What to expect: Well-heeled travelers down for the weekend from the East Coast mingle by the pool with conventioneers and island-hopping leisure travelers. Because the resort is so close to the airport, it's an easy stopover as well as a luxurious, self-contained oasis with its own casino, spa, and white-sand beach. The lobby—filled with potted plants, Italian marble, and rattan-and-wood furnishings—features live music at night. Amenity highlights: A European-style spa offers beauty treatments adjacent to clay tennis courts and a freeform pool with lion-shaped fountains. Gates by the poolside bar open to Isla Verde Beach, where guests can rent umbrellas and cabanas. At night, the soft tropical air carries the sounds of the lively casino, Latin-tinged jazz in the lobby lounge, and the enchanting call of the coqui, a native frog, in the resort's lush courtyard. Insider tip: The resort offers many dining choices, and guests may also venture across the street to Metropole, a casual and inexpensive restaurant favored by locals and tourists for its large portions of authentic Cuban cuisine.

DINING

The Vineyard - Considered one of the best restaurants in San Juan, The Vineyard offers a menu of California cuisine inspired by the Mediterranean. The wine list has won Wine Spectator awards since 1998. The refined atmosphere features dark woods, red-and-gold upholstered chairs, and subtle lighting. An open kitchen allows chefs to show their stuff. The menu ranges from fresh foie gras and salmon caviar to Caribbean lobster and smoked lamb chops. Dinner only; reservations and business attire recommended. The Caribbean Grill - Caribbean specialties are served at this elegantly casual restaurant with all-day dining both indoors or alfresco, overlooking the pool and gardens. The Ocean Bar & Grill - Sited between the freeform pool and the beach, this outdoor restaurant offers dining at tables and a bar under a gazebo as well as pool- and beachside. Waiters take orders for sandwiches, entrées, and frothy cocktails from guests in chaise lounges when they raise their lounger flags. Lunch and dinner daily. The Sushi Bar - Executives for Toyota are often seen at the resort's intimate sushi restaurant, which serves a variety of maki sushi rolls, salads and soups, and combination meals. Dinner only. The Bar - Open only at night, this clubby cigar lounge has a long marble bar flanked by thick columns, a pool table, and leaded-glass doors, all wrapped in a rich interior of woods and leather. The Bar offers 30 brands of cigars and a walk-in humidor. A light tapas menu is offered. The Lobby Lounge - Hosting a Continental breakfast by day and live music by night, the lobby lounge has potted plants and two-story windows facing the courtyard. Seating is at marble-topped tables with wrought-iron legs and rattan chairs. Guests can order from a coffee bar in the mornings and enjoy afternoon tea later in the day. The Casino Lounge - Facing a huge video screen (consisting of many standard-sized TV monitors), this lounge inside the casino offers drinks, food, and live entertainment (salsa and merengue) on weekend nights.

NEARBY POINTS OF INTEREST

Isla Verde Beach - adjacent Metropole (Cuban restaurant) - across the street Ocean Park Beach - 3 miles Downtown San Juan (business/financial district) - 4 miles Old San Juan - 6 miles San Cristóbal (fort) - 6 miles La Fortaleza (governor’s mansion) - 6 miles San Juan Cathedral (resting place of Ponce de León) - 6 miles El Morro (fort) - 7 miles Plaza Las Américas (shopping mall) - 9 miles Bacardi Rum Distillery - 12 miles El Yunque Caribbean National Forest - 30 miles Arecibo Observatory (radar/radio telescope) - 40 miles San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU): Approximate driving time is 5 minutes and distance is 2 miles. The Ritz-Carlton provides transport from the airport via sedan, limousine, or luxury coach (surcharge). Taxis are readily available and cost $8 (subject to change) each way. Rental cars are available online. Shuttle vans or private cars of varying prices also are available. They can be selected during the process of booking a reservation for this hotel, via this Web site, and added to the total trip cost. On ocean beach In suburbs Full-service health spa nearby In city center Airport nearby

POLICIES

A 10% resort fee is included in the room rate. Fee includes: Use of the spa fitness center Toll-free call access Local phone calls in the San Juan metropolitan area High-speed Internet access in all guestrooms Wireless Internet access in public areas, poolside, and at the beach Use of the beach chairs, towels, umbrellas Use of the tennis courts Use of select non-motorized water sports equipment (weather permitting; based on availability) Guided kayak tours Hobie Cat getaway sailboat ride Selection of daily fitness classes including morning aqua rejuvenation class Daily beach power walk and run Snorkeling classes Extra person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy. There are no room charges for children, 18 and younger, who occupy the same room as their parents or guardians. Rollaway beds and cribs (infant beds) may be available and should be requested at the time of booking; fees may apply. Photo identification and credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges. Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in. Special requests made via this Web site cannot be guaranteed and may incur additional charges. Pets not allowed Check-in time is 3 PM Check-out time is Noon

PROPERTY AMENITIES

Facing the white sands of Isla Verde Beach in the Carolina neighborhood, the Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Spa & Casino encompasses 8 acres of beachfront property just 2 miles from the airport. Open since 1997, the resort was the first Ritz-Carlton to have its own casino. It offers extensive meeting facilities, a lovely pool area, and spa. Artwork by Puerto Rican artists lines the hallways and guestrooms. The expansive spa offers body wraps, massage, and additional beauty treatments as well as sauna and steam rooms. Guests can swim in the ocean (the water is calm and warm) or the hotel's freeform pool, complete with fountains; food-and-drink service is available in both areas. Water sports are available on the beach and off-site, and the hotel offers daily excursions to the Camuy Caves and El Yunque rainforest. The resort's extensive meeting facilities (including a huge ballroom) are located on the opposite side of the building from guestrooms, so that vacationing guests are away from convention activities. Ground transportation: Shuttle vans or private cars of varying prices are available. They can be selected during the process of booking a reservation for this hotel, via this Web site, and added to the total trip cost. Swimming pool - outdoor Spa services on site Concierge services Fitness equipment Restaurant(s) in hotel Coffee shop or café Parking (surcharge) On-site car rental Banquet facilities Conference room(s) Audio-visual equipment Secretarial services Fax machine Number of rooms: 415 Express check-in/check-out Security guard Multilingual staff Beauty services Translation services Shopping on site Dry cleaning service Shoe shine Pool table Suitable for children Wheelchair accessible Airport transportation (surcharge) Poolside bar Spa tub Complimentary newspapers in lobby Bar/lounge Breakfast available (surcharge) Room service (24 hours) Parking (valet) Limo or Town Car service available Business center Catering Photocopy machines Internet access in public areas - complimentary Business services Porter/bellhop Doorman/doorwoman Safe-deposit box - front desk 24-hour front desk Babysitting or child care Gift shops or newsstand ATM/banking Garden Patio Air-conditioned public areas Supervised child care/activities Casino

RECREATION

Surrounded by chaise lounges and poolside servers carrying sandwiches, tropical drinks, and cool washcloths, the 7,200-square-foot swimming pool offers an open-air bar and private entrance to the white sands of Isla Verde Beach. Available water sports include Jet Skiing, parasailing, or kayaking on-site; snorkeling, diving, sailing, and waterskiing are close by. Two tennis courts and a tennis pro are on-site. The resort's fitness center offers aerobics and Cybex cardio equipment. The Ritz-Carlton has relationships with several nearby golf courses; guests may ask the concierge for details. The recreational activities listed below are available either on-site or near the hotel; fees may apply. Golfing Boating Windsurfing Jet skiing Sailing Aerobics Billiards Horse riding/rental Snorkeling Surfing/boogie boarding Swimming Kayaking Scuba diving Tennis Parasailing Fishing

ROOM AMENITIES

Internet access - high speed Pay movies CD player Premium bedding Climate control Multi-line phone Bottled water in room (complimentary) Wake-up calls Extra towels, linens, bedding Designer toiletries Bathrobes Bathroom telephone Desk In-room safe Non-smoking rooms Rollaway beds Cable/satellite TV Video-game console Hypo-allergenic bedding available Separate sitting area Air conditioning Voice mail Minibar Housekeeping Turndown service Private bathroom Hair dryer Clock radio Iron/ironing board Wheelchair accessible Smoking rooms Cribs available

ROOMS

The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel features 415 guestrooms in one H-shaped building. Rooms have views of the neighborhood (including a parking lot, largely shielded by tropical foliage), the nearby airport, or a lush inner courtyard. Amenities include framed local artwork, vibrantly colored bedding, and wood-and-rattan furnishings. Marble bathrooms have telephones and separate vanity areas with makeup mirrors, scales, and terrycloth bathrobes. Additional amenities in all guestrooms include radios with CD players, minibars, personal safes, and video-game consoles. Both dial-up and high-speed Internet access are available for a surcharge. Housekeeping is offered twice daily and evening turndown is provided.

Click here for PHOTO/VIDEO GALLERY

2008
From $339 to $669/night

*Always call for seasonal specials.
1.866.326.4403
(TC35)


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