My girlfriend & I stayed at Sunrise Beach Inn & Spa from 12/6 through 12/10/07. The ride from San Juan is approx. 1hour 30 minutes give or take depending on route and traffic (time of the day). We took a route through the mountains on our way to the resort which was a little longer but worth the extra time. We arrived at 5:00pm and were greeted by the owners, Jose & Gladys. We chose Mystic India for our 4 night stay. Both Mystic India and Arabian Nights are direct oceanfront (about 20 feet away).
Our suite was clean, the bathroom was bright with an open air shower which was magnificent. The kitchen area was also a bonus. The porch with 2 hammocks was wonderful. The bed was another story; It had definitely seen better days. It was extremely soft and we both woke up with back aches. There were only 2 small pillows, but we were able to acquire a few more. TV had no reception, no radio (we preferred to listen to the surf), no phone in room (no problem) cell worked fine. Minimum, but sufficient bath and beach towels were provided along with a few thin bars of soap. Be sure to bring your own shampoo and conditioner since none was provided. Room service was acceptable, but the linens and towels were not changed daily. For a $200.00 + per night room the bed should have been more comfortable and decent toiletries could have been provided.
The grounds were beautiful; the pool was cleaned daily. The beach is rocky, but very calm surf due to a large area of coral reef. We both had our water shoes thanks to previous reviews. The water shoes are a MUST. We spent 2 days on the beach and barely saw another person. The views were beautiful to the east and west. It was so nice to have a beach to ourselves.
The outdoor, oceanfront dining area is a very nice setting. Lunch and dinner can also be served on your patio. We had one lunch at Sunrise which was very good. The one dinner we had was ok at best. It consisted of a piece of fish, rice & a few veggies. Also included was a pina colada before dinner and a glass of white wine with our meal. Several restaurants close by serve typical (good quality) Puerto Rican fare at the same price or less. The continental breakfast served daily consisted of fresh bread with butter and jam, cornflakes, orange juice (from concentrate), and coffee. The first morning a muffin and yogurt were also provided. The first day we asked about the possibility of getting hot cereal (instant oatmeal or something similar) but none was provided.
There is a Parador (Caribbean Paradise) about a mile west down the road which serves a delicious hot breakfast daily for about $5.00. We had dinner at Caribbean Paradise one night and it was excellent (food & service).
I discovered Sunrise through a special internet rate they had posted with Spirit Airlines for $149.00 per night during a period in October 2007. My girlfriend booked our room directly with Gladys over the telephone. The published rate was $250.00 per night. We wad seen this rate discounted to $175.00 per night on 2 different travel websites. Gladys insisted that the best she could do during our stay was $199.00 per night and we agreed to this rate.
The day before we arrived, there was another posting on Spirit Airlines (top travel deals). During the period of our stay, the rate was dropped to $149.00 weekday & $179.00 weekend nights. I made a copy and gave it to Jose upon our arrival. I thought he would make the appropriate adjustment. Upon checking out, I found that Jose & Gladys had discounted our rate only $10.00 per night to $189.00. The additional $100.00 which should have been credited wasn't worth an argument; although it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall we really enjoyed our stay due to the natural beauty and peacefulness of the Inn and surrounding area. Except for two couples who arrived on Saturday night and left Sunday morning, we had this beautiful little place all to ourselves. Be sure to take a drive along 901 between Maunabo (nice town about 10 minutes east of Sunrise) and Yabucoa. It's beautiful looking out at the sea along the mountainous coastal roadway.












