Puerto Rico advice
 

My husband and I are planning a week in PR in March. I are trying to decide between El Conquistador or Culebra and maybe a night in Old San Juan. Any advice? Is dining at El Conquistador very expensive?

There's such a difference between the Culebra and El Conquistador experiences (basically, they are dead opposites ... laid-back, small island with no big resorts versus the ultimate big resort experience) that I wouldn't even know how to begin to advise you on this particular topic. Dining at El Conquistador is pretty expensive; consider a dining plan if they offer one because you're fairly isolated out there. One or two nights in Old San Juan, though, would be a good addition for either experience because you'd get to experience some of the city's good restaurants; look at El Convento.

I would definitely spend a night in Old San Juan... there is El Convento but there is also an artist gallery/hotel (maybe the Galleria) that is a very unique place to stay. We did the Conquistador and found it somewhat restrictive for activities and dining. We like to be active and try different restaurants but this wasn't a good possibility. Haven't been to Culebra but really enjoyed Vieques and Rincon and have sent a few friends to Vieques -- they were very happy with our recommendation.

do yourself a favor and avoid the gallery inn at all costs. very nasty management and overpriced!

by all means, stay at the el conquistador. my fiance and i just returned from there last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. it's beautiful and romantic - you won't regret it! as for dining, you have options. there is a breakfast buffet in one of the main dining rooms @ $25 per person - all you can eat . or you can opt to go to the cafe and have breakfast @ about $10 per person. both are great and you're not compromising on quality of food. as for lunch, for the two of us, it would run approx $30 per day. for dinner, it could run you $30 for two at the cafe or if you want to eat in one of the finer restaurants, it could run you about $200 for two people (bottle of wine included). so, in short, it's as expensive or as inexpensive as you want it to be. don't hesitate though... it's a fabulous place and you won't regret it. i can send you pix if you like. just email me at [email protected].