Wet and Wild
For an unforgettable day, arrange an excursion to Puerto Rico's stunning El Yunque, the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest system.
www.fs.usda.gov/elyunquePuerto Rico
Local Update
• The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau has undergone a number of changes in the past few months. Milton Segarra was named president and CEO; Joyce M. Martínez was appointed vice president, business development and sales; and the organization changed its name to Meet Puerto Rico. "We've been using 'Meet Puerto Rico' as part of our communication strategy, and it's time to fully embrace it as a brand," said Segarra about the decision to adopt the new moniker.
• The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel is being refurbished and will open its 450 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of meeting space this fall. Already open to the public are four new restaurants and lounges.
• The landmark Normandie hotel in San Juan, closed for the past few years, is undergoing a $40 million renovation and is expected to open in late 2014. At press time, details on guest rooms and meeting space were unavailable.
• The 910-room Caribe Hilton has updated all guest rooms in the main building and renovated its meeting spaces, including the San Geronimo and San Cristobal ballrooms and the Gran Salon Los Rosales (Expo Center). Wi-Fi is now available in all guest rooms and public areas.
• The 570-room Condado Plaza Hilton has opened a new sports lounge. Recently completed renovations include updates of public spaces and the pool, and new computers have been installed in the business center.
• The 525-room San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino currently is renovating its guest rooms to create a more contemporary "residential feel." Upgrades include new 47-inch TVs as well as ergonomic desks and chairs.
• The 233-room Radisson Ambassador Plaza Hotel & Casino has launched a $1.5 million renovation of 33 suites. More work will continue in stages, to wrap up in 2015. In recent months, the hotel has updated its restaurant, suites tower and rooftop pool deck, and has added a fitness center.
• The Caribbean's first Hyatt House is under construction in San Juan. The $28.7 million property is expected to open late this year and will offer 126 guest rooms including studio, one- and two-bedroom suites, all with kitchens.
• Two new properties near the Puerto Rico Convention Center are in the planning stages: a 252-room Courtyard by Marriott and a yet-to-be-named hotel with another 200 guest rooms.
• Plans to link the Puerto Rico Convention Center district to Old San Juan are under way. The project calls for a park-like promenade along the San Juan harbor with seating areas, sculptures and an open-air restaurant.
• The 398-room InterContinental San Juan Resort & Casino is wrapping up a remodeling of its public areas, including the lobby and bar, as part of a $23 million renovation.
• The 260-room Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde is finalizing an $11 million revamp. Guest rooms and the lobby have been updated. Other touches include a new main entrance, a resurfaced pool area and an oceanfront boardwalk.
• The Salt Gastrobar has opened at the 115-room Howard Johnson Hotel, Isla Verde. The property is about to begin a remodeling of its guest rooms, banquet hall and conference space.
• The 104-room Hyatt Place Manatí is scheduled to open this year with an 11,500-square-foot casino, flexible meeting space, a 24-hour fitness center, and free Wi-Fi and breakfast. Manatí, 40 miles west of San Juan, is headquarters to many multinational firms.
• Aerostar Airport Holdings took over operations at Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport last year through a public-private partnership initiative. Renovations are under way to upgrade the facility, which is the Caribbean's busiest airport.
Meeting Hotels: Properties in the landmark city of Old San Juan include the 240-room Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel and 68-room Hotel El Convento.
The convention center district has the 503-room Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino. On the beach between Old San Juan and Condado is the 910-room Caribe Hilton. Condado offers the 570-room Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza, 525-room San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino and 248-room La Concha, a Renaissance Hotel.
For more detailed information, and to compare properties and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Puerto Rico Convention Center; exhibit space, 152,700 square feet; ballroom, 39,500 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 15; (800) 875-4765; prconvention.com
Airport Transit: Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, approximately seven miles from downtown San Juan. Transfer cost by taxi, $15-$20
Taxes: Room tax, 11% at casino hotels, 9% at noncasino hotels; sales tax, 5.5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 11% or 9%
Group Venue: Impress top performers with a private dinner at the exquisite La Perla restaurant. The beachfront San Juan landmark serves seafood dishes with Caribbean flair in a gorgeous setting. Parties of up to 130 are accommodated. (787) 977-3285; perlarestaurant.com
Contact: Meet Puerto Rico, (800) 875-4765; meetpuertorico.com
Bahamas Update
• Atlantis, Paradise Island, has added a new outdoor event space, Ocean's Edge at The Cove, and completed renovations to the Coral Tower and Royal Tower guest rooms. Oceans Edge can accommodate up to 200 guests for private events; features include a landscaped event lawn, an oceanside beach deck and an outdoor patio for functions. Following an $8 million upgrade, guest rooms and suites in the Coral and Royal towers have been refurbished with new décor, 42-inch LG LED televisions and revamped floor treatments. The massive resort has a total of 3,414 guest rooms and 500,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
• Global Gaming Asset Management, a joint venture of investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and three former Las Vegas Sands executives, will operate the 1,000-room Baha Mar Casino & Hotel in Nassau. The property, the largest of four under construction at the Baha Mar development, will debut in December 2014. Three other hotels -- a 200-room Rosewood, 300-room Mondrian and 700-room Grand Hyatt -- are expected to open in early 2015. The complex also will have its own convention center, offering 200,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
Aruba
Local Update
• The 320-room Ritz-Carlton, Aruba, recently opened with more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa with 13 treatment rooms, a casino and four restaurants.
• The Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino in Oranjestad, the Aruban capital, is updating the guest rooms at the Marina Hotel, its 287-room adults-only half; the other half, Ocean Suites, will refurbish its 269 units later this year. The resort has a private island for guests, accessible via boat transfer.
• The 411-room Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino has completed the newest component of a four-year overhaul -- a $1.5 million revamp of its 8,435-square-foot Grand Ballroom. The upgrade is part of a $50 million project that began in 2009 and included the addition of the Tradewinds Club and the adults-only H2Oasis pool in 2012. The ballroom can host up to 800 attendees.
• The Aruban government has introduced a $3 per-room, per-night environmental fee for hotel stays.
Meeting Hotels: Properties in Oranjestad include the 556-room Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino.North of the capital, resorts in Palm Beach include the 481-room Westin Aruba Resort; 411-room Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino; 360-room Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort & Casino; and 354-room Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa.
Airport Transit: Queen Beatrix International Airport, six miles from most hotels. Transfer cost by taxi, US$18 to Oranjestad, US$22 to Palm Beach/Eagle Beach
Taxes: Room tax, 9.5%; a hotel service charge varies per hotel; sales tax, 1.5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 9.5% plus hotel service charge and $3 per-room, per-night environmental fee.
Group Venue: Take over De Palm Island, a coral-reef islet just a seven-minute ferry ride from the southeast Aruban coast. Groups can enjoy a barbecue, snorkel in delightfully beautiful waters and more. De Palm Tours can organize an outing. (297) 522-4600; depalmtours.com
Contact: Aruba Convention Bureau, (904) 534-2877; arubaconventionbureau.com