If you like your sand in traps as much as you like it on a beach, Puerto Rico's Westin Rio Mar Resort is your kind of playground.
Located about 25 miles east of San Juan in Rio Grande, this 600-room/72-suite, 481-acre resort has seven restaurants, five lounges, all types of shops and boutiques, a fitness center, two pools, a palm-lined beach, water toys and not one, but two, 18-hole golf courses.
The rooms are big, airy and well appointed. There are 13 Har-Tru tennis courts (two set up for night play), daily introduction-to-scuba classes and complimentary sailing lessons. A full-service business center, beauty salon, car rentals, bicycle rentals, babysitting and game rooms are all available. Day trips can be arranged to any of Puerto Rico's highlights, as well as offshore fishing, sailing, horseback riding and diving excursions. Quick getaways to St. Thomas are also available.
The casino offers blackjack, roulette, craps, mini-baccarat, Caribbean stud poker, slots and more (US$5-$500 limits; higher maximums can be arranged for the high-rollers in the crowd) and is located adjacent to the lobby. An ATM is conveniently located immediately outside the casino.
As for golf, the Tom and George Fazio-designed Ocean course is a par-72/6,845-yarder. Its signature hole is the 16th, a par-3/240-yard trickster that runs along the ocean for its entire length. Greg Norman designed the Westin's other course, winding it around the Mameyes River. The River course is a par-72/7,051-yarder. The Mameyes flows through its signature hole, the par-4/430-yard 17th that requires two over-the-lake drives - one off the tee and one before the green - to reach the hole. A full-service pro shop and 35,000-foot clubhouse are on site.
For more information, call 787-888-6000, fax 787-888-6000 or visit www.westinriomar.com.
Posted online 12/01/99.
