Puerto Rico (2009)

Hotels:

• El San Juan Resort and Casino (Waldorf-Astoria)
• Microtel Philadelphia Airport

Restaurants:

• Drums Link to my review
• Tangerine (at the Water Club) Link to my review
• Metropol Link to my review
• KOCO Link to my review
• La Picolo Fontana Link to my review
• Patio del Nispero (at the El Convento) Link to my review
• Lupi's Mexican Grill Link to my review
• Barrachina Link to my review

Activities:

• Castille San Cristobal
• Castille de San Felipe del Morro
•  La Fortaleza (Palacio de Santa Catalina)
• Old San Juan
• Paseo del Morro

 

 

 

 

Reviews

Link to My Review of the Microtel Philadelphia Airport

  

 

 

Link to My Review of the El San Juan (Waldorf-Astoria)

Puerto Rico: Drums (July 2009)

My spouse and I ate lunch at Drums in early July 2009. Drums is located in Isla Verde and serves Spanish food that may have you pleading for their recipes. This casual restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. At night, Drums is known for its club-style atmosphere and loud music. The fun and unique thing about this restaurant is that is houses a drum museum for diners to explore.

Puerto Rico: Tangerine (at the Water Club) (July 2009)

My spouse and I ate dinner at Tangerine (at the Water Club Hotel) in early July 2009. (We even remitted a $20 Open Table dining cheque to pay part of our bill!) Welcome to Tangerine, an avant-garde culinary experience that takes you beneath the waves with special visual effects including dancing ripples on the walls, an ocean surface simulation on the ceiling, illuminated floors, and a cascading waterfall by the bar. Tangerine, located on the hotel's lobby level, welcomes guests with an amazing sub-aquatic atmosphere and "modern-latino cuisine" menu featuring sustainability-sourced ingredients. A feast for all senses, Executive Chef RaulCorrea, has a unique style of cooking which embraces sensory and food science, as he infuses each dish with a distinct scent meant to stimulate every sense. It’s local, it’s innovative, and it’s absolutely delicious.

Puerto Rico: Patio del Nispero (El Convento Hotel) (July 2009)

My spouse and I ate lunch at the Patio del Nispero at the Hotel El Convento in early July 2009. Elegant al fresco dining is available in the shadow of the hotel's famous century-old nispero fruit tree. The restaurant offers a gourmet menu of delicious dining options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  A landmark monument to the Conquistador Age, Hotel El Convento  showcases a timeless aura of Old World charm and splendor. Befitting its origins as a Carmelite convent 356 years ago, the splendid luxury hotel is a loving restoration of Spanish Colonial architecture and design with 58 elegant rooms - each adorned with rich wooden beams, handcrafted tiles, carved chairs, velvet settees, and antique chests. Celebrate more than 360 years of tradition at our luxury old San Juan hotel in Puerto Rico. As thefirst Carmelite Convent in the Americas, it housed the nuns for 252 years until closing a few days before Christmas in 1903. Vacant for a decade, the abandonedbuilding served as a retail store, a dance hall, and, for the next 40 years, a flophouse without running water, sanitary facilities, or electricity. Opened in 1962 as El Convento Hotel, it offered a tranquil, European-style alternative to the glitzy hotels lining the Condado strip.

Puerto Rico: Metropol (July 2009)

My spouse and I ate dinner at Metropol in early July 2009. Metropol Restaurant was founded in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1965, by Jose (Pepe) Canosa, a cuban immigrant, who had moved to the Island the year before. His concept of good service at good prices, family ambience, and excellent Cuban and Puertorican food, was an "instant hit", winning the favor of the public, and leading him to open new establishments throughout the metropolitan area. Pepe was the creator of famous dishes such as, the well-known "gallinita rellena", the Montuno Cubano and Metropol Fried Rice. He was always innovating in his kitchen to satisfy his loyal customers, serving the best food at the best prices. This concept has been continued by his descendants, which now administrate the restaurants. You can visit our restaurants in Hato Rey, Isla Verde, Fajardo, Guaynabo, Barceloneta and Dorado, to enjoy a tasty menu in a cozy atmosphere. To all our clients, thanks so much for visiting us for more than four decades, and making us as one of your favorite places for dining. Our compromise is to always serve you with excellence, the best of our kitchen.

Puerto Rico: Lupi's Mexican Grill (July 2009)

My spouse and I ate lunch at Lupi’s Mexican Grill in early July 2009. When you visit Lupi’s Mexican Grill and Cantina, you discover the fusion of Mexican and Puerto Rican cuisine, under the breathtaking backdrop of 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial period buildings of Old San Juan. Sit back and enjoy the rich flavors with a nostalgic touch that might bring you back in time.

Puerto Rico: La Piccola Fontana (July 2009)

My spouse and I ate dinner at La Piccola Fontana (at the Hotel El San Juan) in early July 2009. Delight your senses with the exquisite Northern Italian creations of Chef Alfonso Pescarino in a luxurious and romantic environment. For over 20 years, the leader in Italian dinning, serving their famous risottos, pastas, steaks, and seafood recently opened its doors at the new El Conquistador Resort location. Let us provide you with our award winning services, wine selection, and cocktails. The décor at La Piccola Fontana consists of beautiful Italian ornaments and fabulous furnishings. The atmosphere is truly elegant and upscale, and is supported by impeccable service. Perfectly complementing the enticing risotto, pasta, steak and seafood dishes, the upscale décor is highlighted by beautiful Italian ornaments and fabulous furnishings.

Puerto Rico: KOCO (July 2009)

My spouse and I ate dinner at KOKO (at the Hotel El San Juan) in early July 2009. KOCO is a modern Caribbean Restaurant, Rum Bar and Lounge found at the posh El San Juan Hotel and Casino. Cuisine and decor reflect natural blends of Caribbean and Latin fusion, complemented by a chic yet tropical modern, relaxing and fun dining experience. Caribbean food is given an exciting modern twist by Chef extraordinaire Hector Crespo of Aguaviva fame, one of the top chefs on the island. The cuisine and decor of this 6,000-square-foot Caribbean restaurant, rum bar and lounge are a fusion of Caribbean and Latin influences. Chef extraordinaire Hector Crespo lives up to his reputation as one of the top chefs in Puerto Rico by delivering traditional Caribbean specialties with a creative modern twist.

Puerto Rico: Barrachina (July 2009)

My spouse and I dined for lunch at Barrachina in early July 2009. In the late 1950s, a famous chef from Valencia, Spain, by the name of Pepe Barrachina, following a long family tradition in the culinary arts opened Barrachina Restaurant at 104 Fortaleza Street in the Old City in a beautiful interior colonial patio. Barrachina was recognized as the king of “Paella”, a traditional Spanish bartender, created what became the world’s famous drink: the Pina Colada. For over 40 years, Barrachina has offered the best in Spanish food and during the last decade has specialized in Creative Puerto Rican and International Cuisine. At Barrachina, you can eat, drink and even get married, since they offer banquet and private facilities for weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthdays, meetings and are to accommodate large groups. Dining at Barrachina is not only a gastronomic experience, the ambiance coupled with Latin music and one of the largest collection of fine local art in any restaurant, makes it a complete cultural fantasy.

 

Puerto Rico: Hilton El San Juan (July 2009)

As other reviewers have said, the Garden Lanai rooms need some serious renovations. I had hoped the room wouldn’t be as bad as the reviews said, but it was! There was a huge iron burn in the middle or our carpet, and there were more things wrong with this room than in any other we’ve ever stayed in--not just burnt out light bulbs, not enough face cloths, and one bar of soap in a large bathroom where the shower was nowhere near the sink, but our door lock and deadbolt had to be replaced along with a light socket. What’s really sad is that the room had potential--the poolside location was excellent, along with the lanai itself, particularly if you’re a smoker since there’s nowhere else to smoke in this hotel (I heard that Puerto Rico outlawed public smoking--even outdoors--in January of 2009). The room was a good size, but dark and gloomy. It had an empty mini-fridge, which was it’s saving grace--it was VERY difficult to get any drink service poolside, so we could just pop back to our room and bring back our own (cheaper, too!). The bathroom could have been interesting, with an unusual big skylight over the sunken double shower. But it needed some serious paint, cleaning, and TLC. On our last night there, the toilet started making these ridiculous loud noises that could only be quelled by one of us getting up to flush it periodically every few hours. We weren’t about to change rooms at 1:00 am, knowing that we would be at the pool early the next morning and then checking out that afternoon.We were also told that the hotel was sold out (it was the Fourth of July weekend), so moving didn’t seem like an option anyway. Beach towel usage was restricted that weekend because of the capacity crowds, which was a little annoying. More annoying yet was the fact that some people around the pool weren’t even hotel overnight guests, but instead cruise ship passengers who paid to use the facilities for the day after disembarking from their cruise and their evening flight. So I, as a paying overnight guest, couldn’t be assured of either a lounge chair by the pool or more than one towel! That’s just not right. The public spaces of the hotel are lovely--the bars, restaurants, lobby, pool. The service in La Piccola Fontana and KOCO, as well as the Italian trattoria/pizza place in the Galleria, was excellent. It was almost as if the restaurants were run by another organization than the one providing the food and beverage service at the pool. We were not pleased with the fact that in order to participate in the lobby entertainment at night, long pants were required for men. It would be nice for guests to be told this before leaving home, so that they could pack accordingly. While my husband did have pants to wear, it was a shame that other guests could not see the evening hoopla in the lobby because they hadn’t packed appropriately. I’m all for dress codes and decorum, but guests need to know that when booking their room--otherwise, it’s not fair. They are being charged the 14% resort fee for things they can’t necessarily use. Choosing not to use the pool or the health club (which I did not see) is one’s prerogative, but being told that you had to leave your seat in the lobby at night when you’re being charged for something is another matter. The hotel is over-run with locals in the evenings who come to dance in the lobby to the live music and attend the clubs. I think this is great--most other islands don’t have local wealth to allow that--but all the good tables and seats in the lobby and club are reserved for the well-dressed and well-connected local regulars, which isn’t fair to the paying overnight guests. The beach area is fine--the water isn’t a brilliant blue like on some islands, and the beaches are public so there’s a lot of local interaction and interesting things to see. The pools are pretty, but one is reserved for the beachfront lanai rooms, although it’s not really in a private area and there’s no signage to that effect. The cool double sun “beds” with the removable canopies are quickly reserved in the mornings, along with the umbrellas and other unique seating--so get up early. But there always seemed to be chairs on the beach, so you could always seem to find a spot somewhere. It is necessary to wear a wristband at the pool and beach during the day, which I found annoying and unexpected since this wasn’t an all-inclusive property. There are three luxe cabanas at the pool which can be rented for $800 per day--they are lovely, but that’s a little pricey in my opinion, unless you can share the cost with another couple or family. Internet use was $14.95 per day, I believe, which is also steep in my opinion. Even though my husband is a Hilton Hhonors member with a long stay history, it wasn’t included as it sometimes is as Hilton properties. We did not receive any of the amenities Hhonors provides at Waldorf-Astoria properties. The hotel provided absolutely NO information regarding what was available on the property--not a list of restaurants, opening/closing times, spa information, on-site shopping info, internet usage. It was as if they did NOT want to make as much money as they could have. I’m just glad that I did extensive research before leaving home, because there was none there for the unprepared. Staff was willing to answer your questions, but you had to know what to ask.It cost us $12 to get tot the hotel on arrival, and $18 to get back on departure (less than a 10-minute drive). Taxis to/from Old San Juan were $20 each way (less than a 20-minute drive). There’s a doorman to hail taxis, but they sit at the bottom of the parking lot and you can also do so yourself. There are a few things within walking distance--the Intercontinental is literally right next door, as is a local restaurant called Lupi’s. Walgreens and the Pueblo supermarket are a short walk, and we stocked up on supplies at both of those. There’s a Chili’s (chain) restaurant right across the street, if you’re not feeling adventurous, as well as many other fast-food chains also within walking distance. The Water Club (and Tangerine restaurant) are also an easy walk, as is Metropol restaurant, and Drums sports bar. I liked the location, although it was close enough to the airport to hear the occasional planes overhead. We were only there for a short 3 nights, so we didn’t waste a lot of time getting to/from the hotel. The casino was a nice size (Caribbean-speaking, not Vegas-wise), with slots and table games (even craps). We didn’t play, but people seemed to be enjoying themselves. There is a car rental desk (I think it was Enterprise) and a tour desk off the lobby near the pool entrance. Overall, the hotel has some kinks to work out, which the manager assured us they were working on as they transition to a Hilton property. Would I stay here again? No, I would probably try the Ritz or the Intercontinental nearby, or the El Convento in Old San Juan, which had some real charm.