It’s sometimes hard to believe you can be in the middle of a Caribbean city and find a stretch of sand like you do in Condado, home to one of Puerto Rico’s nicest beaches perched right on the Atlantic Ocean.
It’s a beach that’s also home to one of the best places to stay in Puerto Rico’s capital: the San Juan Marriott, long one of our favorite stays on the island and among the destination’s most complete resorts.
Even better? The San Juan Marriott just completed a sweeping, $80 million renovation, one that covered just about the entire property.
So what’s new at the Condado-area resort?
For starters, there’s a new look and a new design identity. Marriott says it’s about “organic elements” blended with “premium finishes,” wood, taupe cues and turquoise blues.
The project included a refresh of the guest rooms; it added new-look, large pool cabanas replete with day beds; and a creative new culinary approach.
The dining program changes are among the most exciting: there’s a new menu at the all-day eatery called Cosecha, which added signature Puerto Rican flavors and locally-inspired looks.
There’s a craft cocktail bar called Azure, and a pizza-focused wine bar called Terrazzo.
One of the biggest pushes Marriott has made in the Caribbean in the last decade or so is in lobby design, and now the San Juan Marriott has gotten in on the action, with new design and a “modern look” when you check in.
And yes, in a nod to the growing trend, you can now play pickleball at the property.
It’s a big change for the 527-room beach resort, one that already included some great amenities ranging from a waterslide to a swim-up lounge.
So what does a stay cost?
An ocean-view (we recommend that, particularly for the soothing, curative sounds of Atlantic surf you get from these rooms) king-bed room will run you about $634 per night. (That includes a $65 per day resort fee).
If you’re a Bonvoy member, the price goes down to about $617 per night.
As far as getting there, Puerto Rico’s cheap flights have been one of the biggest drivers of the island’s tourism renaissance in recent years, and that remains the case. You can find more on flights here.
For more, visit the San Juan Marriott.
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