Sip This
A favorite cocktail of locals and visitors alike is the mojito, a refreshing blend of white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice), fresh lime juice, sparkling water and muddled mint leaves.
Nearly 1,500 rooms are being added to San Juan's hotel inventory as part of the new Bahia Urbana mixed-use development, which includes the Convention Center District. Already open is the two-year-old, 503-room Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino. Four additional properties, including a 250-room Aloft hotel and a 214-room Courtyard by Marriott, are in the planning stages.
The 114-room Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, debuted last month at the former setting of the renowned Laurance Rockefeller estate in Dorado Beach. The hotel is a member of the Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Future Society Ambassadors of the Environment program, which incorporates eco-education with group activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, hiking and touring relevant sites such as an ancient Taino archaeological dig on the property's grounds. Event space includes a 4,558-square-foot meeting room, a boardroom and several private dining areas, including a colonial-style hacienda called Su Casa. The hotel also features a five-acre Spa Botánico, providing unique local treatments.
The 126-suite Hyatt House San Juan, the first Hyatt House hotel in the Caribbean, is slated to open in fall 2014. Stay tuned for details.
The 104-room Hyatt Place Manatí is expected to open in 2014 with an 11,500-square-foot casino, flexible meeting space, a 24-hour fitness center, and complimentary Wi-Fi and breakfast. Manatí, 40 miles west of San Juan, is headquarters to many multinational firms and pharmaceutical companies.
The 115-room Howard Johnson Isla Verde, a 10-minute drive from Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, has completed a $1.2 million enhancement of its public spaces, guest rooms, lobby, pool area and fitness center.
The 371-room JW Marriott Hotel & Resort at Coco Beach will debut this year. The property will have nearly 21,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 12,000-square-foot ballroom, seven meeting rooms, two boardrooms and five hospitality suites. Other offerings include a 36-hole, Tom Kite-designed championship golf course, a spa and fitness center, and a casino.
This fall, the refurbished 450-room Condado Vanderbilt is set to reopen with 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
The 416-room Ritz-Carlton, San Juan, recently finished a multimillion-dollar renovation of all guest rooms and suites.
The 80-room San Juan Water Beach Club Hotel has completed a $2.5 renovation. Included in the project were the addition of new pillow-top mattresses, linens and towels, in-room safes, flat-screen televisions, iHome docking stations and Wi-Fi connectivity. The hotel's indoor and outdoor event spaces and two meeting rooms have also undergone fresh upgrades. The property is now part of Aimbridge Hospitality, which operates a total of 68 hotels across 12 brands in the United States and the Caribbean.
The 525-room San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino recently completed a $2.2 million lobby redesign, which followed a $35 million update of guest rooms and a $2 million refurbishment of the outdoor poolside dining areas.
Golf News
• The
Golf Links at Royal Isabela debuted last
spring. Facilities include the 18-hole course, which features a dramatic
setting along the bluffs at the northwest edge of the island; a golf
academy; La Casa restaurant, and 20 rental casitas.
• The East Course at Dorado Beach Resort has reopened
following an 18-month upgrade. The layout originally was designed by
Robert Trent Jones Sr., and the new work was overseen by his son, Robert
Trent Jones Jr. The resort's West Course currently is in the midst of a
renovation.
Illustration: ©iStockphoto.com/appleuzr a
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 on Puerto Rico's hotels and resorts, visit the facility search at mcvenues.com.
Convention Center
Puerto Rico Convention Center; exhibit space, 152,700 square feet; ballroom, 39,500 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 15 (divisible into 28); (800) 875-4765
Airport Transit
Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport, about 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
Laurel Kitchen, a new eatery in the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, features the tangy "Nuevo Caribe Cuisine" of chef Mario Pagán. Dishes are based on locally sourced ingredients such as queen snapper and butter avocado. Groups of up to 25 attendees are accommodated in the private dining room. The restaurant also caters large-scale receptions (for up to 1,500 people) held in other parts of the museum, which features works from Latin American artists dating from the 17th century to the present. Gathering spaces include a courtyard, a sculpture garden and the Raul Julia Theater, named for the late actor and star of the Addams Family movies, who was born in San Juan. Restaurant: (787) 522-6444. Museum: (787) 977-6277
Contact
Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, (800) 875-4765