The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico — Hotel in Río Grande

While several staff members were courteous and pleasant, this property falls well below the standards one would expect from a St. Regis resort.

From the outset, the hospitality displayed by senior staff—particularly management—was shockingly substandard. During dinner at one of the resort’s restaurants, we ordered a seafood plateau. A manager named Alexis informed us they were out of King Crab legs but would substitute them with Snow Crab, which he claimed was “larger and more expensive.” That claim is flatly false. When I pointed this out, he rolled his eyes and dismissively replied, “Well, we disagree.”

The experience deteriorated further. The oysters were clearly frozen after shucking—crunchy, icy, and entirely inedible. I took a bite in front of the server so she could witness the texture and sound, and to her credit, she apologized and brought them back to the kitchen. Yet Alexis returned with the same oysters—now soggy and waterlogged, likely microwaved—and insisted they had never been frozen. I told him I wasn’t going to argue while on vacation and was perfectly capable of identifying frozen seafood. Rather than de-escalate, he doubled down, becoming even more combative and patronizing.

Worse still, during the same meal, another guest in our party got a splinter lodged in his upper throat after biting into a spring roll. We recorded a video showing the splinter and visible blood. Alexis again rolled his eyes and, instead of expressing concern, asked whether he should call security—an absurd and clearly intimidating gesture. The injured guest, a surgeon, rightfully asked what purpose that would serve.

Unfortunately, this was not an isolated issue. After being locked out of our room at midnight due to a faulty key fob, it took nearly 25 minutes for anyone to assist us—an unacceptable delay at any high-end resort.

We also experienced a failure of basic service standards. As is customary at other St. Regis properties, French press coffee was scheduled for morning delivery. It never arrived. When we called to follow up, we received no apology—just a curt response that it was past the designated time and would now incur an extra charge.

The resort’s dining options are underwhelming and overpriced. You’d get better food and service at virtually any restaurant along Luquillo Beach. And as for the beachfront itself—it’s surrounded by areas prone to rip currents and lacks the clear, vibrant water found in many other parts of Puerto Rico. If you’re looking for a truly beautiful beach, head to nearby Icacos Island or Flamenco Beach instead.

In short, while certain aspects of your stay may be enjoyable, temper your expectations. If you’re anticipating the elevated service and sophistication typical of other St. Regis or Four Seasons properties (which, we’re told, is slated to assume control in November), you are likely to leave disappointed. Hopefully, under new management, this resort receives the overhaul it...

My husband and I booked a last minute trip for a 4 night get away 12/18/13 to 12/22/13. The resort is beautiful and overall we had a fabulous trip. Things that were great: Fern and the staff at Fern for both breakfast and dinner outstanding .Luisa was the best at breakfast she suggested a tropical smoothie with spinach to my husband who would not typically drink his spinach, was fantastic. She clearly loves her job and is so gracious and makes you feel so welcome. The St. Regis needs to hold on tight to her. The Pool and waterfront activities were terrific ( kayaking, paddle boarding etc. )Though I do agree with some other reviews that the water could have been warmer in the pool. The golf course was both challenging and beautifulThe staff throughout the resort was well trained and gracious from the welcome reception upon check in to the maintance crew. Some areas for improvement: More dining options . Fern is excellent we ate there twice for dinner and every morning for breakfast. The mussels and avacado pizza were standouts as is their hotsauce that they make themselves and can be taken home. Molasses at the golf course is the only other option for dinner and is a very weak second option. The setting is lovely but the menu has almost no healthy alternatives. I ordered grilled chicken with rice and it was so oily and greasy. There was no white meat and the chicken was spongy with an odd consistency. My husband had the "monfongo" with pulled beef a traditional PR dish which was ok. Many of the guests we spoke with agreed with us about Molasses. I think an overhaul of Molasses's menu is very much needed. Some additional suggestions: yoga on the beach in the morning or a work out class/boot camp would have been great. It looked like the week of Christmas they offered things like this but not traditionally. There are no exercise classes either just a private studio for a one on one personal trainer. There is a gym with cardio equipment that is lovely and very up to date. The room was fantastic we were upgraded to an amazing suite with 2 full bathrooms. The master bath rain shower is outstanding and I love the TV in the mirror. The St. Regis in Bal Harbour has this as well. The hairdryer in our room needed the filter cleaned desperately and should have a nozzle as an attachment at this type of property. We stayed in building 6 which was a great location to the main building and pool. We loved how spead out the property is and the grounds are kept impeccable.. I agree the paths need be lit much better at night and we were there when they had a few extra lights due to some Christmas lighted deers. We did not venture out of the resort but if you wanted to San Juan is about 30 minutes...

We have been lucky enough to stay in eleven St Regis properties around the World, and this is the first time any property has not achieved a five-star rating after a five-night stay.||I know feedback is always important, and given my Marriott Ambassador status, I have extensive brand experience.||The room was wonderful, and the location is fantastic, with an excellent golf course five minutes away. ||The breakfast service was what we would expect from the St Regis brand. The pool service was poor except for the last day, when an attentive server named Anibal popped over to check on us every thirty minutes.||Our main issue with the hotel is the lack of ownership of the concerns that we raised with the staff after night one. For some reason, housekeeping leaves minimal amounts of coffee cream, and the turndown service doesn't happen. We had turndown two nights in five. Also, the housekeeping department doesn't seem to know how to put sheets on a bed, check if there is shampoo and shower gel in the containers, or check if there are earbuds available. | |On the first morning, we mentioned the turndown and lack of amenities to Jalieshky on reception and he assured us that things would improve. We also asked that we have turndown between 5 and 6 and that housekeeping left at least ten coffee creams and six water bottles. This never happened, and twice a day, we have had to chase the Butler service for cream and water. In addition, we have not had our towels changed in the evening and have had to ask for fresh linens. ||When used, the hairdryer produced a burning smell. We asked for it to be replaced, but it was not. Again, we had to chase the hotel to get this done. ||The bathroom faucet was not secure, and the water drained away, so again, it was requested that it be repaired. ||The room service was satisfactory, although our food was lukewarm on several occasions. One night, we had to ask for the fries to be replaced because they were cold. This meant I had to eat my meal in two stages.||The Butler message app response times have been intermittent, and on occasion, no response was received. Each contact with the Butler service via the phone has prompted a standard response of ' I will advise the team'? No checks are made to see if your request has been actioned.||All of the above has meant that we have had to call the Buler service each morning and share our experiences and disappointments. However, nothing changed due to a lack of ownership. ||We never asked the hotel for monetary compensation for all the problems, and the hotel didn't offer anything for our troubles. ||I hope our comments help you to offer better service to...