Sneak Preview: The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel — Puerto Rico Luxury, Renewed

Sipping a madras at Marabar Lounge & Terrace, at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel.
The second-floor hallway leads to 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel.
Meeting space at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in Puerto Rico offers ocean views.
The lobby area at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in Puerto Rico has stylish furnishings.
Original artwork at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel includes sculptures and paintings.
Dramatic stairways lead from the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel's lobby to event space.
Even the men's room at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel is stylish and elegant.

You may not be able to check into its guest rooms until 2013, but the luxurious bars, restaurants and event space just opened this month at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, a landmark structure that was one of Puerto Rico‘s first luxury hotels when it first debuted in 1919. This property will likely start popping up on lists of Puerto Rico travel tips very soon.

Last week, we stopped by for cocktails at the Marabar Lounge, a sumptuous lobby bar with live DJ and lots of room to relax, including an outdoor terrace where, by night, dramatic lighting highlights the churning Atlantic waters. We also peeked into 1919, the pricey new restaurant (named after the year the hotel first opened) and the extensive event space on the second floor.

Anyone looking for interesting and upscale San Juan restaurants, tasty tropical cocktails and proximity to beautiful Puerto Rico beaches might want to make a note to check this place out. (And if you’re undecided about which San Juan neighborhood is better for your Puerto Rico vacation or business trip, check out my article, Condado vs. Isla Verde: Which is Best for San Juan, Puerto Rico Vacation?)

I snapped these photos to showcase the ambiance of this Puerto Rico hotel’s public spaces — and hope to stay there for a few nights next year.

Tags: business travel news, Condado Beach, Condado Vanderbilt hotel, hotel news, Puerto Rican food, Puerto Rico attractions, Puerto Rico beaches, Puerto Rico food, Puerto Rico restaurants, Puerto Rico travel tips, San Juan Condado, San Juan restaurants, travel news, tropical cocktails

About the Author

Mark Chesnut The founder and editor of LatinFlyer.com, Mark has more than 15 years of experience as a writer, editor and manager. He's worked with some of the biggest consumer, in-flight and travel trade publishers that cover Latin America.