The El Convento Hotel and Resort in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Although every effort has been made to verify the information in this article, please confirm certain information – names and locations of the restaurants, their menus and price range, also the days/hours restaurants and shops are open, and similar information.
Built over 350 years ago, this hotel was first a Carmelite convent and is located in the heart of Viejo San Juan (Old San Juan.) It remained a convent until the 19th century. Today, fully refurbished, it boasts of 68 luxury rooms, several dining venues and modern and luxurious amenities for the discerning traveler. It is the only Small Luxury Hotel in San Juan and is the old member of Historic Hotels of America. It has the distinction of being awarded with the prestigious AAA Four Diamond rating. It’s also a member of the Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List.
The rooms are very comfortable with Old World type furniture, Andalusian tiles, beautiful marble bathrooms, with views of the bay, the governor’s mansion (Casa Blanca), and Old San Juan. Room amenities include individual air conditioners, two line telephones, data port, flat panel LCD TV, VCR, radio and CD player, in-room safe, and a refrigerator, plus an iron and ironing board. They also provide complimentary wireless internet access in every room. There is also a fitness room, swimming pool and Jacuzzi on the premises. Enjoy the daily wine reception on the hotel terrace.
Complimentary wireless internet access is also available in the Library, located just off the Garden Terrace lounge. The Garden Terrace overlooks the Plaza de Las Monjas and the historic San Juan Cathedral. Don’t miss out on visiting this magnificent cathedral while you’re in town.
Their swimming pool is located on the roof. Full of flowering plants, this rooftop terrace location affords terrific panoramic views of Old San Juan. It’s also a great place to watch a sunset. Relax in the Jacuzzi while you’re up there.
If you prefer a “beach experience,” the hotel can provide you with an “introduction card” to the Isla Verde Beach Resort, considered to be the most beautiful beach in San Juan. There you can enjoy all the beach and pool privileges for the entire day.
There are several dining options at the El Convento Hotel. Enjoy the house specialty, tapas, in the El Picoteo dining room. Or, the fabulous desserts offered in the CafÃ?© Bohemio. And, it’s the local place to be seen for late night entertainment. Another dining option is the award winning, Il Perugino, serving fine Italian cuisine.
If you choose to leave the resort for some of your meals, you can try out several excellent restaurants. Dragonstreet, on Fortaleza Street, serves superb Latin Asian specialties. Aqua Viva, located nearby, offers great fresh seafood dishes and has an oyster bar. Tamarind Steak, is San Juan’s first Latino steakhouse but serves excellent seafood as well. It’s located near the cruise ship dock. La Bombonera, an inexpensive pastry shop and cafÃ?© offers authentic Puerto Rican cuisine; it’s located on Calle San Francisco.
This historic and charming resort is located right in the heart of Old San Juan, with museums, exclusive boutiques, restaurants, galleries and entertainment just a few minutes away.
The hotel is well suited for weddings, other special events and corporate meetings. They have seven different size meeting rooms and their special events staff is eager to help plan your function(s). For business conferences, the rooms can be set up with A/V equipment, dual line data port telephones, and internet access. The original chapel would be an excellent site for wedding ceremonies. The other rooms offer lovely venues for events of varying sizes.
Old San Juan is the historic part of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was founded in the early 1500’s by Juan Ponce de Leon. The first settlement was abandoned and moved to its present location within a year. It’s only a seven or eight block area, but, it’s crammed with interesting shops, eateries, galleries and tons of atmosphere. It’s culturally very distinct from the rest of the city. English is spoken but not by everyone. Many of the old town’s original military fortifications stand to this day.
This is a working city and business attire or casual business attire is the norm here. It will be appreciated if you wear a collared shirt with long pants or shorts with pockets and a belt and shoes as you visit the area’s attractions. Sturdy shoes are a must for the tourist because of the hilly streets and uneven sidewalks. (The native women seem to do just fine in their high heels.) Don’t forget your sunblock.
Take advantage of the trolley bus which loops throughout the district. The streets are rather hilly and uneven and with a tropical climate will get warm very quickly, especially in the interior of the town. The trolley can whisk you from place to place and keep you a little cooler.
The bar which created the popular drink, the Pina Colada, is located here in Old San Juan. There is a historical marker on the site. You’ll find even small cafes usually offer a selection of mixed drinks along with beer and wine. Some of the small cafes offer only mediocre fare but at quite high prices.
On Thursday nights, the La Placita de Mercado de Surturce (Surturce Market), offers salsa dancing to small impromtu bands inside and outside various shops and restaurants. The Nuyoricon Caf�© on Calle San Francisco offer mini salsa lessons many evenings.
In general, most of Old San Juan is safe but please stay away from the northern area, La Perla, which is known for drug dealing. You shouldn’t accidentally wander into this region, because there are very few access points, most through or over the city walls.
Be sure to visit the San Juan Cathedral in Old San Juan where the church was built three times. Originally built in the 1520’s with wood walls and a thatched roof, it was destroyed in 1529 by a hurricane. It was rebuilt and then rebuilt for the third time in 1615 after being destroyed by another hurricane. This is a very simple cathedral, nothing like the ornate cathedrals of Europe, and is considered an excellent example of Medieval architecture. The marble tomb of Juan Ponce de Leon, the island’s first governor, is located here. Masses are still said on a regular schedule.
Bon Voyage!
