best wyndham in puerto rico?
Mar 11th, 2003, 11:46 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 30
thanks, tom42 and "me." I have a few question regarding the beach at the El Conquistador: how accesible IS the beach? Does it require a long walk/boat ride to reach? And once there, are there ammenities such as rest rooms, lounge chairs, a beach bar, etc?
Thanks so much. I haven't ever been to PR before, so I don't know what to expect.
Thanks so much. I haven't ever been to PR before, so I don't know what to expect.
Mar 11th, 2003, 01:44 PM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 129
You might want to check out the newly opened Wyndham on Vieques. The property is lovely on a fantastic bay and the prices are quite reasonable since they've just opened in December. Not sure that it would provide much activity like the busier San Juan and main island hotels but it sounds great!
Mar 13th, 2003, 09:17 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 162
I remember the ride to the beach at El Conquistador being a bit longer than that. Also, if you are staying in the main part of the hotel, you must take the funicular down the hillside to the marina in order to get the boat. I was there in August, and one of the two funiculars was out of service. Between waiting for the funicular, the ride down the hillside, waiting for the boat (which at that time (offseason) ran about every 1/2 hour), and the boat ride over, it took about an hour to get to the beach. Not convenient at all. I would suggest staying in the marina section if getting to the beach quickly is a priority. Once at the beach, there are plenty of lounge chairs, some small thatched huts for shade, a restaurant, a bar, restrooms, watersports equipment rental, horsebackriding. The beach is very long and sandy, but much of the sea bottom is rocky. When swimming you must be careful not to scrape yourself on the coral, as it can get very shallow at low tide. There is one section in particular that has a very sandy bottom, and consequently most people with children congregate there.
Food at all of the Wyndhams is expensive. At El Conquistador, it ranged from good to mediocre, never great. Some restaurants have a dress code, but it was definitely not enforced when I was there. In my opinion, that detracted from the atmosphere when you are paying so much for the food. But I guess many people like being able to be casual all of the time.
Food at all of the Wyndhams is expensive. At El Conquistador, it ranged from good to mediocre, never great. Some restaurants have a dress code, but it was definitely not enforced when I was there. In my opinion, that detracted from the atmosphere when you are paying so much for the food. But I guess many people like being able to be casual all of the time.
Mar 13th, 2003, 11:25 AM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 30,531
I have stayed at the El San Juan numerous times. It is a great hotel, located about 10 minutes from the airport and on the best stretch of beach in the San Juan area (like others have said, there are better beaches in Puerto Rico outside the San Juan area). The beach is pretty wide and long - good for walking. It is definitely not secluded, particularly on weekends. There are quite a few condos around, so you get a lot of Puerto Rican families out on the weekends. To me this is a plus but if you want seclusion you'll be disappointed. Water is fine - pretty clear and clean but not "crystal clear." Sand is not white but a light to medium brown. There are two pools - one is an olympic size pool and one is a free form pool with swim up bar steps from the beach. The pool area is very nice and lush - they really do a good job on the grounds. The hotel has many excellent restaurants, all of which are fairly expensive. Some include The Palm (steakhouse), La Piccola Fontana (Italian), Backstreet Hong Kong (Chinese, obviously), The Ranch (ribs), La Veranda (a little bit of everything - indoor/outdoor seating - buffet breakfast), and a Mexican place that I always forgot the name of. It is also the best place to be in San Juan on a weekend night. Huge lobby area with several different bars (including a cigar bar, sushi bar, and dessert bar), lounge with live music, a disco and a casino. It gets packed on the weekends and people tend to dress up. No shorts or t-shirts.
Rooms are nice and well-appointed, if somewhat small. I would try to get a high floor overlooking the pool/beach but away from the airport.
Area is Isla Verde - pretty crowded - lots of cars, people. Other hotels in waking distance include the Intercontinental and the RItz-Carlton.
Rooms are nice and well-appointed, if somewhat small. I would try to get a high floor overlooking the pool/beach but away from the airport.
Area is Isla Verde - pretty crowded - lots of cars, people. Other hotels in waking distance include the Intercontinental and the RItz-Carlton.
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autumngirl
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Sep 29th, 2003 07:22 AM
