Puerto Rico: My Favorite Hotel, St. Regis Bahia Beach

Last updated: October 22, 2024

I love visiting the St. Regis hotel near San Juan, Puerto Rico.

I’ve been there four times in the past 18 months… at least before Covid-19.

On this page I will collect my best tips and tricks for your visit. I’ll also list my favorite spots at the resort.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Nick. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort is my favorite hotel in the Caribbean.

March 2022 update: I recently went to this Four Seasons on the island of Lanai, Hawaii that I loved.

White guy (me) wearing a cowboy hat, black long-sleeve shirt, and shorts sitting in a chair on the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort in the Caribbean
Me lounging at the “hidden beach” area at the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort. Email me if you want to know where it is!

The last time I went was in mid-February 2020. I learned a ton of new secrets, like: where to find the best burger, how to use the tennis courts, and who has the best post-workout milkshake.

My Best Tips For Your St Regis Visit

All of these things are free or complimentary, unless otherwise noted.

Fruit Bowl at Spa

Ask for a complimentary fruit bowl when lounging at the spa. My girlfriend likes the papaya juice, too.

White bowl with apple, pear, blueberries, some nuts, and oranges inside on a silver tray
Complimentary fruit bowl at the spa lounge area – and it tastes even better!

Bike Rentals

There are free bike rentals at the boat house. Use them to explore to the other center of activity: the beach house.

Technically, the maximum time you’re allowed to borrow the bicycle is 1 hour. But we often kept them for many more… and only got in trouble a few times 😂

Food: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

  • Morning coffee station (7-10am) in Casa Grande has a few varieties of delicious muffins. Almond milk is available here. This is a great pre-breakfast before the buffet at SeaGrapes.
Man me) standing
Me in the lounge area at Casa Grande, the main club house at the St Regis near San Juan
  • On weekends, there’s afternoon tea, coffee, and snacks in Casa Grande around 2pm. I think the champagne sabering is every day at 5pm.
  • If you’re with a big group, dinner reservations at most of the property restaurants are mandatory.
  • SeaGrapes healthy food: I liked the spinach salad with Mahi Mahi at SeaGrapes restaurant.
  • We LOVED the burger down at the main bar. It was the best thing we ordered.

Biologist Tour

Once a week there is a tour of the property with an on-site biologist or naturalist. Do this tour!

Huge turtle under a cloudy dark night sky, lit by a flashlight
One night while walking along the beach at the St Regis we happened upon this leatherback turtle laying her eggs!

Why I Like the St Regis Bahia Bay

There’s a lot to like about the St Regis in Puerto Rico. Being a Marriott property with a decent points redemption value sure helps!

2022 Update: Bonvoy regularly charges 85,000 points redemption for this hotel now, and the rate will likely increase soon. Yikes!

But also:

Spa and Gym

The lounge area at the Iridium Spa at the St Regis in Puerto Rico is one of my favorite reasons to visit.

All guests have complimentary access to a cold plunge pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam room. Don’t forget to order the complimentary fruit bowl! (This is my favorite “hack” that they don’t tell you about.)

The gym has a wide variety of equipment, including plenty of free weights.

Great Big Rooms

Every room on the property has:

  • Huge bathroom with overhead shower and big soaking bath tub
  • Excellent temperature control
  • Tall ceilings
  • Calming color palette
  • Good bed
  • Nespresso coffee stations in all rooms
  • Quality and abundant bath products

Beach Access and Aquatic Center Activities

The beach never felt crowded. The resort is nestled in a huge cove with tons of private beach access. You can also drive nearby for the rain forest, or even go deeper into the island to visit somewhere like the Plenitud sustainable eco-farm in Puerto Rico.

Palm trees and a wading pond
Looking out towards the beach, I think from the Pool House

There were nice, gentle waves most of the time. Sometimes there were larger waves that we enjoyed playing in.

Note: there’s no snorkeling on the property. The water was always a little murky and you’d probably have to wade out pretty far to get deep.

At the aquatic center, you can go kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, and play on the huge floating jungle gym.

Floating slides on a small lake, hand pointing towards it
Am I 37 years old? Yes. Did I play on this like a little kid for at least 20 minutes? Yes.

Other Things

  • Water stations are located everywhere. Fresh, delicious water to drink.
  • Warm, accommodating, helpful staff. All fluent in English and willing to take time to answer questions and show you to directions
  • Suntan lotion is available at the towel station.
  • Convenient location: only 20 minutes from SJU airport by taxi.
  • Special smoothie: We loved getting a $4 smoothie at the tennis courts. A great post-workout refreshment!
Me and my girlfriend Rachel at the entrance of the St Regis in Puerto Rico. We are lit by the fires

Bonus: Locals-Only Restaurant

Hot tip: Visit the “secret” locals-only restaurant right near the entrance of the St Regis Bahia Beach Resort near San Juan, Puerto Rico.

As you are driving into the property and about to turn off the highway, look for El Verde BBQ. Order the chicken and the plantains.

Conclusion

I really like this hotel and I plan to go back again soon.

I’ve got more “secret” tips, like where you can go on property for an awesome bike ride, or how to spot one of the rare manatees.

Want me to add those to this page? Or do you have any hot tips, advice, or suggestions for me to add? Email me here.

What you should do next...

1. Subscribe to my free Friends Newsletter.

You'll get exclusive life hacks, business research, top tech gadgets, and see new productivity tips. See why 18,000 people say it is one of their favorite emails.

2. Get your 2-page Party Checklist from my book, The 2-Hour Cocktail Party

With over 19 things you can do right now to improve your next party. Plus an Executive Summary of the key lessons inside my book.

3. Read this list of my 39 Best Travel Items.

These are my battle-tested travel items. From electronics, batteries, and adapters to toiletries, organizers, my favorite backpack, and more.

4. Follow me on my social media.

Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok.

Leave a Comment