Puerto Rico’s Rio Mar is better than ever

“Rio Mar has been renewed and is better than ever” was the clear message from the representatives of the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar and their Puerto Rican tourism industry partners at the recent Rediscover Rio Mar weekend, which was hosted at the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. Meeting and incentive planners, along with clients, were invited to experience the resort and see the renovations and improvements that have been made since Hurricane Maria swept through the island last fall.

Nestled on 500 lush acres between the Caribbean Sea and El Yunque National Forest, the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar is still just a thirty-minute drive from San Juan International Airport. The 400-room resort boasts over a mile of beachfront, three pools, two golf courses and a full-service spa. With 24 separate meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 3,300 attendees, the resort is an excellent location for meetings. The Rio Mar Ballroom offers nearly 21,000 square feet of unobstructed, flexible meeting space, plus groups looking to take advantage of the beautiful weather will enjoy 58,000 square feet of outdoor space that is perfect for receptions, dinners, awards ceremonies and more.

After Hurricane Maria, the Wyndham decided to make this property better than it had ever been.  Among the many improvements the conference center was taken down to the studs and completely remodeled. The lobby bar was enhanced and rebranded as Caicu Rum Bar, which serves delicious Caribbean cocktails focusing on flavors of the region. Roots Coastal Kitchen will be opening in October as a permanent piece of the resort after starting as an extremely successful six-week pop-up restaurant this spring. Both the Ocean and River golf courses are fully re-opened, but the resort continues to work on improvements with new bunkers and other upgrades in the hopes that the Puerto Rico Open may return to “its home course” in 2020.

Beyond the Grand Rio Mar and the area’s other stunning beachfront resorts, Puerto Rico has so much to offer groups.  El Yunque National Forest is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System and is also one of the most biologically diverse with many endemic species that are found nowhere else. El Yunque was hit hard by Hurricane Maria but is recovering quickly. While not all roads in the park are accessible yet, the park continues to reopen incrementally and can accommodate groups of all sizes with a variety of rainforest tours of different lengths and intensities during the day and at night.   

Another unique activity for groups is night kayaking in one of the three bioluminescent bays. Microorganisms in the bays briefly glow a blue/green color when they are disturbed, so every kayak stroke and splash will cause the water to light up. There are only five bioluminescent bays in the world, and three are in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico also offers a mix of old and new with historic forts and citadels built by the Spanish, along with great shopping and a lively nightlife in Olde San Juan. The island destination is a great fit for groups with a wide variety of interests including those with a taste for adventure. The culture of hospitality is unmatched, and the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar and the Puerto Rican tourism industry are eager to welcome you. 

Learn more about Puerto Rico and the Wyndam Grand Rio Mar or other exciting meeting and incentive destinations by contacting dwheeler@adelmantravel.com or visiting https://brojure.com/summit-performance-group/adelmansummit/.