The opening of the 100-room Vanderbilt Hotel in 1919 marked the beginning of upscale tourism in Puerto Rico. The reopening of the historic hotel as the five-star Condado Vanderbilt will mark a return to that elegant age—and it is only one of the many new top-quality hotels on the horizon. From the small inns and paradors to large business, resort, and convention venues, there is now a constellation of categories available on the island.
But what does “five-star” actually mean? A five-star rating is generally accepted in the tourism industry as the highest possible category, although there are a handful of hotels in the world that claim a hyperbolic six or even seven stars. Critics usually stick to the five-star system and consider more stars as marketing hype. Instead of stars, AAA uses a similar five-diamond rating system and many major hotel chains rate their own properties with stars, with five being reserved for the most luxurious venues. There is no universal standard when determining the elements that make up the star (or diamond) system. Each entity and some countries create their own criteria.
Travelers do best to trust the ratings of large hotel chains, since their success depends on meeting the expectations of their guests, or the rating system used by the national government, if one exists. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company uses a star rating system developed and maintained by Diamond Hospitality, an independent quality-assurance program, with input from its own Quality Control Committee, which is made up of local hospitality-industry leaders.
The stars on the ¡Qué Pasa! lodging lists are the result of this process; short comments on each property (where they have been made) are garnered from the latest Diamond Hospitality reports. Hotels may also be identified with a Q logo, which means they received one of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company‘s annual Quality Index Awards in recognition of the highest level of quality in their category.
Here is the star system as it applies to the hotels on our lists: A one-star establishment is clean and well maintained, providing modest and comfortable accommodations. A two-star establishment provides comfortable accommodations with added amenities and services at a modest price. A three-star establishment offers a large array of services and amenities. There is a definite style in both the physical areas as well as in the level of comfort. A four-star establishment offers exceptional service and upgraded facilities. There is a noticeable enhanced level of quality throughout with a high degree of hospitality and attention to detail. A five-star establishment offers outstanding service and amenities, making these properties the ultimate in both comfort and style. These properties consistently exceed all guest expectations at all levels. The level of service is impeccable in all areas.
The Newest Stars in our Firmament
Here is a rundown on five-star hotels that have been announced as this issue is being prepared. Star ratings are based on preliminary reports by developers and reflect their intentions. Stars (or diamonds in the case of AAA) aren’t awarded until the operating property is visited and assessed by the rating agencies. There are no five-star properties in Puerto Rico today, but that situation is changing very quickly. According to different sources, between six and eight five-star hotels will debut in the next few years.
Condado Vanderbilt
The original Vanderbilt was designed by famed architect Whitney Warren of New York’s Grand Central Station fame to reflect the highest standards in its day. The same care is being taken in the reconstruction of the historic hotel on Ashford Avenue in Condado, which will open in 2011. The five-star property will feature 305 guestrooms, including 80 Commodore suites and 40 Biltmore suites, in two, 11-story adjacent towers. The property will offer 15,000 square feet of meeting space and four restaurants, including 19 Nineteen, billed as “the island’s finest restaurant.”
JW Marriott Hotel & Resort
A five-star JW Marriott Hotel & Resort is underway at Coco Beach in Río Grande. The $250 million, 427-room hotel will have 11 restaurants and a total of 20,000 square feet of meeting space. The JW is Marriott’s most luxurious brand and the new Puerto Rico property—located near the Trump Residences & Golf Club—will join 39 other JW Marriotts worldwide: 16 in the U.S. and its territories and 23 in other markets.
Mandarin Oriental Palmas del Mar
Palmas del Mar Properties Inc. and partners will invest some $320 million in a 142-room Mandarin Oriental five-star hotel, an 18,000-square-foot Signature Mandarin Oriental Spa, 44 Mandarin-branded Condo residences, and 25 branded estate homes at Palmas del Mar in Humacao, according to news reports. The project is scheduled for completion in 2011.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is the award-winning owner and/or operator of some of the world’s most prestigious hotels and resorts. Mandarin Oriental now operates, or has under development, 41 hotels representing over 10,000 rooms in 24 countries, with 16 hotels in Asia, 15 in The Americas, and 10 in Europe and North Africa.
Regent Palmas del Mar Puerto Rico
Also slated for Palmas del Mar’s Punta Candelero in Humacao is a five-star property by Regent Hotels & Resorts designed by Trisha Wilson. Construction will begin in 2009 and opening is scheduled for December 2011. The $172 million, 150-room property will include 96 guest rooms, 52 condo-hotel suites, and five spa suites. The Regent Puerto Rico will also offer 153 Regent-branded residences. Among the amenities will be a 16,000-square-foot lakeside spa, three restaurants, and three pools.
Ritz-Carlton Dorado Beach
The five-star Ritz-Carlton Dorado Beach has been announced but, at the time of this writing, details are vague. What is known is that Caribbean Property Group and Prisa Group— owners of the Isla Verde Ritz-Carlton Hotel & Casino, the Ambassador Hotel & Casino, the Normandie Hotel, and several real-estate properties and shopping centers in Puerto Rico—acquired the Cerromar and Dorado Beach hotels and plan to open a $1.5 billion mixed-use hospitality and residential project in Dorado. Construction is expected to begin this year.
St. Regis Resort & Residences,
Bahía Beach
A five-star, $172 million St. Regis Resort is under construction as part of the 483- acre Bahía Beach Resort & Golf Club in Río Grande. The opening is scheduled for November 2010. The 139-room resort will feature a Trent Jones Jr. golf course, residential complexes, a 10,000-square-foot Rémede Spa, and Jean-Georges, one of the top-10 restaurants in the world.
Other New Luxury Hotels
W Retreat & Spa
The W Retreat & Spa in Vieques is scheduled to open Oct. 1, 2009. The 156-room hotel will join sister properties in Bali, Koh Samui (Thailand), and Verbier (Switzerland)—the brand’s first ski retreat—offering unique luxury services in exotic locations. W Hotels is a global luxury lifestyle brand with 25 properties and is part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Starwood brands include Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Le Méridien, W Hotels, and Westin.
La Concha, A Renaissance Resort
The 248-room La Concha re-opened in December 2007 after a total renovation. The property has 20,000 square feet of meeting space including a panoramic indoor/outdoor rooftop area, wireless connectivity throughout the property, four full-service restaurants, and a casino and oceanfront spa currently under development. Condé Nast Traveler selected this latest reiteration of the historic La Concha as Puerto Rico’s hottest spot in 2008. Renaissance is Marriott’s quality-tier full-service brand providing guests with the ambiance of a boutique. There are 143 Renaissance Hotels, Resorts and Suites: 75 in the United States and 68 internationally.
New Convention Center Hotels
Construction never seems to stop in our Convention Center District. Hotels are sprouting up around the state-of-the-art Puerto Rico Convention Center like mushrooms. What was once called a “pipe dream” is quickly becoming a reality: groups of up to 10,000 people can comfortably attend meetings, tradeshows, and seminars within walking distance of their hotels. The 1,400 rooms planned or underway will be a step in that direction.
First on the horizon is the 503-room Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino scheduled to open Nov. 1 2009. It will have 35,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 16,300-squarefoot main ballroom and a 7,700-square-foot junior ballroom, able to accommodate 1,800 meeting attendees. It will be among the first in the Caribbean to be built according to the U.S. Green Building Council’s specifications. A special attraction is a lavish 57,000-square-foot outdoor four-story-high sundeck adorned with tropical landscaping and a large infinity swimming pool.
Construction of a $70 million Aloft Hotel will break ground in May 2009 for completion in spring of 2012. The 252-room property will be an extension of the main Sheraton property within the district and will offer 16,000 square feet of commercial space. Aloft is a new high-design, low-cost brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
In late 2009, the Marriott Courtyard Convention District Hotel will break ground to incorporate an additional 300 rooms in the district. The property is scheduled to open in late 2012. Courtyard by Marriott is the company’s moderately priced lodging brand, “Designed by business travelers for business travelers.”
Also near the district, a Golden Triangle Hotel is planned. Vistas de San Juan, a former luxury apartment building, will undergo a $40-million retrofit to become a 303-room three- or four-star condo-hotel. Plans for two towers with an additional 500 rooms are also being discussed.
