PR - quiet upscale resort, easy to get to?
 

We're a couple in need of some serious chill-out time and our non-stop flights to Aruba have been canceled. My husband went to Puerto Rico many years ago and loved it and it's nonstop for us. Are there any nice resorts that don't take lots of traveling to get to? I know the best beaches aren't around San Juan but is Condado a decent beach? He needs a good gym, I need to be able to swim. Good food important, would prefer to stay at resort & not have to travel every night & search for good restaurants more than once or twice. Years ago I considered the Hyatt Dorado but don't know how it is these days since the Conquistador closed. Would appreciate any suggestions. Beach location is important.

Condado is an ok beach. Isla Verde is better. El Conquistador hasn't closed ... Hyatt Dorado did. There's also the Wyndham(formerly the Westin) Rio Mar. While these are both fine resorts, they aren't exacly quiet, but they are both within an hour of San Juan and have much better beaches than you'll find in the city.

Maybe you'd like the Ritz-Carlton. It's one of the better upscale beach hotels in San Juan itself.

Of course, the best choice for you on Puerto Rico would be the Horned Dorset Primavera, which meets all your requirements (though it's very very expensive), but it's in Rincon, not San Juan, so that's almost 2 hours away.

FYI: If you live in the NYC area, there's a nonstop on Continental (and perhaps even JetBlue) directly to Aguadilla, which is a relatively short dive (maybe 30 minutes) from Rincon.

You may want to check out the Ritz Carlton. The beach is decent, the grounds are very nice and it has a couple of very good restaurants right in the hotel (BLT Steak and Il Mulino). It has an okay gym - my only complaint about the gym is that they really pack in the machines, making it seem very crowded.

I agree that the Ritz seems to fit your needs perfectly. It is 5 minutes from the aiport. The gym is pretty nice and the spa is pretty nice-- I'd give both solid a "B". The pool is very nice, and the service is very Ritz. The area outside the hotel isn't wonderful-- it's a city and the beach is not the greatest, but the Ritz is where we stay when we go to PR. It houses several wonderful upscale restaurants as well. If you go, make sure to dine at Pikayo - about 10/15 minutes away- for a special meal. Have a great trip!

Yes, Pikayo is definitely one of the best restaurants in San Juan. My friend who works in San Juan has eaten at BLT Steak in the Ritz-Carlton, and he gives it just a "B", but he does like the spa there.

I've eaten at BLT Steak twice and would give it an A for the popovers alone. I thought the entrees were excellent. My only complaint was an appetizer special of scallops with squash blossom - it turned out to be 1 scallop sliced in half with one squash blossom for something like $16. That was surprising because generally they seem to provide generous portions.

I would also give Il Mulino an A - just be sure to get seated in the restaurant - they do have a couple of tables outside the restaurant right next to the casino, which is odd.