Problems
with U.S. Airways
This
was our first family 'flying' trip, so the kids were very
excited. Our trip started out great. Our plane left on-time
from Detroit Metro for a connection in Philadelphia. Unfortunately,
when we got there, our U.S. Airways flight was listed
with an eight hour delay!
After running through the
airport to the U.S. Airways International terminal, we
were lucky enough to get on a connecting flight after
only a 1 hour delay. Unfortunately, our luggage was not
so lucky! It was delivered to our hotel the following
afternoon! Although we thought to bring extra food, and
our camera in our carry-on luggage, we had no extra clothes,
and NO bathing suits until then!
Puerto
Rico Travel Tip: We
learned the hard way- MAKE SURE you have everything you'll
need to survive comfortably for at least 24 hours in case
any of your luggage is lost. This means extra clothes,
bathing suits, sunscreen, camera, toiletries, and anything
else you would not want to be without on vacation. Of
course, you should never pack ANY MONEY or valuables in
your checked luggage!
Embassy Suites, Dorado Puerto Rico
The
main problem we ran into in booking a hotel is that Puerto
Rico has strict fire codes for hotel rooms. Being a family
of five, we needed to either book a suite, or two rooms.
This severely limited our options. We considered staying
near the airport in San Juan (the capital) but thought
it would be too noisy and congested. We ended up staying
at the Embassy Suites in Dorado, a small town on the north
shore of the island, about 45 minutes west of San Juan.
The beachfront hotel and adjacent golf course were beautiful,
and the staff very friendly and efficient. They have a
full hot breakfast every day, and a "Manager's Reception"
each evening from 5:00 - 7:00. The reception includes
free drinks for grown-ups and soft drinks for the kids.
The hotel also features entertainment by the pool during
that time.
Puerto Rico Travel Tip: To help save
money on your trip, find a hotel (like the Embassy Suites!)
that includes free breakfast with your room. The Embassy
Suites had a great breakfast including made-to-order omelets,
pancakes, waffles, french toast, and MORE! For a family
of five, we saved about $30-$40 a day!
Hotel pools and beach
The
kids loved playing in the three pools (each connected
by a waterfall), and on the beach which featured a break
wall to protect swimmers from dangerous ocean currents.
The beach was a good size, and pretty nice with plenty
of lounge chairs, but could have used a little 'TLC'.
There were also kayaks and pool toys available for hourly
rentals. We had a blast in the two-person kayaks that
we rented on our last day at the hotel.
Please continue on with Puerto
Rico sites! and Puerto
Rico travel tips!
|