Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve
Dorado Beach is the world’s second Ritz Carlton Reserve resort, the first being Phulay Bay near Krabi, Thailand. The Reserve brand envisions properties on a smaller and more intimate scale than traditional 400+ room Ritz-Carlton resorts.
Dorado Beach has a stunning hard product. Every guestroom is beachfront, and no building is higher than two stories. Lead-in Ocean Reserve rooms are on the second floor and have the best ocean views, while ground floor Plunge Reserve rooms have direct beach access and patios with private plunge pools. Suites are extremely large and beautifully decorated — with either a King bed and pullout sofa, or two Queen beds. Large bathrooms have all you would expect and more: dual vanities, deep soaking tub, indoor shower, outdoor shower, and separate WC. Rooms also have large step-in closets and a dressing area with minibar.
Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors reach almost wall to wall, literally inviting the outside in. Light, sunshine, and a view of green lawns, palm trees, the beach and surf flood the rooms. The sliders can be opened completely, turning off the air conditioning and bringing the sounds of crashing waves and cool ocean breezes right into your room. Louvered screen doors keep the bugs out at night.
Guests have shown a clear preference for rooms in buildings 1-5, the west wing of the resort, which stretch along the two large swimming beaches. These rooms are now sold separately, at a premium over the east wing, so that you can be guaranteed a room along these beaches. East wing rooms in buildings 6-11 border the rockier east wing beaches and sell at a discount. Their added advantage is that guests can hear the soothing sound of the crashing surf at night.
Suites have King bedrooms, a separate living room with pull-out sofa, and a second bath. These can connect to a Queen-Queen room to create a 2BR Suite. First floor "Reserve Suites" have private ground level plunge pools and are usually preferred by families. Second floor Tranquility Suites have secluded rooftop pools that are a perfect romantic setting for couples.
Originally conceived by Laurence Rockefeller, an ardent environmentalist, Dorado Beach was built in the 1950's and thoroughly renovated by Ritz-Carlton. New construction would not be permitted so close to the beach, but the footprints of the original buildings have been utilized, grandfathering these prime beachfront locations. Moreover, current regulations would not permit the stone breakfronts that created the resort's two swimming lagoons and protect the two long sandy beaches from being washed away.
Dorado Beach has lots of recreational possibilities with two large swimming pools, three championship golf courses, tennis courts, non-motorized boats, nature trails, a wonderful spa, and an Ambassadors of the Environment program for kids. The daily resort fee, expensive at $95, includes robust WiFi, bottled water, and more. Hopefully, this is a policy that will change.
Service remains Dorado Beach's growing edge five months after its opening on 12/12/12. There have been reports of intermittent slow meal service, inconsistent housekeeping, and difficulty getting butler requests fulfilled in a timely manner. I can confirm (1) that these issues persist and that (2) the resort's GM is fully aware of the problems and committed to solving the problems. It is largely a cultural issue, as the Caribbean does not operate with the same sense of time urgency that many luxury guests have come to expect. However, Ritz-Carlton has an excellent training program, and I believe the resort will persist in overcoming this challenge. If prospective guests can accept this limitation and set their expectations accordingly, I can recommend Dorado Beach and its atmosphere of informal elegance. I thoroughly enjoyed my four days here.
St Regis Bahia Beach Resort
The St Regis Bahia Beach Resort is located a half hour east of San Juan. A completely new resort, it opened in November, 2010. Arriving guests check in at the Plantation House, a grand and imposing building built in a Spanish colonial style.
An intimate resort, set within a larger residential development, Bahia Beach has 139 rooms in twelve buildings. Most are two story buildings, while Garden View rooms are set in buildings of three stories. Rooms are large and attractive with either King or Queen-Queen beds, and fully featured bathrooms provide dual vanities (including a television in the mirror), separate WC, and both a soaking tub and step-in shower in one glass-enclosed area. Superior rooms have garden views, Deluxe rooms have golf course views, and Grand Deluxe rooms feature ocean views.
Suites are generously dimensioned. A separate living room gas a pull-out sofa and a full bathroom with step-in shower. Suites can connect to a Queen-Queen room in order to create a 2BR Suite. Lead-in Astor Suites are ground floor with garden views, Luxury Suites offer second floor garden views, and St Regis Suites have Ocean Views from either the first or second floor. For a real WOW, book the 2500 square foot Governor's Suite.
Who is the ideal guest for the Bahia Beach Resort? The St Regis brand is all about luxury in a grand style, both in its city hotels and its resorts, featuring Butler Service for Suite guests. Those who prefer formal luxury, as well as travelers who collect Starwood points (or have points to spend), will not be disappointed with their stay here.
Hotel El Convento
Located in the heart of Old San Juan, El Convento is ideal for a short stay, especially for pre- or post-cruise guests, for visitors who want a taste of San Juan’s colorful, historic district. A boutique hotel with only 78 rooms, the property is housed in a former Carmelite Convent right across the street from San Juan’s cathedral, the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in the Western Hemisphere. The hotel provides an ideal location for exploring the streets, shops, parks, and restaurants of Old San Juan.
The hotel’s first and second floors occupy the original convent building and feature high ceilings. New floors have been built on top of the original convent (floors 3-5), and rooms on these levels have regular 8-foot ceilings and admit more natural light. AAA has awarded the hotel four diamonds, and it has the distinction of being Trip Advisor’s #1-rated hotel in San Juan.
Prices are extremely affordable, and Virtuoso amenities make El Convento a great value. The hotel offers free WiFi, and there is a daily wine & cheese reception for guests from 6-7 p.m. with eight varieties of wine. Guests should not expect five-star luxury here. Rooms are charming but dark, and dimensions are small, about 300 square feet. Tiny bathrooms provide a pedestal sink, toilet, and shower in the tub.
Ritz-Carlton San Juan
Located near the San Juan airport, the Ritz-Carlton San Juan has the look and feel of a large Ritz-Carlton resort. With 416 rooms and suites, the hotel is on a wide stretch of beach with a large central pool area, restaurants, and a casino.
Lead-in City View rooms feel like a Superior guest room, providing views of either the airport (which some guests may enjoy) or residential areas of San Juan. Bathrooms have a single vanity, WC, and a shower-tub combination with shower curtain. For better views would, you can upsell to a Pool View, Ocean View, Balcony Ocean View, or Balcony Ocean Front room. The latter are at the front edge of the property with unrestricted views of the ocean and beach.
Pool View Junior Suites are true junior suites. There is ample space at 600 square feet, and bathrooms have a separate step-in shower, soaking tub, and WC, but just a single vanity. Request a room in the east wing on a higher floor; west wing views are somewhat impaired as their windows look over the flat roof of the hotel’s public areas.
1 BR Executive Suites are 800 square feet with garden, pool, and courtyard views. Each suite provides a King bed in the bedroom and sofa bed in a living room with closing doors. Bathrooms provide dual vanities, a separate WC, and a step-in shower and soaking tub are set off from the bathroom by a glass partition. A separate powder room is found off the living room.
This resort is ideal if you have an early morning flight from SJU. It should also be considered by vacationers seeking an alternative to Florida for a reasonably priced beach vacation. Wanting to book a Festive Season vacation without the usual 7-10 day minimums required by most luxury Caribbean resorts, the Ritz-Carlton San Juan may also be an ideal solution.