five stories. Scale and quality combine impressively in a wealth of terraces, shops, play areas and grand spaces adorned with frescoes, antiques, objets d'art, and the varied textures of tile, weavings and carpeting.
With 14 places to dine, no one goes hungry here, but the prices throughout are among the highest on the island, and those without cars will find no low-cost alternative. American, Continental, French, Tex-Mex, northern Italian, Caribbean and Oriental restaurants populate the premises, along with terrace dining, an open-air cafe on Palomino Island, and an alfresco gazebo facing the main pool. Five lounges and bars, including a disco, rock with music nightly, and the small casino serves guests only.
Shoppers enjoy the wealth of boutiques, and comparably abundant sports facilities serve the energetic. Of the six pools, none are as elaborate as those at the Westin. Of seven tennis courts, four are lighted, and three are clay. A golf course, children's camp and a 25-slip marina round out the recreational facilities.
Guests can use the glamorous Golden Door Spa at Las Casitas for a fee, in addition to the cost of their treatments. Use of a plain gym is complimentary. The 128-acre private retreat of Palomino Island, seven minutes away by free launch, features white-sand beaches and a wedding chapel on its highest point. (A clothes-optional beach lies on the far side of the island.) Here, guests can play miniature golf, ride horses, or hike nature trails 
and charge everything to their rooms.
A new seaside water park offers three large, twisting waterslides and floating lagoons that will delight kids (and adults) for hours.
Of the 21 impressive meeting venues, the grand ballroom alone can accommodate 3,000 people. This summer's completion of a new 50,000-sq-ft conference center includes the Grand Atlantic Ballroom, which will trump the Westin's facilities and secure the title of largest in the Caribbean.
Accommodations are in two distinct villages. The Grand Hotel comprises the 230-room Las Brisas, closest to the funicular down to the marina. This section has better views than the 340-room La Vista, which is nearer the tennis courts, country club and main pool. New accommodations trade worn tropical themes for a more modern look with sleek rattan furniture, plasma TVs, and designer tiled baths with luxury showerheads.
The Ocean Resort consists of the 144-room harborside La Marina and 73-unit Las Olas sections. The latter offers the largest rooms, 
embraces a pool and whirlpool (without bar service at times), and perches higher on the hillside for more sweeping panoramas. La Marina relies on the funicular to get up to the main hotel. Lodgings vary, but almost all have ocean views. Even the smallest units are larger than the norm, and nearly all have balconies or terraces. All rooms feature fine carpeting, three multiline phones with data ports, two TVs, VCRs, stereos, CD players, minibars, irons and safes.
Baths provide makeup and vanity mirrors, robes and hair dryers. Some quarters are designed for guests in wheelchairs. Room service never stops.
This resort is not for the faint of heart or weak of leg, as it takes serious effort to get from one end to the other. Furthermore, it bears repeating: The cost of food and drink is very high, and slow service—unanswered phones, long waits at reception, even longer waits for valets to fetch cars—draws plenty of complaints. Still, the magnificent vistas and grand scale of this resort make bigger impressions than the shortcomings do.
