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Royal Isabela greets guests with much more than suite accommodations. Located just steps from The Restaurant at La Casa, 20 freestanding Casitas are true "little houses" designed for the ultimate in Puerto Rican resort stays. Each Casita encompasses 1,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor space and is sited to best catch Royal Isabela's stunning ocean vistas with minimal impact to the environment. Escape to an intimate oceanfront resort on Puerto Rico’s spectacular northwest coast. Blessed with stunning Atlantic views, dramatic cliffs and a landscape lush with native flora and fauna, Royal Isabela is an epic backdrop for heartwarming family vacations, unforgettable golf getaways, romantic escapes, milestone celebrations and gracious resort living. Enjoy the natural majesty of Isabela, Puerto Rico’s from your private Casita, as you play a round on The Links, explore two miles of quiet beach, or paddleboard on the mysterious Guajataca River.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
396 Ave Noel Estrada, Isabela 00662-3279 Puerto Rico
My wife and I just finished a 3 night stay at Royal Isabela. I had wanted to come here for a long time, but before I could do it Hurricane Maria happened, then the Pandemic happened, but, finally, we were able to make it work. The setting is really impressive. A very large property with impeccably manicured grounds and a challenging golf course on top of cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. There are only 20 casitas here, so, even if the hotel is fully booked you rarely see any other guests and at times it feels like you have the entire resort for yourself. I recommend booking a Royal Suite with Ocean views. The Presidential Suites are bigger and more expensive but don't offer direct unobstructed ocean views from the room itself. The location of the resort is perfect to make it a home base for a multi-day tour of the northwest corner of Puerto Rico: Arecibo, Isabela, Aguadilla, Rincon, the Gozalandia Falls. Plenty to do in this area. Highly recommend renting a car if you are going to stay here. Is about a 1h20 min to 1h45min drive from the SJU airport. Much closer to the Aguadilla Airport. They have a full service restaurant, Jota, that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a varied menu. They also offer room service. Food was really good. Service was not always the most efficient, but we found it very friendly and useful. You will certainly experience the famous Puerto Rican hospitality here. We loved our stay, and will definitely come back. However, there is some room for improvement. The casitas have not been properly maintained. They are very close to the ocean, which means that the salty air corrodes any exposed metal parts and those need to be replaced frequently. That has not happened here. That resulted in our room having door locks that didn't lock, French doors to the patio that didn't fully open, sliding room divisions that were stuck and a shower head (one of 3 in the shower that didn't work). Also, our wooden deck obviously had not been retouched/repainted in many years. The "distressed" look did not work. This resort was sold last year. Hopefully, the new owners will invest more in proper, and much needed, maintenance,
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What a beautiful resort in a stunning location! With unobtrusive views of the Atlantic, the Royal Isabela is genuinely luxurious. We especially loved our private plunge pool on our private deck. Our very spacious casita was beautifully appointed with a huge bath and shower. Wow!
Joto, the resort restaurant, served delicious food and drinks, and the wait staff were terrific. The lobster sliders and breakfast fruit tray were scrumptious! Special thanks to Ismael and Pedro for being so welcoming and knowledgeable.
My only complaint was the leaf blowers. On our first morning, the grounds people were blowing, not sure what, near our casita. More leaves were blown at breakfast near our outdoor seating with the magnificent ocean view. After asking three times, it stopped.
On our last day, while enjoying our plunge pool, we could hear a leaf blower close by. This went on from 11 am or so to 2 pm. When we thought they were done, it would start again 10, 15, or 20 minutes later. It was so loud I finally had to go inside. Luckily, the day ended on a gorgeous beach the staff had recommended.
Royal Isabela is such a beautiful place. Management should consider replacing the gas leaf blowers with quieter, electric ones. If I wanted to hear leaves blown I can stay home. I’d love to return to the Royal Isabela for some peace and quiet.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
5 Love the place and La Jota Restaurant is the best. All the amenities are nice and the location is simple awesome. They have individuals rooms call “casitas” which in Spanish means “little houses” with all the privacy you need to have a romantic stay. Every “casita” has a private pool with water heater so you can spend the night in the pool having your favorite champagne. In the restaurant we were attended by a very sweet waitress called Fatima. She was the best and payed attention to every detail to make me and my wife feel very comfortable. The last night she brings a dessert with “Happy Anniversary” in letters in the plate. That was a very nice detail. The place 100% recommended. And thank you Fatima for make our stay unforgettable.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was a great place for a relaxing adult vacation! We felt like we nearly had the resort to ourselves and the casitas are very private and quiet even if it is fully booked. The rooms were really nice and comfortable and the pool and restaurant area are beautiful as well. The beach is too rough for swimming but one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve seen for walking or relaxing. The golf course is also quite spectacular scenery and the golf amenities (carts, rental clubs) were excellent. It is worth noting if the weather is bad there are not really any indoor activities other than hanging out in your room. There is currently no fitness center which would be nice. I think kids may also be a bit bored here depending on their interests but for a relaxing couples vacation it is excellent! There is only one main restaurant so if you are here for an extended time you may want to explore outside, for which a car would be helpful. There are beautiful beaches and good restaurants in the area. Overall we enjoyed the restaurant and the atmosphere there. I would definitely stay here again!
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Incredibly beautiful property with gorgeous views from all over. The casitas are spacious, well maintained and have incredible bathrooms. Rooms have a plunge pool on the deck and a huge shower that opens onto the deck which we loved Soft drinks, water and beer were restocked daily in our room for free The service at the restaurant can be a bit slow, but the food is very good and reasonably priced for a resort of this caliber There are several pools around the property and one tennis court. The golf course also has great views on many holes and some fun layouts. It was not in tip top shape, but we rarely saw another group when playing so it’s a fun resort course for players of all levels The only drawback here is that the beach is a bit of a trek Overall this is a very lovely, relaxing and enjoyable hotel for couples
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The whole experience was spectacular. If you want a place where you can disconnect from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life, this is the place. The staff was excellent from the guy that opens the gate for you and checks your temperature and COVID status, to the people at the front desk, housekeeping and the restaurant. Everyone was always offering their best service. They even took us on a tour of the grounds. The casitas are majestic, you have your privacy and everything you need (deck with huge jacuzzi and table) but they also have a couple of lap pools if you want to go out of the casita. It has a living room with a large tv, the beds are in two step level that you can divide from the living room with huge almost wall to wall pocket doors. The bathroom is enormous! It has a large tub, his and hers shower and a rain shower in the middle. The deck is strategically built so that you get the ocean breeze- so that any time of the day you don’t feel the heat of the island and as a bonus you get to hear the sound of the ocean. At night you can turn off the lights at the deck and see the stars and maybe catch a shooting star. The food at the restaurant is delicious. Everything I ate was spectacular. They even have a farm on site so that they grow some of the products used at the restaurant.
Also, they are taking very good care of disinfecting against the COVID virus. They have dispensers all around the hotel. When we got to the room it smelled that is was just cleaned. And we saw how the cleaned one of the casitas that has across ours and I was very satisfied with what we saw.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2) We ordered wine to our room that we have had before. We called room service and told them that it had a funky taste asking if we can get a new one. The person on the phone tried to convince us that that we don’t know what we are talking about. In a luxury resort, I have never had the experience where someone tells us that we are wrong about our tastes.
3) We ordered breakfast one morning. BIG MISTAKE. They completely forgot part of our order and when we called back the restaurant to tell them, they told us that they would get the rest of it right away. They never showed up.
Considering the hotel’s potential with its beautiful location, I highly suggest that Royal Isabela better train its personnel. It’s is truly a shame that they could not get it together.
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Date of stay: May 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Javier Lopez, Agencia/Consultora at Royal Isabela
Responded Aug 4, 2020
Dear Paula, We were simply stunned to read about your experience and hope you will accept our sincerest, apologies for the unsatisfactory stay you’ve recounted. We are doing everything within our means to remedy the situation and make sure such a situation doesn’t inconvenience anyone again. Good reviews are what made our reputation rise, and we know how easy it can change by a bad streak unless action is taken immediately. We hope you’ll consider allowing us to make reparations and, whenever you come back, please report back if our service has returned to the usual first-class status. Again, please accept our genuine apologies.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I so wanted to rate this resort 5 stars due to the absolute beauty that surrounds it but I simply can't avoid to mention how many times I was met with terrible and unfriendly service.
My husband and I came here for our first wedding anniversary and stayed at the presidential suite. When we were checking in, the front desk agent decided it was a good time to vent about how they can barely handle how full they are, and just seemed overall displeased to provide a welcoming environment.
Once we got to the room, I found that the roses and champagne that I had ordered (and was charged) before arriving was never setup. I decided to let it pass, since we are in the middle of a pandemic and it is something that can easily be missed. Nonetheless, I decided a call to front desk would fix the issue. When I spoke to them, I was repeatedly told that although my email confirmation and bank statement showed I had been charged the romance package, it was not reflecting on their reservation. At no point did the agent attempt to rectify the situation. When you work in guest services at a five star hotel, you will do whatever it takes to retain a customer when a mistake has been made. I expected to immediately be believed, but instead the agent kept questioning my confirmation, as if I hadn't been charged, and was basically told to bring the "evidence" before we were to check out the next day. At no point in time did she provide a swift solution of being understanding and removing the charge.
I'm mindful of the time this happened, and stress was a major factor for most service oriented people. Sadly, I would be doing a disservice to others and not mention or rate this what I truly believe it deserves. I would love to come back and visit, hopefully with better service!
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is probably the nicest place to stay in all of Puerto Rico but, if you are looking for a beach vacation, this is not the place for you. They say the beach is 171 steps away. That's not quite true. It is down a steep cliffside and there are 171 stairs but there are also stretches of rocky areas so all told, it's really a steep 1/3 mile hike each way (don't go in sandals!) and it is not a swimming beach because of the strong tide. If it weren't for the hike, it would have been nice to visit for picnic lunches but it's just too steep to be carrying stuff in and out. We went once on our first day and then decided we'd rather go elsewhere or just visit the pool (which is great and beautiful, when it's not overrun with kids). The view from our casita was also very obstructed because some of the greenery has grown too high so hopefully they will pay attention to that since you do want to be able to at least see the water, if you can't easily reach it. Leaving the resort is also a trek because the parking is pretty far removed from the rooms. You can call for a golf cart to give you a ride but then you're tipping every time you need to get to your car, which is silly. Needless to say, we really got our steps in while we were staying here. Luckily, the private plunge pool was perfect for relaxing in the evenings and the resort itself is absolutely gorgeous. I highly recommend getting the in-room facial. It's spendy but the best I've ever gotten. My skin has never been so smooth! The staff were all great and very helpful though you do need to pay attention to the charges at the restaurant or you'll find yourself with extra charges. All in all, we'd definitely stay here again now that I know what I'm getting and can set the right expectations for myself.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â The pool is usually empty later at night. Avoid it in the afternoons, when there are more likely...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here for our honeymoon and I don’t recall a time we have ever been treated better. The level of service here is unbelievable. They meet you at the gate and then personally escort you to your room while listing all of the local recommendations. Manuel and Juan Francisco were kind and helpful, going above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. We had a couple more unexpected benefits when we arrived at our casita, including a fridge stocked with drinks and access to a private beach. incredible experience and we can’t wait to bring our family here!
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Enjoy the hike down to the private beach! 🌴
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There s a very nice pool facility in the area of the fabulous rooms. All the rooms also have a small pool. I can’t answer your second question, but we have always retired late to our rooms and we have never had an issue with service.
Hi, the beach is not readily accessible but is cool, if you can walk normally, because you will pass a track between the nature. Once on the beach is not recommended to swim there but walking like 30 minutes, you will find a better space to enjoy the salty water.
There are more places to choose from in the Isabela area.
PRICE RANGE
C$910 - C$1,381 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
CaribbeanPuerto RicoIsabela
NUMBER OF ROOMS
20
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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