The first magical feature of Puerto Rico I experienced was the mist. The sun was out and bright, bright, bright, yet the air was dense with moisture following a rainstorm we had just missed, the only rain we came close to encountering during our three-day stay. We had arrived at the Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza resort via shuttle from the airport, stepped out onto our very private balcony and were engulfed by rain-that-wasn’t-rain. It was a bizarre moment to have just been out in the sun only to be enveloped by the heavy mist lounging on our balcony.
On our balcony at the Conrad Condado
And once the dampness left, I noticed a second enchanting feature of Puerto Rico: the pelicans. Gliding in prehistoric grandeur from palm tree to palm tree to ocean and back up to tree level, the pelicans, beast-like yet graceful, provided a soul-fetching experience.
Unlike with many hotels, the website for the Conrad Condado accurately translates the look and feel of the property to the two-dimesional screen through its glittering rotating images and tourist-friendly but true-north descriptions. We couldn’t have had an easier time recognizing the place and its amenities from the website’s depiction. The recognition was far from disappointing.
The resort is tucked in alongside Condado Lagoon and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors may choose either the city view or the ocean view. I highly recommend the ocean view.
The ocean view from our room at early evening
As far as I could tell, you can’t get a poor ocean view from any seaside room in the resort. The Atlantic stretches out from you unobstructed to meet large ships and barges in the far distance. From our room, which was situated at the end nearest the lagoon, we also could view the oceanside-edge of the rock-rimmed lagoon, the lush observation area and, farther off, a cluster of neighboring resorts jutting out into the ocean.
The interior of the Conrad Condado is clean and contemporary; it has an electric, hip freshness that can be attributed to the recent renovation undergone by the property. At first blush it might have seemed too young for us. But we quickly noted the wide variety in guests’ ages. The resort also is pet friendly. As an aside, we chatted with a women who had her dog with her. She was a frequent visitor from the East Coast who had in fact adopted her pooch from a rescue in Puerto Rico that relocates dogs from the infamous Dead Dog Beach. (For more information on this effort, check in with Pets Alive.)
Once in the room, the decor and setting are duly lovely and pleasant, but the main attraction is the out-of-doors view. A glass doorway flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows opens out to the balcony; the window space spans the width of the room. It is an experience worthy of deep-breathing contentment to wake up to the sound and sight of surf crashing against the rocks below. Our room’s decor was comfortable, sharply coordinated, clean and well maintained. The bathroom was large, gorgeous and highly functional_an unquestioned spa feeling pervaded it.
Among the resort’s amenities are a pool whose centerpiece is a swim-up bar; a separate saltwater pool, which provides a wonderful natural exfoliation experience; and an exclusive beach, which curves along the lagoon. The property also includes a casino, which seemed to be an afterthought given the appeal of the rest of the resort.
We found the desk staff to be pleasant. We also observed their well-trained patience as we waited in line to check in. Staff took all the time the situations required with guests who seemed to have tricky, unusual problems to be resolved.
The service response time in other areas was spotty. We and other patrons at the swim-up bar waited more than 30 minutes to be acknowledged, then another 20 or so to receive our drinks. Given the lush, warm surroundings, it was tough for anyone to be angry about the lack of attention to service, but we all came away knowing to manage our own expectations next time. Similarly, we made a game of watching to see how long it would take for housecleaning staff to remove a lone, used wine glass from outside the neighboring room_it had finally disappeared when we were preparing to check out of the resort.
We split our time between the Condado area of the city, where the resort is located on Ashford Avenue, and Old San Juan. Ashford Avenue runs through Condado and is billed variously as the Rodeo Drive and the Fifth Avenue of Puerto Rico. You certainly will find the most upscale clothiers and accessories shops on Ashford, but the area, while not shabby, is stark in its attention to storefront appeal. The high-end stores do not stand out from the office buildings, restaurants, service shops and condos that also populate the street. It is nonetheless an interesting, highly tactile avenue to walk along. You’ll also find a charming independent coffee shop, in addition to the Starbucks located next door to the resort.
And then there’s Old San Juan. The color, the light, the vibrancy and the history of the place contrasts with the contemporary urban streets of Condado.
Old San Juan, uphill
The drive from Condado to Old San Juan takes several scenic minutes; it’s not a walkable trek. Taxis are generally available across the street from the resort, and drivers may offer to drive you for the day; the fee is negotiable. Be savvy in this situation. One duo tried to tag-team us into hiring one of them for the next day, but the more they talked, the more we knew we were being hustled. We arrived back at the hotel safely and more knowledgeable for the experience. Another option is the local bus, which we never seemed to be able to catch.
Old San Juan, downhill
In some ways Old San Juan reminded us of the French Quarter in New Orleans. We ducked into small souvenir shops and art galleries that could easily have been found on rue Royale, and ornate facades and wrought iron balconies recalled New Orleans as well. We enjoyed a very good meal our first night in San Juan at a place called Mojito’s, located near the theater venues on Recinto. I had become ill after eating at a local bar-restaurant on Ashford and didn’t begin to feel well until eating the shrimp gumbo at Mojito’s_it had a rehabilitative impact on my system. The wait staff brought us a number of dishes to try_my husband is an excellent cook and always interested in breaking down the chefs’ approach. The waiter removed from our bill one dish we disliked and didn’t finish.
Our main goal in traveling to sunny resort destinations is to avoid a few days of bad weather up north. Our timing for this trip wasn’t ideal for that purpose, but the warmth stayed with us in a sense during the rest of the winter. It was satisfying to knew we can travel with relative ease to a resort that offers warm, beautiful luxury at a truly reasonable price.
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