Rio Grande Resort Renovation Adds Pools, Casino Dec 2025

A major Rio Grande resort renovation is set to reach guests just in time for the winter high season, as Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Rainforest Beach & Golf Resort in Río Grande, Puerto Rico, unveils a $60 million refresh on December 17, 2025. The 607 acre property, positioned between El Yunque National Rainforest and the Atlantic Ocean, has redesigned all 400 guestrooms and suites, upgraded multiple pool zones, and expanded its dining and nightlife lineup. For travelers, the move turns an already well known beach and golf complex into one of the island's most comprehensive full service resorts, combining family friendly features with adults forward spaces and a reimagined casino.

In practical terms, the Rio Grande resort renovation means that visitors will find refreshed rooms, new pool configurations, and more organized entertainment options across the sprawling campus. The resort's owners, hospitality firm LionGrove, and the design teams from Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo and Jeffrey Beers International have treated the project as a near total reimagination rather than a light upgrade, touching everything from guestroom finishes and bathrooms to lobby layouts and outdoor lounging areas.

At the center of the overhaul are the accommodations. All 400 guestrooms and suites now feature a cleaner, more contemporary palette that pulls in Caribbean blues and greens, natural materials, and larger balconies, with layouts tuned for couples, families, and groups that need connecting options. The resort and several media partners describe the new look as blending golden age glamour with modern Caribbean energy, but the more tangible takeaway for travelers is that most inventory will feel freshly built for 2025 rather than lightly refreshed legacy stock.

Pool and outdoor spaces are another clear focus. The project adds a dedicated adults only zone branded as the Aura Adult Swim Lounge, which is designed as a quieter pool environment with upgraded seating and bar service, while family travelers get a revamped Turtle Cove Adventure Pool with a slide tower and more playful water features. Younger children have their own Coquí Splash Pool, set up as a shallow, interactive splash area. Altogether, the resort now promotes five oceanfront pools, giving guests more choice between social, family focused, and low key corners of the property.

Dining has been pulled into the renovation in a way that will matter both to resort guests and meeting planners. The property now counts 10 restaurants and bars, including Roots Coastal Kitchen, which pairs executive chef Ramón Carrillo with "Top Chef" alumni Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, Palio for contemporary Sicilian cooking, and Caicu, a cocktail bar anchored in the lobby. Menus across the venues are pitched as more deeply rooted in Puerto Rican ingredients and regional Caribbean flavors, with enough variety to keep on site guests from feeling locked into a single buffet or generic bar and grill.

Nightlife and gaming are where the resort makes its boldest play. The redevelopment brings a fully reworked Casino Rio Mar & Sportsbook Lounge, which combines table games, slots, and sports betting in an Art Deco inspired setting, and positions itself as the only dedicated sportsbook venue on Puerto Rico's northeast coast. Tucked inside is The Vault Speakeasy Cabaret, a club style space for live performances and cocktails that leans into mid century glamour rather than a high energy nightclub vibe. For travelers who want to keep evenings on property instead of driving into San Juan for entertainment, that new mix could be a deciding factor when choosing between Rio Mar and other beach resorts around the island.

Beyond pools and nightlife, the resort continues to lean on its sports and wellness credentials. The renovation folds in updates to El Yunque Spa, which now promotes more locally inspired treatments and expanded fitness programming, while keeping the existing two 18 hole championship golf courses and a racquet center that supports both tennis and pickleball. For meetings and incentives, the property highlights more than 9,000 square meters of combined indoor and outdoor event space, which means the same renovation that benefits leisure travelers should also show up in refreshed ballrooms and breakout areas for conferences and weddings.

From a booking perspective, the most immediate change for travelers is price positioning. Trade coverage and hospitality industry outlets report that opening rates in December start from about $399.00 (USD) per night, including taxes and fees, which is in line with other high end Caribbean beach resorts that have recently completed major upgrades. That figure will likely float with demand across peak holiday dates and winter weekends, so travelers who want the new look without the heaviest price tag should target midweek stays and avoid the busiest Christmas and New Year windows.

Background

Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Rainforest Beach & Golf Resort has long been a recognizable name on Puerto Rico's north coast, particularly for travelers who want a beach stay without committing to island hopping or long transfers after landing in San Juan. The resort sits roughly a 35 to 45 minute drive east of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, which puts it within reach of both independent travelers who rent cars and package guests whose transfers are bundled through tour operators. Earlier iterations of the property were already popular with golfers and group business, but room and public space design had started to lag newer competitors, which the current renovation is explicitly meant to address.

How It Works For Travelers

For most visitors, the travel pattern into Río Grande will remain the same, with flights into San Juan, a ground transfer to the resort, and then most activities concentrated between the beach, golf courses, and the rainforest foothills. Where the Rio Grande resort renovation changes the calculus is in how much there is to do on property compared with splitting time across San Juan, Condado, and other beach zones. Families who might once have stayed only a few nights at Rio Mar before moving into the city could now reasonably spend an entire week on site, while adults looking for a self contained casino and nightlife environment do not have to focus solely on San Juan hotel casinos.

Travelers should still approach the resort like any newly refreshed property. In the first months after December 17 there may be punch list work, soft opening quirks in dining and entertainment schedules, and evolving programming at The Vault and the sportsbook lounge. Booking a flexible rate, checking that specific venues and pools are operating on the intended dates, and building in a little tolerance for minor operational glitches is sensible, especially around the very first holiday period.

Over the longer run, the renovation positions the resort as a strong anchor for Puerto Rico tourism on the north coast. It gives repeat visitors who already know El Yunque and San Juan a reason to come back for a different on site experience, while first time visitors weighing all inclusive Caribbean options might now see Río Grande as a credible alternative to resort corridors in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, or Mexico. For travelers who care about having casino gaming, golf, family pool zones, and rainforest access in a single base, there are few direct substitutes in the region at this scale.

Sources

• Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Rainforest Beach & Golf Resort Debuts $60 Million Complete Reimagination
• Rio Mar Reimagined, Official Project Site
• Wyndham Rio Mar Completes $60M Resort Transformation
• Puerto Rico's Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Resort Completes $60 Million Renovation
• Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Hotel In Río Grande To Complete Multi Million Dollar Renovation In December