W Retreat & Spa – Vieques Island

Stayed here Valentine’s Day weekend in 2015. Had an amazing time, only Drawback was that it rained 3 of the 4 days we were there.
Pros:
Great food
Gorgeous rooms
Great beach
Cons
Rain
Must do:
Bioluminescent bay!

We had stayed at the W Retreat in Vieques last year and had such a great time that we came back this year. From the moment you enter, the pleasures begin. The doorman Ricky was truly a joy, extremely attentive, very informative and made us feel right at home within seconds of being there. If there is one thing about this property in particular that is stellar, it is the staff. Whether it is Ronny at the lobby bar (an amazing mixologist, put yourselves in his hands) or Jose at the pool bar (an absolutely delightfully smart, incredibly accommodating individual) to the entire crew in the restaurant, the service was a 10+!!! The property itself is gorgeous, two small beaches (one adults only, more on that later) two beautiful pools and the extremely well appointed rooms with a very nice health club and great spa, this is really a must visit place for those who love the sheer beauty of nature. We had two wonderful meals at Scorce the on site restaurant and the chef there is a young man who is gunning to be «Top Chef» on the island, incredibly great food beautifully presented (the sous vide lobster is a MUST). Now the bad news, the weekend we were there there was a group there for a destination wedding and these people were AWFUL! Particularly there were four little girls whose parents were drunk by noon and did ZERO parenting. Twice I had to speak to management about these girls because they were running around unchecked screaming through the restaurant while their parents sat around the fire pit, totally hammered and not paying any attention to the behavior of these children. At one point one little girl stood in the lobby of the hotel (surrounded by adults who were enjoying cocktails and the beauty of the place) and screamed to her drunken parents and family members 40 feet away that she wanted to sing and the parents tried shutting everyone else up. The mother of the bride in particular was drunk at breakfast. On number of occasions I spoke with the property manager, Natalie (she was AMAZING given the circumstances) about these guests and she or someone on her staff always addressed the issue promptly. I actually felt bad for the staff since the hotel was 99% adults who wanted a relaxing vacation and 1% rude and inconsiderate people. I spoke with many guests at the hotel and they ALL wanted these people gone because they came close to ruining the otherwise exceptional experience. I understand that this property may have originally opened as adults only and I BEG you to go back to this policy, the property simply was not built to be «family friendly» and subsequently the kids have nothing to do but bother adults. I do LOVE this place and the people who work there but I might have to reconsider staying there again next year if children are still allowed.

My family and I came down to Vieques last week. We rented a home off VRBO and was very disappointed in the location. Unsafe, LOUD with roosters and dogs, and overall just crappy. We ditched the house and booked at the W. Thank god! It’s a true paradise here! The rooms are spacious, unique, and gorgeous! The grounds are pristine and the staff is so welcoming! We have our 2 year old with us right now and he is the only kid we’ve seen. Not sure this is the ideal place for kids, but if you stay down at the beach then you’re fine. There are two beaches and one is adults only. The other beaches on the island are definitely worth venturing out to (sun bay and Pata Prieta were our favorites. Very family friendly and calm like bath water!) We will definitely return for a romantic retreat or when our baby is a bit older. If only we booked here from the beginning! A shoutout to Edgardo for being a wonderful help!

Gabriel is the best bartender! Had the best time enjoying the gorgeous view with Coquitos! The rooms are exquisite and the staff is amazing. Highyl recommend this spot! Hidden gem

Love everything about W Vieques. Location is great. Their private beaches are gorgeous. Adults beach is always quiet even though the hotel is all booked. I was there for 4 days after Christmas. My stay was nothing, but spectacular with the exception with I couldn’t book any massages or spa treatment because everything was all booked. If you are going to travel during holidays, book things in a very far in advance.
I got an upgrade to a suite. Room was spacious. I was very pleased with its location on the property, only a few steps away from Adults beach. There are some villas on the pool area side which seemed too busy for my liking. My room was on a ground floor which was great, you can step onto a green lawn and walk right to the beach. I could hardly hear my neighbors from the next villas.
If I’m returning to Vieques, W hotel would be my only choice if I want an ocean view. I drove around the island and could easily say that W hotel is by far the best option. You can’t really go wrong.

room = awesome
resort = awesome
free water but not coffee
everything is expensive
standard W shuttle is not available
towels not available
staff friendly

Everything was great with our stay until I noticed a $ 10 charge for munchie box on my updated bill hours after I checked out. I did not recall this and did not even know what it was, so I gave the hotel a call.
The first time I called, the girl on the phone immediately transferred me to the billing department. The phone rang and no one picked up.
I had to call a second time, and the person on the phone was a guy named Gorgas. He told me that the billing office was closed and asked me to call again the next day.
I found it very annoying as I was on vacation and I really did not have a lot of time for this, so I asked if he could help me out. He said there was nothing that he could do. I felt it was very inconvenient and expressed my dissatisfaction, and asked: «Are you serious?» And the conversation just went completely out of my control.
«Yes, I am serious.» He responded, with a cold and rude tone.
I felt very offended and started to complain about his attitude. I talked about how inconvenient it was for me to call several times during vacation when I was supposed to relax. So I said, why couldn’t he let the hotel call me when the office was opened the next day. And he said ok. So I complained about why he did not offer me this option in the first place.
To my surprise again, he said, «Because you were aggravated.»
Are you kidding me? Is that an attitude for you to give to your guest? So I again complained about his attitude, and here’s his response.
«We get calls everyday to dispute charges and some of them are even larger amount than yours.»
I almost swore on the phone. I said that it was not the matter of the amount being charged, it was the behavior. A hotel at this scale should not just randomly charge guests, and more importantly, treat a guest like this with such rude attitude on the phone!
I figured that I had to file a complaint with SPG so I ended the conversation with him quick.
Another thing that really irritated me was that, Wallder offered to send an email to the billing department and cced me on the email. The billing department sent someone called Dayka, who contacted me ONCE, requested my name on the reservation (WHY DON’T YOU HAVE IT ON YOUR FILE?), and NEVER RESPONDED TO MY EMAIL, EVER AGAIN. I emailed back 3 or 4 times, almost once everyday, and I never heard back again. Way to go, W Hotel.
I guess such experience has totally ruined my impression on W hotel and SPG in general. As an SPG member, I was very disappointed, and I am seriously considering dropping the membership, and tell EVERYONE about the worst hotel experience that I have ever had in life.

I wish I can give it 5 stars. We were very impressed. Staying in SPG properties often, I have to say this one of SPG premier resorts. Let me explain why not 5 stars. I didn’t like being overcharged twice: we got two bills in two different cafes/​bars on the property that were conveniently more than it should be. We were given credit at the end, but why should I even check my bill in classy resort?! Red flag. I also found resort fees and charging for other stuff not included in resort fee, as excessive and unreasonable. Please when the rooms are so damn expensive, why charge any extras?! Rather than that it was good all along. W lounge in the tiny airport was a nice touch, as well as free and quick transfer to the hotel. Got early check-​in and late checkout, upgraded room, very nice one. The whole atmosphere at the resort was very nice and relaxing, very good beach too. Could use kayaks and snorkeling equipment for free, meaning included in $ 60 resort fee. Great friendly service everywhere. Just trendy classy relaxing place. One of the best W hotels&resorts I’ve stayed in so far…

All I can say is Lovely!!. Everything about the W is fantastic. We had great service from the time we landed. As soon as we landed we were greeted by the W Host whom took us to the W Lounge which was less than 20 steps away with Cold AC blasting with plenty of ice cold drinks waiting for your choosing. We waited there for less than 10 minutes and our Shuttle arrived and took us to the W Hotel which again was less than a 5 minute drive. Again there were a few host waiting for us at the entrance welcome and greet us. All the staff were super friendly and attentive. They showed us around the property and made sure that we got all our questions answered. Also nice thing about this Resort is that they have a tour company right in the property so no need to travel outside. Food here is also fantastic and I can’t say enough about how beautiful the property is. You just need to come and check it out for yourself. I love everything about our room. The room is spacious and our double patio was awesome. It’s a bonus that they always stocked up our bathroom with their known Bliss product. I love the smell and can never get enough of it. I’ve been at all their pool and each of them has it unique ambiance. My favorite is the circular hidden pool. That one is very quite and romantic, do hideaway here if you are with your significant other.
«Thank you W and your staff for making our stay so wonderful!»
Mr. And Mrs Ly #SPGLife

First off, almost every staff member we interacted with was above average in their welcoming nature, and just service overall. We never really expect good service anywhere these days, so it’s a great surprise when we get it. Atmosphere was great; we loved the bar/​lounge area as well as the pool setup and the green area where they do the yoga. Rooms were really lovely; albeit a bit dark (I know, I know, it’s a ‘W’). We had an oceanfront room on the second floor of building four on the far end; was nice to be above the adult beach/​not have a lot of kids running around.
I was very surprised at how many kids were at this resort. Don’t get me wrong, kids are great, but sometimes, you want to lounge by the pool or even in the pool and not have kids cannonballing in right next to you. It seemed that the double decker pool was meant to have an adult only section, but it was not marked and certainly not enforced. We even went out for a calm, moonlit dip at 10PM and the pool was full of screaming, splashing kids. We tried the adult beach for a bit, but the beaches are not so great at the W, very windy and rough. Service at the pool bar was great; the chips and guac we ordered were laughable, straight from a can/​from the «wholly guacamole» pouch; I would expect more from a starwood property.
The W lounge at the airport was nice; we enjoyed the free rum punch upon arrival and thought the bus driver to/​from the airport was really nice. For our departure, there was no rum punch and the guy behind the counter in the lounge never spoke to us (he was not there when we came in and then was busy with other arrivals).
Overall, I think it’s a good hotel; would definitely recommend renting a car for most of your stay to visit the other beautiful beaches and eat much better, cheaper, food.

We have had a fun time making fun of the way the W creates their own names for everything. Pool= wet. Gym= fit. Bellhop = ambassador. Bar= sip. LOL! It doesn’t get more pretentious than that but it’s hilarious.
About the place itself– Rooms are spectacular. The service is on point all around the property. We got upgraded and given a bottle of champagne because we just got engaged. The pools are awesome (they even have underwater stereo playing which is very cool). The food had been middle of the road and nothing amazing yet; friends ate at sorce (the fancy restaurant) and said it sucked so we skipped it. The truffle fries are amazing and the hummus by the pool is impressively huge. The sandwiches are decent but overall the food is a bit pricey (take that with a grain of salt as this is the nicest hotel I’ve been to) but breakfast and entrees range from 15 – 35 $$. You can rent a car or take public is to town for food or drinks. The drinks have been good and they have happy hour deals and buckets of beer for those who don’t want to spend 12 – 17 per cocktail. Or you can do as we did and bring a bottle of your own and make drinks yourself in your room. The beaches are very nice and there is adults only if you prefer. There are two long infinity pools and they’re not crowded (we are here in August which is low season). Look online for deals as I got a «3 nights for the price of 2» deal which came with $ 100 in food credits and a couple free drinks. They’ll let you use the facilities early the day you arrive even if you haven’t gotten to your room.

Fantastic hotel. A few really good things about this hotel:
1. free strala yoga twice a day
2. huge rooms
3. fantastic beach
4. amazing restaurant (even better if you book thru amex fine hotel & resort. you get 2 breakfast vouchers which allow you to order $ 100 worth of breakfast, plus $ 100 food and beverage credit any time of the day)
5. airport shuttle + airport lounge
6. black beard office
7. extremely professional staff
8. choc covered strawberries upon arrival
9. bliss products
10. modern art gallery
and many more

What you would expect from a resort.
Service, service and more service!
Rooms are very spacious and have a bath which I love!
Bliss bath products which smell amazing.
Pool and a beach. Free use of snorkels and a few other things to keep you busy.
Lots of room to spread out and have alone time if you like.
Pack the sunscreen not sure they sell it, and some bug spray for when the sun goes down!
Only con: the snack menu is a bit limited and not full of healthy options.

Property is okay, but nothing special. Service is crap (super slow), if friendly. Rooms (including suites) are basic… Again, just fine but nothing remotely special. The restaurant delivers passable if unremarkable food. The gym is slightly above average. The bartenders make uninspired, but passable cocktails.
Sum: if you live on the east coast and need a holiday, and rooms are cheap, go for it. Don’t go out of your way to come here.

The grounds and pool are beautiful. Those who are afraid to fly in the tiny 9 seater plane to the island and the price of food are drawbacks. The food price is to be expected at an island resort, but still… be prepared. A decent, but not spectacular dinner will run $ 150 for two people. The pool and beach are very pretty. Be careful in the ocean! The adult beach and left side of the main beach are fine but the footing in the water in some areas is rocky and treacherous. The staff is very friendly and helpful. We found a lot of sea glass on the beach. The main pools are awesome and the adjacent bar is very nice.
The rooms are a bit dark and lighting is minimal. My wife said she would struggle to put on makeup, so she went without. The bathroom is completely open and only screened by a see through net. Hopefully you are staying with someone who expects to see you naked. We had to change in the toilet room so we didn’t gross out our teenagers. Otherwise the room was large comfortable and nice.
I would recommend coming here without kids. It’s got many romantic little hideaway spots. It’s geared for adults.

If you’re looking for a relaxing resort to spend a couple of days (or longer) and forget all about real life, look no further than the W Vieques Retreat & Spa.
The only luxury resort on Vieques, an island off the coast of Puerto Rico, which used to be used as a testing ground for weapons by the U.S. Navy, the W offers the amenities you would expect — beautiful pools, private beaches, an on-​site restaurant, friendly service, and plush accommodations. The island itself is not very developed, which for this city girl, was a welcome change.
Looking for a last-​minute getaway over Memorial Day weekend, we found a package deal through the W’s website, which included our airfare and an ocean-​view room. Our room was awesome, tons of space and gorgeous tropical views. The beds were incredibly comfortable, as you’d expect from a W. The only downside of the room was the open bathroom set-​up, which offered no real privacy. Not sure if all the rooms are set up like this, but this may be something to keep in mind, depending on your traveling companion (s).
Over the course of our stay, we spent the majority of our time pool side. The staff was incredibly friendly, and very supportive when we started to complain about the DJ they had that weekend (thankfully not their normal weekend spinner). Our requests for water and ice were met with smiles, even when we weren’t dropping tons of money. We ultimately rented a cabana on our last full day, which at $ 200 (including a bottle of bubbles, bottled still & sparkling water, Red Bull, and a fruit plate) was a steal, in my opinion!
Aside from the poolside DJ, my biggest complaint was when the final bill came. Even though we had prepaid for the room when we booked the trip, the nightly room charge was on our bill. When we advised we’d already paid, it was taken off, with the exception of the resort fee (~$ 60/​day). We couldn’t find our itemized receipt to double-​check this, so ended up paying it. But word to the wise — double-​check everything at checkout.
Even a few complaints can’t deter from this 5-​star review. The W Retreat & Spa in Vieques was a dream, and I cannot wait to return!

The service is excellent.
The concierge is wonderful and very helpful. They truly want you to have a good time while staying with the W and are looking out for your best interests. For example, when we inquired about recommendations for snorkel cruises in the area, Giovanni checked with «his guys» on the south side of the island for the best days to go when the water would be clear and calm and free of sea grass and murkiness. He actually advised us of a few days after the rain not to go which saved us $ 300 (for two people) and an afternoon of cruising around the island in a catamaran unable to find any island fish to see.
The Wet Bar creates delicious drinks for you while you lounge by the pool or ocean in true Caribbean style. They also play music under the water in the pool so you can enjoy the latest Caribbean beats while you swim!
I would really give this resort 3.5 stars but since that’s not possible and 3 seemed too harsh, I will go with four stars and here’s why: 1) On our first night at the resort, there were a series of creepy knocks at our door late at night where a haggard man with multiple tattoos dressed in clothes similar to the W staff uniforms, smelling like he had been drinking and smoking, inquired in incoherent English/​Spanish about trabajo (work), shampoo, and entering our room. We turned him away but when we reported this incident, the W receptionist just laughed and said that wasn’t one of their guys. Our room was out in the most secluded dimly lit areas facing the ocean next to the solar pool so you can imagine how disconcerting that was. 2) An inconsiderate group of drunk guests left empty alcohol bottles and worse, disgusting pieces of bbq chicken scattered on the ground by the solar pool. No one noticed or came to clean this up for at least a day or so. 3) throughout our five day stay here, we saw two live tarantula sized spiders (one in our room and one just outside our room door), there were two mosquitos in our room, and just today I had to kill a smaller spider on the wall next to my bed! 4) I wish our room had screens on the doors and windows so you can leave the windows open at night and listen to the waves crashing against the beach at night. I experienced this in Maui and it is so relaxing.
Overall, this is a beautiful resort with trendy decorations and comfortable amenities (beach lounge chairs/​umbrellas/​beach towels).

Firstly, I just want to begin the review by saying I didn’t get to spend much time as I missed the initial ferry, but I had a great time nonetheless. From the moment the «publico» (local taxi busses on the island) arrived on property, the staff was incredibly warm and welcoming. Me and my friends were greeted by Jorge, who was very friendly. We were checked in, given a quick tour of the property, invited to join in the Sunset Sip (free cocktail at sundown, every day, limited one per guest) and then taken to our room. The room was stunning, the property absolutely beautiful and the amenities very luxurious.
We wanted to make it to our BioBay tour on time, so we tried to make it to the restaurant fast enough, but we as were seated and waited for our server, we realized there wasn’t going to be much time. We decided we were going to leave, but Angel, our server, was extremely accommodating and went out of his way to encourage us to order appetizers and he would rush the order so we’d be able to make our tour on time with something in our stomachs. Angel was courteous, friendly and accommodating, and I really appreciated that considering it was our party that was being a little unreasonable.
There were some panties from a previous guest left inside the armoire and when I advised the Welcome Desk of this, they were very apologetic and rushed to get it removed. Truthfully, I wasn’t that upset by it, but I figured someone must be missing them. Jorge, whom we net earlier, drove us to Mosquito Bay and he was awesome! Very friendly, relatable and made the trip a lot of fun.
When we returned, we were greeted with a letter apologizing for the undergarments and 4 Sip drink tickets. This was an incredibly thoughtful gesture, however, I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of the tickets as we would check out the next morning before the bar would open. Still, it’s the thought that counts and I really appreciate that they attempted to make up for the mistake.
My only complaint about the entire experience would have to be the late night food option. I’ve never been to a hotel, and a luxury property no less, where the late night food options were so abysmal. Seriously, there were only like, 5 options to choose from — the most filling was a turkey wrap and a salad — so we ordered the turkey wraps. And then they ran out of turkey wraps. So. That was really disappointing. Especially considering that you’re quite literally trapped in a deserted island. You can’t even exactly leave the resort. I thought that was incredibly poorly thought out — but the behavior of the staff was phenomenal nonetheless.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed my stay, everyone there went above and beyond. I’ll definitely be coming back — but next time, I’ll remember to bring food.

Ultimate paradise — I still dream of my vacation to Vieques every so often and wake up as the happiest camper ever.
There really is almost no need to leave the resort at any point because you’ve got two incredible private beaches with silky smooth fine sand, picturesque turquoise waters and a lush green well manicured garden pathway to the beaches. The beaches are secluded and tucked away so you really feel like it’s just you and your significant other embracing the paradise together. There are also kayak and paddle boats available to use at your own accord. In addition, you also have two fun pools crafted for optimum relaxation and a pool side bar that will satisfy all your cocktail cravings.
The couples room at the spa is an experience in itself with stunning views of the beach. The masseuses are incredible and have perfected the art of de-​stressing folks. As for the room itself, we had an incredible ocean view room w/​a spa tub and a patio that opened into a lush lawn cliff that overlooked the ocean. It’s hard to ask for more out of a tropical vacation. I did yoga by the cliffside in our patio almost everyday and was equally amazed at the serenity everyday. We stayed in Vieques for 6 days and San Juan for 3 days and felt like it was one of the best vacations ever.
Pro tip: Do not plan to eat your lunches and dinners at the resort. Vieques is filled with such tantalizingly delicious restaurants that it’s such a shame to waste it on W’s mediocre restaurants/​cafes. Have the concierge call and make reservations for you at some of the islands’ best restaurants (Bili, El Quenepo, Coqui Fire, Next Course, Noche, Tin Box, and Conuco).
I recommend staying at the W, renting a jeep and beach hopping throughout the island (there are over 15 secluded and breathtaking beaches) and trying out different restaurants throughout the day. That’s pretty much what we did and we loved every bit of it!
Happy Vacationing, Unilocalers!

I’m amazed that this hotel isn’t 5 stars across the board. This is one of the most amazing hotels I have ever stayed at; and that’s saying a lot. Of all of the tropical beachside resorts I have stayed, whether it be cancun, the Bahamas, or the Mediterranean, the W has been my all time favorite.
The staff was beyond friendly and more than accommodation to anything. We went on a couples trip and when my friend wanted to re-​propose to his wife, they flew in fresh roses, made a heart out of petals on the beach, and had a small table setup with two glasses of champagne. It was beautiful.
At the W you have so many options to relax, it is hard to decide. With two private beaches (one adult beach and one for everyone else), there is plenty of room to relax and lay out. The beaches are nice, but they are slightly rocky in some areas when you are in the water. The service on the beach is great, and the Piña Coladas are creamy and delicious.
The pool is a sight to behold. An upper pool accompanied by an infinity pool that both look out over the ocean. Plenty of seating, chairs in the water, and cabanas ($ 650 per day) all are great ways to relax. The lobby and bar are super spacious and open, and there is an electric fire pit with seating that overlooks the ocean. I have included a few photos I took of the property so you can get a better feel aside from the stock W photos.
The rooms are modern and spacious. Super comfortable beds with phenomenal views of the pool and ocean. I can’t give an honest opinion on the food as I was here during Christmas and most of my meals were buffets. Although, the food I did have was delicious. Even the pool food was fantastic.
Long story short — great service, friendly people, and the most relaxing hotel I have ever stayed in. I will be coming back next Christmas, hopefully sooner.
Thank you W Vieques!