Condado Vanderbilt Hotel

I wanted to love the Condado Vanderbilt. We booked via Amex Travel. At $725 per night we had expected a Four Seasons style experience. This was not that. The room was tiny. The bed broken and bowed, sagging and clearly old. The service was mediocre, indifferent and slow. The resort fee which was not included or made clear upfront added a further $120 per night, no valet. We requested a room change after the first night’s terrible sleep in a bed which had two inch depression in the mattress. We were told there was no availability and that housekeeping/‘engineering’ would come and fix the bed. That was at 0900. At 2:30 that afternoon we enquired again. 45 mins later a team showed up and promised to fix it while we left. At 21:30 that evening we returned. Nothing had been done. So we called and complained to the manager. 25 mins later, two men showed up and with a board of chipboard. It was too long. A further 20 mins later - now 22:15, they installed the chip board. It did nothing to fix what was clearly a worn out mattress. Meanwhile the couple next door fought continuously for the three nights, their voices clearly audible through the paper thin walls. We had three nights of terrible sleep in a broken bed for $845 per night once the hidden ‘resort fee’ was added. In short, don’t be deceived by the flattering photos. This hotel needs investment and better staff. Avoid unless you enjoy being ripped off.

It's a lovely hotel and great location. We had a ocean-facing room on the top floor which was gorgeous plus a great place to watch the waves crashing below. Overall we would stay there again but the place seems understaffed in every area. There was always a wait for things (food, drinks, etc.), nobody at the front desk when you needed them, etc. It was def full capacity and the staff seemed stretched thin. Plus when we checked in, our room wasn't ready for 3 hours after promised!! It didn't start the trip on a good foot and the staff were just kind of apologetic but didn't have answers on why things were so delayed or any solutions. It was beyond frustrating.

The Vanderbilt once again exceeded our expectations. On arrival we were greeted by our bellman, Steve who couldn’t have been more helpful throughout our stay. The entire staff was very courteous and most professional and made our stay there very memorable. Thank you all.

I have stayed at all the best hotels all over the world. In NYC I stay at one every weekend. Hawaii, Hong Kong and everything in between. 3 stars and 5 stars. Airbnb’s to boutiques. This hotel is one of my favorites. The service was exceptional. The bar and drinks excellent. The taco place great. The 1919 was fantastic. Our suite was spectacular and the staff were always very helpful. Good water pressure. My only small “complaint” is the hot tub was warm, not hot. But that’s nothing really.

Honestly, it’s hard to come up with any criticism of this hotel. The place is spotless, the staff are kind and welcoming (we asked for a bandaid for a cut on my husband’s leg and the hotel sent a trained medic to attend to him). We got into our room early, housekeeping was timely, food and drinks were excellent. If you want to chill by the multiple pools, this is the place for you. It was very windy this week so getting to a calm beach requires a quick walk.