I lovelovelove vacation! Seriously. I am a huge fan. This trip to the Wyndham Rio Mar was so incredible and we had such a fabulous time. The baby knew, when we piled into the car on Wednesday night in his pj's and already past his bedtime, that we were in for an adventure. He was super alert and took in everything - the people that we met in the airport, the fun snacks that Momma shared, the big trucks that loaded the meals onto the plane .. He was pumped, giggling and pointing at everything and really was building the excitement for all of us.
We had an easy flight and arrived in the wee hours of the morning on Thursday. The babe woke up long enough to enjoy the shuttle ride to the car rental (BIG fun for him). He did, however, fall asleep while we were lost, driving around Puerto Rico. We found our way after stopping to ask a nice policeman where the heck we were going and arrived at the resort around 4:30 am - tired and wiped, we headed right to bed.
The crib in the room was awesome - not a pack and play but a real mini-crib that had wheels on it so we could change the location easily. We also requested a fridge so that we could have snacks and breakfast food for my DH (special dietary restrictions due to Celiac) and the baby. It was really a perfect set up. The room was spacious and clean and I have to admit, more baby-proofed than some of the rooms in our place!
I cannot say enough good things about the resort. We spent the majority of our time at the pool - there is an "Activity Pool" complex that includes a large pool where there is volleyball, a water slide (the baby LOVED going down with Daddy!), steps to sit on while playing with toys, and in the afternoons, water aerobics and live music. There is also a baby pool that was just the right depth for the babe to sit up in. He was in heaven.
The beach was great as well, our little fish totally loved being in the ocean and bouncing with the waves but the mere touch of sand on his little toes would send him into fits. Too funny. He's so not a fan.
I was a little concerned about taking a vacation - since my husband was diagnosed with Celiac (cannot have any wheat, barley or rye so NO GLUTEN!), we have only eaten out at places that specifically have a Gluten-free menu. Those are not so common. So, going to Puerto Rico was a little unsettling when it came to his dietary needs.
The staff at Rio Mar could not have been more helpful. There are 11 restaurants on site so you have a ton of options. Our first night there, I went down to speak with the hostess at Shimas, a really yummy asian-fusion restaurant that turned out to be our favorite. We had these dining cards that explain Celiac in various languages and I gave the Spanish card to the hostess, who promptly brought the head chef out to speak with me about our options. We settled on the Chicken stir-fry which was so incredibly delish - I wound up having that twice over our stay, as did my DH! He was thrilled that he was able to get meals that he knew were safe for him to eat and I was really happy that he was safe. He travels a lot for work and often when he gets home, I find out that he has eaten nothing but dry lettuce and fruit plates because he's not able to have anything else that these places are serving. I hate that!!
Anyway, Shimas was great and my hubby ended up eating dinner from there nightly, although I also really liked Palio, their award-winning Italian restaurant. The best part was that we could pick up the food at the restaurants and bring it back to our balcony, where we could eat together while the baby slept peacefully inside the room (in that super crib!). My man picked up a candle in the gift shop for some romantic lighting and now it sits on my dresser, as a reminder of a great trip.
Here are my favorite things about our Puerto Rican vacation:
The water was awesome - the ocean was warm and the waves were perfect - rough enough to be fun to swim in but calm enough close to the shore so that I could play with the baby and not worry about getting us knocked over. The pool complex was super. The pools were warm and not overly-chlorinated. There were more than enough lounge chairs for guests so you didn't feel like you were imposing on other people's space and I did not worry once about having the baby making too much noise or being all over the place since there is a separate Adult pool for those who want peace and quiet.
Worry-free dining with super food made for a very happy, and very full, family. Being able to have the fridge in the room allowed us to have ample baby food, milk and fruit so that we wouldn't have to call on room service for every meal. It also enabled us to have a few beers at the end of the day without having to leave the room - a huge plus since we had the baby with us.
The staff at the Rio Mar was par to none. They went above and beyond with every request (special food, the crib, directions, suggestions on things to do) and were super friendly. And no, aside from the GM, no one knew that I worked for Wyndham Worldwide.
The property was beautiful. We took walks daily and really enjoyed the relaxing setting. Everything was clean and pretty and I just loved it!
We took a drive into Old San Juan and it was absolutely worth the 40 min. drive. The buildings there are colorful and inviting, there are some great outlet stores (I bought a Ralph Lauren dress and a sweater for $40 TOTAL!) and landmarks rich with history.
The rainforest was another interesting ride. You can take a tour but we opted to drive through ourselves since it was almost nap time ....
Ah, yes. Naptime. That was another favorite. Each day, 12:30 - 2:30 or 3:00 was naptime for my little family. The first day I slept. The rest, I read while DH and the babe slept. It doesn't get more relaxing than that.
Now, I admit, if the baby was older or if we were there by ourselves, it would have been a very different vacation. There is a really nice spa and a casino on site (DH lost $5 in the penny slots. LOL!), two great golf courses and a kid's club for children ages 4+. I'd also love to do some of the activities in the area: horseback riding, snorkel and dive trips, a sunset sail, private beaches ... let's just say that I'm already looking forward to another trip to Wyndham Rio Mar in the not so distant future.
Tips for planning your Wyndham Rio Mar stay:
Stay during the off season to save on your accommodations. Use Corp. ID Code 1000005351 when booking and get an additional 15% off.
Take the night flight for better rates when booking your flight with mileage points.
Rent a car to get to and from the airport. You'll save money by not using the shuttle and will have the flexibility to dine in town, check out your surroundings and drive into Old San Juan.
If you can spend the extra money, upgrade from a traditional room to a Junior Suite. The extra space goes a long way when traveling with kids. That extra play-space really comes in handy. Bring along some coloring books and toys for a break from the pool or bring the little ones down to the kid's club (remember, ages 4 and above).
Make sure to feed the Iguanas with the kids at 11:00 each day. Those suckers come RUNNING for those lettuce leaves. I've never seen anything else like it.
Leave your worries, stress and your Blackberry at home. The Wyndham Rio Mar is truly a place to unwind and reconnect.
