Puerto Rico, anyone?

[ADSigMel]

Ali and I are going to honeymoon in Puerto Rico the week of Thanksgiving. Anybody been there or have hotel suggestions? We'd like to stay pretty close to San Juan. We'll have a car and everything, but we don't want to get too far away from the city. However, we would prefer a quaint bed and breakfast rather than a ritzy hotel.

~Mel

[Freckles]

www.puertoricoisfun.com
www.gotopuertorico.com

Great resources and they have plenty of Inns listed.

Puerto Rico---beautiful beaches,amazing rainforest with gorgeous waterfalls, great nighlife & delicious food! I really loved our vacation there. Staying near Old San Juan sounds like a great plan. Great walks and the massive historic Fort is right there as well. If you are there for a week or more definitely drive to the other side of the island---near Aquadilla. Also, visit the caves---Camuy Cave Park. Very cool experience.

These are hotel I would recommend in case you change your mind:
Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa
http://www.wyndham.com/hotels/SJUEC/main.wnt

The Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort & Golf Club
http://www.theoceansuites.com/

Happy Travels!

[BuffaloBlondie]

Our family has a timeshare at Palmas Del Mar and we love it there!! It is about 45 east of San Juan. There are sooo many things to do inside the resort area and it is HUGE. It actually is a community with a new hotel (run by the sharaton, four points), timeshares, homes, restaurants, pools, beaches, golf, tennis courts, casino marina..You also don't need a car because there a shuttles or you could rent a golf cart for the week.

http://www.palmasdelmar.com/

I also think that the El Conquistador would be nice for a honeymoon!! Good Luck!!

[papergirl]

My family is from PR so I know a little something about the Island. ;) Personally, I prefer Old San Juan to New San Juan. They are about a 10 minute drive apart. If you want to stay in OSJ I suggest the Wyndham which is not the same Wyndham Conquistador.

Another hotel that I have never stayed in but looks adorable is called The Convent. It was actually a nuns convent at one time and is in OSJ as well.

I have stayed at the Conquistador and it is AMAZING. You will love it but it's not near San Juan, which is where you said you wanted to stay.

Be sure to visit the Bacardi factory if that's your thing. I always go when I'm home. The tour is ok - something to do but what I love is the free drinks at the end in the Pavilion. Such good memories.

If you go to the Rain Forest take your swim trunks. You can actually swim under the falls which is a nice break after the long walk.

Have fun!

[ADSigMel]

Wow, this all sounds really cool! We booked our trip yesterday, and we're staying at the Normandie Hotel, which I think looks REALLY neat!

We definitely intend to go to the rainforest, and Ali really wants to see the big satellite at Arecibo. We want to see Old San Juan and explore the beaches, too.

Bumble, what is the weather usually like at the end of November in PR?

[Parrothead]

DH and I spent 3 days at The Westin Rio Mar (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/search/hotel_detail.html?requestedChainCode=WI&requestedAffiliationCode=WI&goToRooms=yes&lengthOfStay=1&numberOfRooms=1&numberOfAdults=1&arrivalDate=2005-08-13&departureDate=2005-08-14&rpoi=&propertyID=1096&rcdi=&linkbrand=&fromSearch=22XX&sherlockRatePlanID=&sherlockMiniRate=&sherlockRoomType=&sherlockBedType=&iATANumber=&corporateAccountNumber=&propertyDistance=&propertyDistanceInUnits=&requestType=page&page=&ratePlanName=&roomOccupancyTotal=1) . We LOVED it!!! So, if you change your mind about staying in San Juan, I'd say go here.

The National Forest is a great place to check out -- hikes, waterfalls, etc.

[ysolde]

I'm originally from Puerto Rico. The Normandie is a great location -- halfway between Old San Juan and the new part of the city. The weather in late November is perfect! Low 80s by day, 70s by night, and dry.

There is a great new modern art museum in the Santurce district of the new city. Its in-house restaurant, Pikayo, is one of the best in town. Check it out.

Old San Juan (Viejo San Juan) comes alive at night. Go for tapas in the patio of the El Convento Hotel, and stroll through the cobblestoned streets of the old city.

If you head south, past the mountains, you will find Ponce, on the island's southern coast. The Ponce Art Museum (Museo de Arte de Ponce) has a small but impressive collection of local and international art, and is particularly strong in the pre-Raphaelites. The Parque de Bombas (Old Firehouse) is an interesting architectural structure. In general, the architecture on the south coast is different from that of San Juan.

Outside of Ponce is the Tibes Archaeological Site, an earlyTaino (Native) village. There are artifacts on display, and some of the village has been reconstructed.

Also a lot of fun are the Camuy Caves, where tours are given on trolley rides through the caves.

OK, enough babbling. Have fun, and let us know how it goes! :D

[papergirl]

as ysolde said, the weather is perfect. you are going to have a great time.

[ADSigMel]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice, girls! I'm getting REALLY excited about this trip! :D

~Melody

[kimbyj]

I need some suggestions please.

Going to PR in October for a long weekend. 6 of us are staying at the Ritz Carlton. Any ideas on "hot" dance clubs, bars, restaurants & casinos? We are looking for upscale places with a "sophisticated" crowd - we are in our mid to late 30s so quite honestsly we don't want to be some place where we will have to be around very young 20somethings.

I haven't been to PR in years! I do plan to take my friends to El Yunque and the Bacardi factory - besides that we need evening events.

TIA!

[ADSigMel]

Well, I don't know exactly how "sophisticated" you're looking for, 'cause DH is pretty laid-back, so we generally avoid super-swanky places. But we went to Makarios in Old San Juan for our one-week wedding anniversary, and really liked it. It's not particularly chic, but the food is good and they have a truly spectacular belly dancer on Saturday nights. We also spent a lot of time at the Atrium in the Normandie Hotel, just because that's where we were staying. It's a really cool Art Deco style building, and it's generally pretty quiet at the bar.

[AndreaMMS]

Hi there- my husband and I are thinking of going with our daughter to Puerto Rico in January. Naomi will be 14 months old.

We're looking for a baby friendly place not a huge drive from the airport- something with lots of beach and pool, lots of room to walk around, decent restaurants...anybody have any experience with the San Jaun Marriott or the Intercontinental?

Thanks!

[Regina Phalange]

Bump!

My fiance and I are trying to decide where we want to go on our honeymoon in April 2007. Several people have suggested Puerto Rico for it's affordability. We are looking for somewhere tropical (beautiful water, nice beaches, warm weather, etc) with a bit of adventure...we can't just sit on the beach all day long. For those of you who have been, does PR sound like the place for us? Any more suggestions? Thanks!

[TerpsFan]

Bumping this up for more Puerto Rico ideas...We are going for a week next month. We are staying in the Dorado area. Can anyone list their must-do's? We'll have a car if that helps any.

[goldfish]

I'd love to hear more ideas of stuff to do in PR also - we're going this spring! Also, has anyone stayed at the Marriott Stellaris?
Thanks! :)

[rosa727]

My DH and I are planning our 5 year anniversary trip to PR. We will be going in late October/early November. We are considering either the Ritz or the Westin Rio Mar. We were also considering the El Conquistador, but some people have had bad things to say on tripadvisor.com. Has anyone stayed there?

Anyway, I am just hoping to get some more ideas for things to do and restaurants too. I have been to Puerto Rico, but it was a long time ago.

[laura]

We are attending a wedding in PR in November. It is a family wedding so assuming 2-3 days will be taken up with family/wedding obligations, do you think staying for 7 nights total is too long? I am trying to decide between 5 or 7 nights. I would like some relaxing on the beach type time, but my husband thinks that is boring so I am concerned we will not have enough to do staying the full 7 nights? Any input would be helpful!

[meatpie]

My PR experience:

I really liked my time in PR. The people are incredibly friendly. We stayed at the Marriott Hotel & Casino and had a great time. It was a lovely, lovely property. The time we were there you could not really swim in the ocean, weaves too rough. But the pool area and beach were beautiful and the rooms really nice.

We did a day drive to the rain forest (amazing) and went for a wonderful hike. We spent some time in Old San Juan (really charming and cool, i loved it) and explored the fort El Morro. We also left PR, flew to St. Thomas, and took a few days. There we rented a boat and floated around the islands. We also stayed at a Marriott on St. Thomas which was not as nice, but has been re-done.

laura Seven nights may be too long for PR, but what about hopping to another island for a few days? That would be my choice. You've come that far, may as well extend a few days if you can and visit another island.

rosa727We booked a stay at this hotel years back but the Hus got a job offer and we did not end up going. If I remember correctly it is on the other side of the island from most hotels and is a self-contained destination. Tennis, spa, conference center, etc. I think you'd have to consider what you want out of the vacation. If isolation from Old San Juan and the rest of PR is OK, and you want to risk a huge convention staying there, sure. Also, the reviews on tripadvisor are generally good, but I always take them with a grain of salt.

So I looked at Frommer's.com and they really like El Conq. if that means anything to you!!

[yby1]

We are attending a wedding in PR in November. It is a family wedding so assuming 2-3 days will be taken up with family/wedding obligations, do you think staying for 7 nights total is too long? I am trying to decide between 5 or 7 nights. I would like some relaxing on the beach type time, but my husband thinks that is boring so I am concerned we will not have enough to do staying the full 7 nights? Any input would be helpful!

7 nights is not too long. There are a ton of things to do on the island. You do do a few excursions to neighboring islands, like St. Thomas, Culebra (the isn't much there, but is BEAUTIFUL), Vieques. One thing not mentioned near Ponce is the Phosphorescent Bay - La Parguera. It's amazing. There is one in Vieques too that is very luminescent. It looks like there are lights in the water.

You can also tour the Hacienda Buena Vista which is a historic coffee plantation. It's a really cool tour.

[thechick79]

Bumping this up...
DH has a convention in San Juan in October and wants DD and I to go with him as a mini-vacation. DD will be 9 months old. Is it worth taking a 9-month-old there? We love checking out sights, not laying on the beach and OSJ looks like a great area to explore. Any more hotel recommendations? From the links and recs above, I'm leaning towards the El Convento. Any more tips would be great. Thanks!

[laura]

Ok, we are headed to PR on Thursday and I have had zero time to research anything! Any recommendations for must do/see/eat?? I am going to try to pick up a book about PR before we go, but I have no idea if that will actually happen or not. Thanks!

[meatpie]

I loved Old San Juan and El Morro, the fort. I was really fascinated with the history iof the island. Also, a hike through El Junque (sp?) the rain forest is incredible!!!

[endymion411]

bump! dh and i are thinking we might take a trip in mid-march.

wondering if anyone has any recent recommendations for places to stay (preferably not too expensive), eat, etc!

if we stay in san juan, is it difficult to go to the rainforest? i think we would enjoy hiking/nature activities moreso than city activities.

thanks!

[laura]

We went in November and we stayed at the El San Juan Resort & Casino. (I didn't price other resorts b/c we were there for a wedding, so we had an event rate.) We did a rainforest tour that picked us up at our hotel and dropped us off after, so I don't know the details of getting there yourself. We didn't eat anywhere notable, so I am no help there. We ate at a lot of local places, but almost everywhere we went had basically the same menu. We did go out one night in Old San Juan, but I don't know the name of the place (my MIL picked it) and my ILs also went out to a good (but expensive, they said) tapas place in Old San Juan another night, but I don't know the name. Our last night we went to dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, which is not "puerto rican" of course but was delicious!

[Yvangeline]

If you're looking for something more off the beaten path than San Juan, I'd recommend any of these places:

http://www.haciendajuanita.com/Ingles/index.html

http://www.haciendagripinas.com/

http://www.copamarina.com/