Disillusionment

It's not easy to face certain realities about the places you love. It's certainly even much harder when the said places hold an infinitely secured place in your heart. San Juan, Puerto Rico is one such place for me. However, my last visit to the island proved to be as revealing as one might like to avoid.

It's true that March is perhaps the best time to visit PR if you are not fond of the blistering heat of the summer months. The problem, as it has revealed itself, is that the sun hardly comes out in March. It's disheartening to find oneself attempting to escape the dreary New York winter only to be harshly confronted by rain and cloudy skies. Because I had already seen the majority of the touristy areas, I didn't mind being confined to the wonderful El San Juan Hotel and Casino. But my disappointment came about when there was a power outage and this beloved hotel didn't have back up generators to keep the rooms lit. It wasn't such a bother that I couldn't lay by the pool or go for a swim In the ocean, but having to bathe in the dark and having my dinner plans cancelled due to a lack of power was beyond annoying. The truth is that I did not go to Puerto Rico so that I could have
dinner at Chili's.   This experience doesn't mean that I will stop going to San Juan, or that I will stop staying at the El San Juan. However, I'm beginning to face the reality that San Juan may not be quite as charming and unique as I would like to think.

When In Puerto Rico

Going on vacation can be a little intimidating if you’re not sure where to go. I didn’t have that kind of trouble when I recently went to San Juan in Puerto Rico. We planned ahead and knew exactly where we were going to go for our vacation. I suppose the best part will have to be the hotel we picked for our stay in San Juan.

The El San Juan Hotel and Casino has always been known as a top spot in San Juan, but I wasn’t aware of the class in the place until I went there. The minute we arrived from the San Juan airport, the man at the door, Hery, opened our taxi door and welcomed us to Puerto Rico and to the El San Juan Hotel. The people at the hotel were so kind and welcoming. We didn’t even have to drag our bags to the concierge desk. Our bags were held in a safe spot while we waited for our room to be prepared.

If you’ve ever seen the pictures on their website, you’ll be even more amazed when you see the suites they have. If you have the money, I would advise going for the suites, they are worth it, and the view of the amazing pool and ocean is just beyond words.

San Juan has a lot of elements to it which makes it the best spot in all of Puerto Rico, but you have got to take a trip to Old San Juan or Viejo San Juan as they like to call it. The stone lined streets are amazing, they look like old Europe. There are so many different things to see in Old San Juan, but you shouldn’t waste your time doing all the touristy things. San Juan has a lot of small nooks that you have to actually search for to truly enjoy.