Since I wrote about El Conquistador Resort and Fajardo, Puerto Rico in January, four different groups of friends have booked a trip to the resort. Some were looking for a couples getaway while others vacationed with family. Traveling from home bases of Boston, DC and Chicago, they all had one thing in common: wanting to escape the frigid winter! I'll admit, I was drooling over their Facebook photos of paradise, wishing I was back there instead of buried under three feet of snow.
Since Chris and I only spent a few nights at El Conquistador, I followed up with a few of these folks after their trips to gather additional feedback on the resort and Fajardo. Most importantly, everyone had a great time and enjoyed the sunshine, calm water and warm breezes of the island.
Here are a few tips I found particularly helpful:
Since Chris and I only spent a few nights at El Conquistador, I followed up with a few of these folks after their trips to gather additional feedback on the resort and Fajardo. Most importantly, everyone had a great time and enjoyed the sunshine, calm water and warm breezes of the island.
Here are a few tips I found particularly helpful:
Transportation to and from El Conquistador
The most common question I received from readers was "what is the best way to get there?". The distance from San Juan Airport to El Conquistador is 55km (34 miles) and will take anywhere from 40-60 minutes driving, depending on traffic. My recommendation was to rent a car if you could get a cheap rate at the San Juan airport (<$35/day) and self park at the hotel ($15/day). I recommend this ONLY for short stays and if the traveler plans on exploring the area. If you are going for a full week and plan to stay at the resort, it may be more economical to take the shuttle because $15/day for parking can add up. You can rent a car for a day at a time at the resort.
My friend Meg stayed at the Casitas Village with her husband and if you book a room or apartment at the Casitas Village, parking is included in the rate. They took the shuttle, but if she were to do it again, they would have rented a car, mainly because the taxis were overpriced and they enjoyed leaving the resort for meals.
On the flip side, Elizabeth recommends taking the shuttle. She was traveling with her mother and young son and found the shuttle to be much more economical than renting a car as she was staying there for a week and parking would have added up. The shuttle costs $78 per adult and $58 per child round trip. If you are a family of two adults and two kids, they cut the rate to $200 round trip. This means that families that consist of two adults and one kid pay MORE ($214) than families with two adults and two kids ($200). A little bizarre, but she successfully negotiated the policy with the concierge ahead of time and got the rate for $200 round trip. She said the airport transfer was very easy - they were met at baggage claim and driven directly to the resort.
She also rented a four door Jeep on-site for 24 hours in order to see the rainforest and to go out to dinner one night which was far more economical than paying for the hotel sponsored rainforest tour.
Like Meg, Elizabeth acknowledged that the hotel's taxi service was overpriced but considering that the dinners in Fajardo were half the price of the food at the resort and far better quality, it was was worth the extra expense.
My friend Meg stayed at the Casitas Village with her husband and if you book a room or apartment at the Casitas Village, parking is included in the rate. They took the shuttle, but if she were to do it again, they would have rented a car, mainly because the taxis were overpriced and they enjoyed leaving the resort for meals.
On the flip side, Elizabeth recommends taking the shuttle. She was traveling with her mother and young son and found the shuttle to be much more economical than renting a car as she was staying there for a week and parking would have added up. The shuttle costs $78 per adult and $58 per child round trip. If you are a family of two adults and two kids, they cut the rate to $200 round trip. This means that families that consist of two adults and one kid pay MORE ($214) than families with two adults and two kids ($200). A little bizarre, but she successfully negotiated the policy with the concierge ahead of time and got the rate for $200 round trip. She said the airport transfer was very easy - they were met at baggage claim and driven directly to the resort.
She also rented a four door Jeep on-site for 24 hours in order to see the rainforest and to go out to dinner one night which was far more economical than paying for the hotel sponsored rainforest tour.
Like Meg, Elizabeth acknowledged that the hotel's taxi service was overpriced but considering that the dinners in Fajardo were half the price of the food at the resort and far better quality, it was was worth the extra expense.
[Pictured Above] La Casitas Village not only has fantastic views but the parking is free!
[Pictured Below] Elizabeth's beautiful view from El Yunque rainforest. Worth a visit on a sunny day!
[Pictured Below] Elizabeth's beautiful view from El Yunque rainforest. Worth a visit on a sunny day!
Best Restaurants in Fajardo
In my "Things to do in Fajardo" post, I highly recommended eating at La Estacion and it turned out to be a favorite of these visitors too! The only caveat is to call ahead to make sure they are open the night you plan on going to dinner. Since these travelers spent more nights there than Chris & I did, they were lucky enough to sample the other restaurants in Fajardo. Here were their favorites:
- Breakfast at Las Vistas Cafe
- Dinner at Pasion por el Fogon - try the whole stuffed fish and the fried ice cream in almonds and coconuts.
- Dinner at Di Yukas
- At the resort, Singray Cafe by the marina and Cafe Bella Vista were recommended.
[Pictured Above] While everyone agreed the best food is in town, the resort's Stingray Cafe served decent food with a nice view of the marina. Elizabeth shared this pretty shot of the marina at sunset.
Tips for Kids at El Conquistador
El Conquistador has many amenities, and the water park was a big hit with kids! It turns out that the water park has some of the best views at the resort and it also boasts a lovely infinity pool. One tip was that the water park can be exhausting and spending an entire day there is not necessary. If you go after 1:30pm you'll pay a significantly lower rate and still get a full 4 hours of play time.
Also, the sun is really strong in Puerto Rico and a few of the fairer travelers got burned, even after applying really strong sun screen. Remember to bring long-sleeved sun/swim shirts and hats for the kids. They are not going to want to sit in the shade with a water park, pool and beach at their disposal!
Also, the sun is really strong in Puerto Rico and a few of the fairer travelers got burned, even after applying really strong sun screen. Remember to bring long-sleeved sun/swim shirts and hats for the kids. They are not going to want to sit in the shade with a water park, pool and beach at their disposal!
Special Events at El Conquistador
Another tip I found particularly helpful was to call ahead about special events at the resort. One friend said there was a corporate conference going on at the resort while she and her husband were there on vacation. I've never had to deal with this before, but I can only imagine how uncomfortable it might be to walk amongst people networking in business suits while sporting a swim suit. This couple spent most of their trip on the beach at Palomino Island and tried their best to avoid the main resort common areas.
Favorite Part of the Resort & Fajardo
I asked about everyone's favorite part of the trip. Here were their answers, in no particular order:
- Palomino Island (also my favorite!). The beach was calm, clear and very relaxing.
- Las Casitas Village - the couple that stayed here loved their room with a balcony that looked over the ocean.
- Snorkeling - one couple loved their snorkeling excursion and wished they had booked a day trip to either Culebra or Vieques for more snorkeling fun, but the tours were full by the time they got there.
- The rooms with a balcony in the Las Brisas wing had beautiful views and modern bathrooms. One person said they might want to try a first floor room in the Marina because they have balconies that have both sunny and shady sections.
[Pictured Above] Palomino Island was a traveler favorite. No surprises here!
Book a Package Deal Through A Wholesale Club
This was a new tip for me, since I don't belong to a wholesale club. However, these clubs have many travel benefits and Elizabeth booked her family's flights and stay at the hotel as a package through BJs travel site, saving thousands of dollars. Note, you must be a BJs member to book travel through their site.
Remember, Resort Fees Apply
Many hotels in Puerto Rico charge a daily resort fee. El Conquistador's is 18% of the room rate so make sure you incorporate this into your total cost, as it can add up! Often times when you are booking via a third party (ie travel agent or travel aggregator site) they don't include the resort fee in the advertised price. Instead it's in the fine print and many folks are surprised upon arrival or checkout at the resort.
Thanks so much to those who sent in feedback from your trip!!!
Thanks so much to those who sent in feedback from your trip!!!
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