• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Margaritaville : Rio Mar or St Thomas

woj027

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Messages
136
Reaction score
17
Points
129
Location
Portland, OR
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Bali Hai Villas, Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort, Wyndham Midtown 45
Hey all,
I am just trying to get a feel for which of these places would be more fun for a family of 3 (2 adults, 1 child (10)).
We like to be lazy at the beach (or pool / lazy river), go out for adventures (think Mexico and Vallarta Adventures) or just going into town and do some walking around eating/drinking/shopping (and maybe some more drinking for me).

All other things being the same (Availability, Points Used, Airfare, taxi/Uber, Food) where should we go?
 
Last edited:

learnalot

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2010
Messages
1,387
Reaction score
53
Points
259
Location
Pacific Northwest
They are both nice resorts. Uber doesn't operate on either island. (Taxis do).

Rio Mar is a little farther from "town" for eating/drinking/shopping beyond the resort, but the resort itself has a little more going on. Old Town PR is about 60 miles from the resort, but the El Yunque rainforest is only about 4 miles from the resort.

The St. Thomas resort is also nice. It's easier to get around the island without a car on St. Thomas than on Puerto Rico. Open air shuttles and buses traverse most of the island (but they only travel clockwise). It's a fairly short walk to get to the road where you can catch the bus or the shuttle. It's also a short walk to Coki Point which is a popular destination for good snorkeling. The resort is on the east side of the island, so it's close to the Red Hook ferry to St. John (not really walkable, but a quick cab or shuttle ride).

We haven't spent as much time on Puerto Rico as on St. Thomas., but both resorts are lovely. I would return to either!
 

woj027

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Messages
136
Reaction score
17
Points
129
Location
Portland, OR
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Bali Hai Villas, Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort, Wyndham Midtown 45
Thanks so much, its good to know they are both nice resorts.
 

woj027

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Messages
136
Reaction score
17
Points
129
Location
Portland, OR
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Bali Hai Villas, Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort, Wyndham Midtown 45
reviving this thread almost 2 years later. Same question. Same adults, same Kids (this time 13). anything changed at either location ? Both still awesome to visit?
 

cbyrne1174

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2018
Messages
1,916
Reaction score
1,598
Points
274
Location
Tampa, FL
Resorts Owned
Club Wyndham, Marriott, DVC
100% resale!!
reviving this thread almost 2 years later. Same question. Same adults, same Kids (this time 13). anything changed at either location ? Both still awesome to visit?
It depends on what time of year you plan to visit St Thomas. The Sargassum issue has gotten out of hand at that resort from like April-Sept
 

troy12n

Guest
Joined
Aug 10, 2020
Messages
1,287
Reaction score
776
Points
123
I've never been to the Margaritaville resorts on either island, but I like St. Thomas better, and think it's safer, generally.
 
Joined
Jan 20, 2023
Messages
73
Reaction score
55
Points
28
I've been to both...I loved both places, but I probably have a slight preference towards St Thomas.

I would say a big part of the decision will be around what "vibe" you're looking for. Rio Mar (I went in February this year) is a much bigger and busier resort. It's a combination of a hotel, the timeshare condos, a convention center and a casino. So there's more to do, but also a lot more people everywhere.

St. Thomas (I went in January last year) was definitely much quieter and laid back. It's exclusively timeshare units. I think there's only 1 restaurant on the resort, but if you don't mind a short walk, there are a bunch of things nearby. There's actually a walking path to Point Pleasant resort, which has a restaurant by the ocean as well as a second hilltop restaurant that's great for brunch and has great views of the bay. The resort is also close to Coral World, which is a small amusement park with dolphins and other marine animals.

The beaches between the two places offer different experiences as well. Technically, Margaritaville St. Thomas doesn't have a beach that's usable (because of seaweed) but there's a public beach called Coki that is only a 5 minute walk away. Coki beach is great for snorkeling. The water is very clear and if you bring goggles, you'll see a bunch of tropical fish and coral. The beach at Rio Mar is also great, but think traditional east coast beach...no coral, but decent sized waves that are probably good for body surfing/boogie boarding.

In terms of the islands themselves, St. Thomas definitely feels more exotic. The way between the airport and resort is very hilly, so you get some really gorgeous views of the island. Everyone drives on the left, so keep that in mind. Also supermarkets there are VERY expensive.
 
Top