Help! Gran Melia Golf Resort Puerto Rico

[Biris]

Hi all,

 

I just won this hotel thru priceline. It's my first time trying priceline and probably the last :( I just wanted a place to stay pre-cruise. Is this hotel close to Old San Juan? Anyone stayed here recently or in the past? Any help is much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Biris

[merdon]

Hi all,

 

I just won this hotel thru priceline. It's my first time trying priceline and probably the last :( I just wanted a place to stay pre-cruise. Is this hotel close to Old San Juan? Anyone stayed here recently or in the past? Any help is much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Biris

 

Unfortunately this hotel is not close to the pier or Old San Juan. It's on the northeastern side of the island; about 40-45 minutes away. We plan on staying here after our cruise.

[Biris]

I got panicked when finding out the name and location. Yeah, I googled and it's about 27-28 miles to the pier. The resort seems very nice, and I think that it'd be a good place to relax for a few days after the cruise. Have you stayed there before, Merdon?

[MackC]

Husband and I have stayed at Gran Melia. As the above poster said, it's quite far away from old San Juan. But, it's very close to bio-bay which I hope your visiting :)

 

It's a nice place. I was a little scared off by bad reviews on trip advisor but I loved my stay at gran melia and plan to stay again after our next cruise. The grounds are beautiful and the staff were very helpful. The food/drink prices there were a little outrageous but there are stores and places to eat off site a few miles away.

 

I hope you like it there. The pool is really something to see.

[lah66]

If you go to the thread of favorite San Juan pictures, I have submitted pics of the Gran Melia.....wait to you see the pool! it is gorgeous! The entire complex is gorgeous...the open air lobby...there are columns everywhere and a real feeling of opulence...we won it last year on Priceline for $100...someone the same week got it for $90!! we loved it there and are planning another trip next March...It is quite a hike from the port..you will want to rent a car...charlies car is great...they will pick you up from port and drop you at the airport...if you want more info, you can email me at lhiltunen66@charter.net.

[merdon]

I got panicked when finding out the name and location. Yeah, I googled and it's about 27-28 miles to the pier. The resort seems very nice, and I think that it'd be a good place to relax for a few days after the cruise. Have you stayed there before, Merdon?

 

Biris,

This will be our first time staying there but after all the reviews (both good and bad), I think we made a good choice. We booked the red level oceanview suite and are looking forward to the extra perks. After coming off of a cruise I'll need a vacation from my vacation. :p

[Biris]

Thank you all very much for your replies. The hotel seems really nice and I think it would be a great place to stay for a few days pre or post cruise or a land vacation, just not sure about 1 night. Oh well, we might like it so much that we'll come back for a land vacation one day :D

 

lah66: we'll only stay there for 1 night pre-cruise, so I think we'll have to take a cab. I got it for 130 plus taxes and fees for March 2013, so I don't think I got a good deal. I bid that in hope to get a hotel in Old San Juan. I'd read the sticky thread and followed someone suggestion to add other zones but keep 4* resort. For those who are new to priceline like myself and want a hotel in San Juan, just stick with zone 8, wait 24 hrs to rebid and don't add other zones to increase your bid like I did :o

[sadie8]

lah66: we'll only stay there for 1 night pre-cruise, so I think we'll have to take a cab. I got it for 130 plus taxes and fees for March 2013, so I don't think I got a good deal. I bid that in hope to get a hotel in Old San Juan. I'd read the sticky thread and followed someone suggestion to add other zones but keep 4* resort. For those who are new to priceline like myself and want a hotel in San Juan, just stick with zone 8, wait 24 hrs to rebid and don't add other zones to increase your bid like I did :o

 

A friend of mine made the same mistake when bidding. She called Priceline and they charged her a small change fee (maybe $25) and let her rebid.

[Biris]

Thanks, Saddie. I'll try to do that.

[Biris]

I tried. No luck :(

[Still Dreaming]

I know thisis not a Priceline forum but just some advice. Look at all the level separately first so you know what is available. There are only two zones with 4 star and resort and you picked them. If you had added any other zone you would have been safe. I just won this hotel for 90 dollars, but beware it is a resort so you will have an additional resort fee, I think it is 15-19 dollars. We are staying two days before our jan 31 st cruise on the summit.

 

I am looking for transportation ideas and Carlos sounds pretty awesome. Was there a minimum for the van?

[exercisemama]

Biris~How was your stayy at the Gran Melia? How did you get back and forth from the airport and cruise port? Was it worth the distance> I also won this by mistake for our December sailing. I actually got it for $85 a night! Is it worth the cost of the transportatin to get there>?

[cherylroslyn]

Thank you all very much for your replies. The hotel seems really nice and I think it would be a great place to stay for a few days pre or post cruise or a land vacation, just not sure about 1 night. Oh well, we might like it so much that we'll come back for a land vacation one day :D

 

lah66: we'll only stay there for 1 night pre-cruise, so I think we'll have to take a cab. I got it for 130 plus taxes and fees for March 2013, so I don't think I got a good deal. I bid that in hope to get a hotel in Old San Juan. I'd read the sticky thread and followed someone suggestion to add other zones but keep 4* resort. For those who are new to priceline like myself and want a hotel in San Juan, just stick with zone 8, wait 24 hrs to rebid and don't add other zones to increase your bid like I did :o

The zone you added very clearly and widely known has Resorts in it. To bid properly you need to pick zones without resorts. Up at the top of this board there is a sticky. If you post a question about bidding up there someone will generally answer you.

 

To understand where you went wrong you would need to search on the open section of priceline for a resort in each of the zones indivisually and then mark on a piece of paper which areas have respots.

 

 

Grand Melia is in Rio Grande - Fajardo....there are three resorts there.

 

The areas with no resorts are : Aguadilla, Cabo Rojo, Dorado, and Magaquez.

 

Also, four star and resort are two totally different things and they are not used interchangably.

 

 

There are very specific strategies for bidding on priceline and if you do not follow the published strategies you will end up with a hotel you did not anticipate.

 

Try to fly in early morning and take a snorkel trip outof the Fajardo Marina.......the east coast islands are the reason people stay over there, also the Rain Forrest is right over there........

If you take the other posters advice and rent a car you will be fine......

[RangerMom]

We are staying there for a week in March. I was wondering if they charge for parking, and what some of the other hidden resort fees might be. Their website is pretty vague.

[lah66]

I do not remember any resort fees, but I know we paid to park...I cannot remember how much it wss...my best guess would be $20-30 a day... Hope that helps..Lauri