Full value for youre money - cheap taxi to get back uphill and beautiful wiews from room. Nice staff - but a bit boring breakfeast ;)

Following a warm welcome from the reception staff, we made our way to the apartment that would be our home for two weeks. The welcome continued with a complimentary small bottle of wine, clean rooms and an awesome view. The sight from the balcony was one of my highlights of the holiday. The apartment faced Puerto Rico's docks and offered brilliant sunsets every night.

The apartment itself was the standard set up with a decent sized living area adjoined to the smallish kitchen. A large enough bedroom containing two single beds and plenty of storage space. The balcony had enough room for a table, chairs and a clothes horse. Cleaning was done every day except Sunday. The cleaning lady was very polite and very thorough. Encounters with cockroaches and other creepies was down to a minimum thanks to regular patrols of pest controllers.

We didn't sample any of the entertainment put on by Guanabara Park, chosing to do our own thing in town. Puerto Rico catered plenty for this. What we did try was the bar and restaurant, both of which were great. Something that, again, was helped by the friendliness of the staff.

On the subject of friendliness, don't make friends with the stray cats that populate Puerto Rico. I did and I was regretting it when it returned same time next night. And again the night after that. And again, the night after that.

Cat meows aside, we were there for a quiet two weeks, looking for plenty of sun spots and a good variety in dining. And its what we received. The hotel is well served by a small shop about 200 yards away. Further afield is a selection of pubs, restaurants and a HiperDino too. Perhaps this brings up the biggest negative of Guanabara, the place is high up and, to get to these pubs, restaurants and HiperDino, its a fair walk down a flight of stairs (we counted 178!) And there is still a quarter mile walk to the beach. The walk back is a bit tough going after a day in the sun. With this in mind, I'd suggest anyone with mobility issues might want to consider this issue when looking to stay in Puerto Rico. One solution is the local taxi service which is reasonably priced.

A few local restaurant tips from me, the Steak House Tora Bravo offered the most engaging, friendly staff I've ever come across. Their entertainment value is matched by the great food. For me, its a must-visit. Its located near Guanabara's nearest HiperDino. If a curry takes your fancy, Taj Palace facing the docks is a fine choice. And, for a restaurant with plenty of great dishes (including a mean Crêpe Suzette,) try Restaurante La Bolera near Puerto Rico's main shopping district.

To conclude, Puerto Rico offers great dining choice, sun and sand. Guanabara Park serves the resort admirably with its great view, friendly staff and value for money. Providing you're ready to tackle a regular climb!

Had a week stay in these apartments last November. Can't fault them really. Could do with a lick of paint but generally looked after well. Good sized rooms/balcony with amazing views over puerto rico. Pool area large with bar/restaurant. Beer 2 euro. Would return in the future.

Stayed in early August this year, this must have been a great complex at one time, but that must have been several generations ago. The whole complex looks like it is being run into the ground and is in a general state of dis-repair. It is true that there is a big problem with cockroaches, the 1st night i kept hearing 'hissing noises' i soon realised we had some 'extra guests' living with us! The apartment had some rather crude repairs including plastic bags jammed into cracks as-well as sellotape covering a rather large hole in the bathroom presumably an attempt to keep the cockroaches out. There is also no air conditioning but two window panes that have been removed and replaced with mesh, this did nothing to cool the room down in my opinion.

All of this was rather unfortunate as the staff were friendly enough and the view from the balcony was absolutely stunning, the resort is also quite lovely and the weather was fantastic. I didn't have a problem with the walk up the hill and i am hardly a fitness fanatic but i couldn't recommend it for people with conditions etc. All in all i would advise fellow brits to stay away with from this one in it's current condition.