{"id":1561,"date":"2015-05-27T04:47:50","date_gmt":"2015-05-27T04:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.diningtraveler.com\/?p=1561"},"modified":"2015-05-27T14:46:54","modified_gmt":"2015-05-27T14:46:54","slug":"el-conquistador-resort","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diningtraveler.com\/2015\/05\/el-conquistador-resort.html","title":{"rendered":"48 Hours at El Conquistador Resort"},"content":{"rendered":"
My first of several stays at El Conquistador Resort<\/a> in Fajardo, Puerto Rico began in 2001, where I stayed a for a few days as a graduation gift to myself. \u00a0I recall taking the boat to Palomino Island and instantly falling in love with the resort. \u00a0That was the beginning\u00a0of a series of stays, where I have had the opportunity to see how it has changed. \u00a0Several years ago, El Conquistador Resort was acquired by the Waldorf Astoria and underwent a multi-million dollar renovation. \u00a0Earlier this month, I had the opportunity not only to stay at El Con as it is affectionately called but take over their Instagram<\/a> account and share my favorite parts of the resort.<\/p>\n The Room:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 There are several buildings at El Conquistador Resort.\u00a0 Our room was at Las Brisas which had a beautiful view of the ocean, the pool, and the marina.\u00a0 The building sits high, which gives you a great vantage point of the property.\u00a0 Our deluxe room was large with a queen sized bed, a chaise, and a balcony.\u00a0 The bathroom and closet area were quite large as well.\u00a0 I was pleasantly surprised to see Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries in the bathroom, which makes you feel in the lap of luxury even more.<\/p>\n The Food:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 There are plenty of dining choices at the hotel. \u00a0You can literally stay there for a weekend and not eat at the same place twice!\u00a0 We had dinner at Chops, the steakhouse of the resort.\u00a0 The setting is perfect for a romantic evening with its red velvet d\u00e9cor, dim lights, and sexy ambiance.\u00a0 One of the things that is sometimes lost at a large resort is a local touch when it comes to food.\u00a0 Not so at El Conquistador. We indulged on chicharron of lamb glazed with guava sauce, traditional Puerto Rican mofongo (mashed fried plantains), and scallops on a bed of local mango.\u00a0 However, the sweet ending is what did us in: a pineapple crumble (made of local pineapples) topped with coconut ice cream. It was like tasting a pina colada pie!<\/p>\n Palomino Island:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em> If there\u2019s a number one reason why you should stay at El Conquistador Resort, it should be Palomino Island.\u00a0 How many hotels can boast that they have their own island?\u00a0 This tiny jewel is accessible to the hotel by a ferry that takes guests to the idyllic island.\u00a0 The sand is white and there is plenty to do.\u00a0 We took a hike to the top of the island and took in the beauty of the Puerto Rican coast line. \u00a0If you are not the lounging type (I\u2019m not!), there\u2019s plenty to do.\u00a0 You can rent snorkels, small sailboats, kayaks, and stand up paddleboards to keep you busy in the water.\u00a0 We also indulged in frozen rum cocktails from the Don Q Bar at the island.\u00a0 With a view like the one at Palomino, a frozen cocktail is mandatory!<\/p>\n The Pools:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 There are several pools to choose from at the resort, which is perfect to disperse the crowds.\u00a0 There is nothing more disappointing than being at a resort with a crowded pool!\u00a0 The pools are well kept and the main pool has a vacation essential: the swim up bar.<\/p>\n The Service:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em> The service was friendly at all areas of the hotel.\u00a0 For a hotel with more than 1,200 employees, I enjoyed how the staff was not only friendly to the guests, but to one another.\u00a0 I enjoyed the banter between the bartenders at Palomino, it made me feel at home.\u00a0 The only point for improvement was the check-out process. We waited 20 minutes to check out of the hotel.\u00a0 It would be more efficient to have more front desk staff or an express checkout system.<\/p>\n Location:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 Although the resort is in a secluded area of Fajardo, there\u2019s plenty in the local area you don\u2019t want to miss.\u00a0 I highly recommend to rent a car to get to the resort and for you to have a touch of the local experience.\u00a0 Head to the kiosks of Luquillo and mingle with locals.\u00a0 You can get from fried cod fritters to gourmet hamburgers.\u00a0 Head to El Yunque, the only rainforest in the US National Park System.\u00a0 To avoid the crowds, head to the park on weekdays in the late afternoon.\u00a0 You can spend hours hiking in nature.<\/p>\n What to know:<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 Food and drink at El Conquistador Resort is not included in the room rate.\u00a0 Cocktails and food are moderately priced.\u00a0 Make sure to budget for incidentals and food.\u00a0 If coming by car, you can save by doing self-parking versus valet.\u00a0 On weekends, many locals come to the resort for a weekend getaway therefore the resort area may be a bit more crowded.\u00a0 Take your time!\u00a0 There\u2019s plenty to do in the resort.\u00a0 From watersports at Palomino to an 18-hole golf course, I recommend reserving a tee-time or spa treatments prior to your arrival.<\/p>\n The verdict:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em> From a spontaneous weekend getaway to a destination wedding, El Conquistador Resort is a great bet.\u00a0 I have been visiting the hotel for almost 15 years and like a good wine, the resort gets better with age.\u00a0 The property has done a great job at balancing luxury and bringing the local elements of Puerto Rico, which as a Puerto Rican, I truly appreciated.<\/p>\n Note: I was hosted by El Conquistador Resort. As always, opinions are my own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My first of several stays at El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico began in 2001, where I stayed a for a few days as a graduation gift to myself. \u00a0I recall taking the boat to Palomino Island and instantly falling in love with the resort. \u00a0That was the beginning\u00a0of a series of stays, where […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":1569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,95,2,56],"tags":[288,286,287,262,267],"class_list":{"0":"post-1561","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hotel-reviews","8":"category-puerto-rico","9":"category-travel","10":"category-travel-tip","11":"tag-dining-traveler-guide-to-puerto-rico","12":"tag-el-conquistador","13":"tag-fajardo","14":"tag-hotel-review","15":"tag-puerto-rico"},"yoast_head":"\n<\/a>
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