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8 Puerto Rico Resorts for Sun, Sea and Sand

Puerto Rico is open for business after Hurricane Maria and these gorgeous resorts and hotels are waiting to welcome you back.

Listening to salsa bounce off the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan and sipping a mojito in the setting sun is what initially made me fall in love with Puerto Rico. The milky white sand, cobalt water, and shaded groves of swaying palms on Condado’s beaches sealed the relationship.

I discovered on subsequent trips that the island truly was made for romance, tucked away with my husband at remote hotels on the islands’ secluded west coast, exploring beaches where we never encountered another tourist. Later in life, I brought my son and marked the years passing with springtime visits to our Puerto Rican escape.

My heart trembled after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. But resilient Puerto Rico is welcoming travellers once again with new luxe properties and renovated favourites all ready to take in visitors old and new alike.

“Visiting is the best way to show your support for the island,” proclaims the local tourist board. So show your support by booking a stay at one of these eight resorts in Puerto Rico.

An Old Convent Turned into a Romantic Retreat

1/4

If the Carmelite nuns who made this historic monastery their home in the 17th Century could see El Convento now, they would probably be scandalized at the romantic hideaway it’s become. Hopefully, after the initial shock, they’d grab a mojito and sink into the luxurious bed at one of the most romantic spots in the Caribbean. The rooms with their Spanish antique beds, vaulted ceilings, and tile floors feel like you’ve been transported to another era. Stepping out onto the Juliet balcony brings you face-to-face with the oldest church in the Caribbean and a welcoming, bench-lined park.

Carved wood doors open onto corridors that look down into a plant-filled courtyard where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. Early evening brings complimentary wine and cheese on the upper terrace along with sunset views. There’s a small rooftop pool and a hot tub on the roof,  and the hotel has arrangements with a beach-side resort where you can spend the day on the sand with full-guest privileges. Perhaps best of all, is the central location. It’s easy to explore the historic sights of the old city from here, especially the castle walls of El Morro fort, and the nightlife and restaurants of Calle Fortaleza are just a short walk away.

Hotel El Convento

Top rated
San Juan
8.6 Excellent (2501 reviews)

A Boutique Beach Resort on the Half Shell

1/4

La Concha Renaissance San Juan is a stylish boutique hotel located next to La Ventana al Mar Park in the midst of the swanky shops and restaurants of San Juan’s stylish Condado neighborhood. The first thing you’ll notice about the resort is the giant white oyster shell (or “concha”) that forms the exterior of La Perla restaurant. The quirky design and upscale dishes, (fennel-dusted diver scallops with truffle white-bean stew and baked Caribbean lobster with lobster beurre blanc) at the popular dining spot are an apt reflection of this stylish and fun hotel.

By day, soak up the sun on the picturesque beachfront or cool down at any one of the property’s three pools. For a lively scene, grab a lounge chair at the high-energy, multi-level infinity-edge Main Pool, or seek seclusion in the quieter infinity-edge Sereno Pool that faces the beach. When the sun goes down, the hotel’s lobby transforms into a glamorous lounge scene, buzzing with stylish locals sipping cocktails, nibbling sushi, and taking in the sounds of the resident DJs spinning tracks.

Feeling lucky? Test your luck at the property’s state-of-the-art Casino Del Mar. At the end of the day, retire to the contemporary rooms with ocean views; the junior suites have plenty of elbow room and small kitchenettes and balconies where you can spot La Perla and watch the water

La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort

Top rated
San Juan
8.6 Excellent (5073 reviews)

Enjoy Puerto Rican Nightlife by the Beach

1/4

A nightclub pulsing to Latin tunes, groups of friends dressed to impress, couples salsa-ing until the wee hours–the iconic El San Juan on a pristine stretch of San Juan’s Isla Verde is synonymous with great entertainment. As it has been since it first opened in 1959 and hosted the world’s top entertainers, including Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. There’s a nightlife interest to suit every taste here, ranging from a rum bar to a cabaret, and a nightclub, Brava, for late-night dance parties. The restaurants here also draw crowds, especially the gourmet Puerto Rican cuisine at Caña featuring creamy mashed plantain mofongo, garlic-slicked shrimp, and churrasco steak with spicy green sauce.

Of course, none of this would matter much on a tropical island if you didn’t have a beach to dig your toes into, and the hotel delivers on that front in spades; located right on the widest part of the golden shores of Isla Verde. The El San Juan also has a mix of spacious hotel rooms and luxe poolside and oceanfront villas that all interweave modern-tropical design with old world grandeur befitting of its 70-year history. Another plus: The Isla Verde location is just a 10-minute drive from the airport, so you can start your vacation almost as soon as you get your bags.

An Affordable Beach Getaway in Puerto Rico

1/4

Location, location, location. The Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort has an enviable perch on Isla Verde, the only Blue Flag beach in San Juan. It’s on the same stretch of beach as the swanky El San Juan, so you’ll have access to the silky sand and translucent surf, but without the big price tag, making it a prime choice for an affordable beach vacation in the San Juan area. The resort is also a great spot for families, since the water here is calm and shallow without any rip tides, plus there’s a separate children’s pool where they can splash all they want without bothering anyone in the large free-form pool nearby.

All the rooms here have balconies, and more importantly, since it’s near the airport flight path, soundproof windows. The spacious one-bedroom suites include pullout couches and kitchenettes for about the same price as a regular room elsewhere. The Sirena Oceanfront Restaurant, with beachside seating, candlelight, and billowing curtains is a great date night option for tapas and paella for two, served with a view of the sea.

Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort

Carolina
8.4 Very good (3388 reviews)

Adventures and Wide-Open Spaces in Puerto Rico

1/4

Set on 500 acres between the national forest and the sea, the Rio Mar Beach and Spa is about an hour’s drive south of San Juan and feels like you’re staying on a private nature reserve. Nearby is El Yunque Rainforest, the only rainforest in the U.S. National Park system. The park is still recovering from Hurricane Maria, but according to the National Park Service, it’s regenerating and is well on track to reopen soon, which is good news for anyone wanting to explore its cascading waterfalls and hiking paths. One natural attraction you can visit now: The Bioluminescent Bay located just south of the resort in Fajardo, where every evening small motorboats tend to the glowing waters filled with microscopic organisms called dinoflagellates that illuminate the sea with neon blue and green light.

There’s plenty to keep you busy outdoors on the property, too, including a full mile of golden beaches, two championship 18-hole golf courses, and the Caribbean’s largest tennis centre. Indoors, the resort entices with a 7,000-square-foot spa and fitness centre and the premier casino in the area. A complete multi-million dollar refurbishment after the hurricane made all of the 400 rooms here into plush hideaways with pillow-top beds and sleek styling.

Rio Mar Beach And Spa - A Wyndham Grand

Rio Grande
7.5 Good (1704 reviews)

A Puerto Rican Resort Perfect for Water Sports Enthusiasts

1/3

On the hidden southwest corner of the island in little known Guanica, Copamarina Beach Resort & Spa is a resort that feels like a secret getaway on the gentle Caribbean Sea (San Juan’s resorts face the more dynamic Atlantic Ocean). It’s a top pick for water activities, and with the only private dive shop in the area, you can snorkel or SCUBA among the vitrine Caribbean waters without bumping into anyone. Even newbies can dive in with SCUBA classes and SNUBA, a cross of snorkelling and SCUBA that doesn’t require any experience but allows you to submerge up to 10 feet while connected to oxygen floating on a raft up above.

Another highlight: Gilligans’ Island, a small mangrove cay that feels like you’ve landed on a castaway island (although we haven’t spotted the Skipper or Mary Ann yet). The hotel runs small motorboats out to the sandy spot, or you can kayak or canoe to the scenic spot (note that it does get a little windy around the back of the dock, so take the motorised option if you’re not a strong paddler).

Rooms here run the gamut from a standard hotel layout to freestanding villas, all newly decorated in bright, fresh Caribbean colours. Copamarina is also one of the only properties in Puerto Rico to offer all-inclusive packages, which is helpful since the resort is a bit off the beaten path. Meal plans can be used at both of the resort’s restaurants: The casual beachfront Las Brisas and fine dining Restaurant Alexandra; the fresh fish specials at both, including red snapper and local lobster, are must-orders.

Copamarina Beach Resort & Spa, BW Premier Collection

Guanica
7.7 Good (270 reviews)

Stayin' Surfside in Puerto Rico

1/4

Sleepy Rincon, on the west coast of Puerto Rico, has a unique surfer town flare that draws wave aficionados from around the world. This is where to come for quiet beaches, hidden coves, and a laid back vacation where flip-flops are the only footwear you’ll need. The Rincon Beach Resort is one of the only full-service hotels in the area, with an infinity pool featuring an in-water bar and chair-side service. Order one of their signature frozen mudslides as you sink into this private beach-side location.

There’s also tennis and workout facilities, plus a casual restaurant, Las Brisas, that serves modern Caribbean dishes with local ingredients. Overnight options at the resort range from affordable basic rooms to stylish suites to spacious two-bedroom condo villas with kitchens. Although you won’t find the urban shopping and nightlife scene of San Juan, Tamboo is just a short drive from the resort where surfers congregate for strong rum drinks, fish tacos, and live music with views of the surf.

Rincon Beach Resort

Top rated
Añasco
8.6 Excellent (2333 reviews)

The Ultimate Luxury Resort in Puerto Rico

1/4

For decades, lodging options on Puerto Rico were relatively laid back and casual without any of the high-end destination properties that dot the Caribbean. That all changed with Dorado Beach, a unique luxury hotel that occupies the 1,400-acre former Laurance Rockefeller estate.

Although upscale, the property isn’t stuffy. In fact, it’s incredibly kid-friendly with a state-of-the-art $12 million water play area and the Ambassadors of the Environment program where kids can explore the area’s natural highlights in and around the water in a camp setting. Another property highlight: three TPC golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. After a round of golf you can simply unwind and relax at the Spa Botánico, a five-acre sanctuary built on a pineapple field that uses Puerto Rican ingredients and soothing indigenous traditions in holistic, whole body treatments.

The Reserve’s exquisite beachfront guestrooms and suites start at nearly 1,000 square feet and have floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that open to expansive terraces with sweeping ocean views. All the rooms have outdoor showers and many feature private pools, too. And, if you’d prefer a beach-side home instead of a hotel suite, there are five-bedroom villas with infinity pools and hot tubs, fully equipped kitchens, and dedicated staff to cater to your every vacation desire.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Top rated
Dorado
9.6 Excellent (471 reviews)