Puerto Rican Paradise: Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico
When my parents, sister, and I headed to Puerto Rico a few years back, I was in a much different place than I am now.
I was getting ready to be engaged to my now-husband (only I didn't know that at the time). I didn't have my darling daughter. I was starting my last year of grad school.
But one thing hasn't changed in that time: my unwavering love of anywhere that has palm trees, turquoise waters, and perfectly white sands.
When my mom found a super deal on the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, we jumped on the chance to head down to Puerto Rico for a few days. Even though I had to leave early for my adjunct professor training (the job that kept me from eating ramen noodles every night of my grad school days), I knew I had to go with them.
So, I packed up my beloved Vera Bradley Night Owl weekender bag (which is still with me, five years later), and headed off into what was I found was paradise.
We took a taxi from the San Juan airport and headed straight to the hotel. When we got there, I was amazed to find that the entire lobby is open air.
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| The lobby looking back towards the ocean and the pool. |
And there's a tropical bird in the lobby.
And all day long, you can hear the sound of palm trees rattling in the warm breeze. Because there aren't any doors!
Needless to say, I was entranced before we'd even checked in.
Our rooms weren't quite ready, so we took a quick look around the hotel. One of my favorite parts about the property was the San Geronimo Fort that's located just a few hundred feet from the lobby on the Condado Lagoon. Guests aren't allowed to tour it, but it's so cool to know that it's a part of the landscape.
When we headed up to our rooms, they were pretty standard for a Hilton or Hampton Inn: two double beds, lots of neutrals, a tv, a shower. I did like that we had a view of the fort and the Lagoon.
Over the four days we stayed here, we explored most of what the hotel had to offer including the gorgeous pool area, the onsite grill (standard burgers and fries), and the beach area. I call it the beach for lack of a better word for a a place that has lots of sand and palm trees--but, unlike most beaches, you can't get into the water here. Because of the currents, there's no entry into the water, so your sunning and playing options are limited to the hotel pool unless you want to head off property.
Clearly, I didn't mind the lack of a proper beach. Give me a good book, and I could stay here all day!
The hotel's been around for a long time--it opened in 1949--and it claims that the pina colada was created at its bar. Kudos to them for finding a way to fit the taste of the tropics into a blender!
One thing that I didn't love about the hotel was the fact that it was a few miles away from Old San Juan. That wouldn't be a problem if I'd gone to the hotel just to sunbathe and relax, but you know that I'm not much into relaxing if there are sites to see! We had to take a taxi back and forth every time we wanted to go into the historic section to eat or tour, which ended up racking up a pretty big bill for four people for four days.
Because of where it was located (away from downtown), there weren't too many food options other than the grill and the bar in the hotel. There was this one Subway just across from the entrance, but I'm not too willing to go to a brand new place with awesome cuisine and eat cold cuts the entire time.
So, minor complaints, but both worth considering when choosing your San Juan accommodations.
Would I go back? Yes, if I was planning to hang around the hotel more than I did on this trip. The views were gorgeous and the property was nice. If I wanted to explore more of the old city, I'd probably head closer into town, though.
Have you ever been to Puerto Rico? If so, tell me where you stayed and what you did! If not, is this a place on your bucket list?