THE PUERTO RICO RESORT SCENE

Source: various

March 13, 1999
The hotel and resort scene in Puerto Rico continues to grow and evolve, in spite of the fact that Puerto Rico's hotels averaged a mere 68.8 % occupancy during 1998. New resorts continue to be built while existing properties continually add services and improvements to keep up with the competition and provide guests with a top-notch experience.

New spas and fitness centers, restaurants, children's facilities, updated and upgraded guest rooms and public areas are all some of the features being added to resorts throughout the island. Meanwhile, hotel companies ranging from Sol Melia to Embassy Suites are planning new properties.

Among the renovations and new properties are:

Hyatt Resorts is continuing with a $55 million renovation at its two Puerto Rico properties, the Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort & Casino and the Hyatt Cerromar Beach Resort & Casino.

The Dorado's existing lobby bar has been completely renovated and reopened in January as the Cigar Bar, sporting hardwood floors, marble bar tops, tile tables, and a wall of windows looking out towards the ocean. The walls of the bar are decorated with vintage photography and old clippings of the hotel's opening and its history. Changes are also planned for the Dorado's Surf Room restaurant: it will have new carpeting, windows and furniture.

At the nearby Cerromar, a timeshare property listed with Interval International, guestrooms have received new tile floors and soft goods, and new blue railings have been installed on guestroom balconies. A 5,000 square foot spa is scheduled to open at the Cerromar by May, with five treatment rooms, a meditation room, a juice bar and fitness center. The resorts' four golf courses are being refurbished as well; two will remain closed until May, but the other two remain open.

In its first foray into Puerto Rico, the Sol Melia hotel chain plans to manage two adjacent 450-room all-inclusive resorts on Coco Beach in the northeastern part of the island. Construction of the $70 million project, which will be Puerto Rico's first all-inclusive resorts, is scheduled to begin in April. Jorge Davila, executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company said he expects the opening of the two Sol Melia properties to spur the development of additional all-inclusive resorts on the island.

In addition, Embassy Suites, which opened the 300-room Embassy Suites Hotel & Casino in San Juan in 1997, has bought land in Dorado where the company plans to develop a mid-range beachfront resort and golf course. Construction is set to begin in late 1999.

Meanwhile, a developer has been selected for the Condado Trio complex in San Juan, according to Davila, who said he expects the project to start sometime this year. The $200 million project has been delayed because the necessary environmental permits had not been obtained, Davila said.

The plan is to demolish the former La Concha Hotel and El Centro Convention Center, and to construct a 400-room hotel, a 100-unit timeshare facility and entertainment facilities. The former Condado Beach Hotel will be redeveloped because of its historical significance.