I was going through some old blog posts and realized that I only ever shared our stay at Pena Mar. We also stayed at El Conquistador for 4 days during our last trip to Puerto Rico and it was amazing. Normally I’m not a 5-star hotel kind of girl. I’m good with rental condos or local airbnb rentals but this place was nothing short of amazing. Keep in mind if you are looking for a budget-friendly hotel stay this is probably not the hotel for you. However, if you are looking to go all out then you’ve come to the right place!
Everything you need to know about El Conquistador Resort
Pricing
The room we had was roughly $375/night. You will also be looking at hotel tax per night as well as a parking fee. I believe we payed $26 per day for parking but that may have changed. El Conquistador is part of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels franchise so it is on the pricier side but definitely worth it. Restaurants and bars are also a little pricier but that’s normal when staying at a 5-star. For the price you pay you can also count of outstanding service from staff as well. I was very impressed with how well we were treated by the hotel manager and the rest of the staff there. For me, service is huge because you can’t put a price on that.
Hotel Grounds
The Hotel grounds are absolutely breathtaking. Set on a golf course with rolling hills and covered in Palm Trees, you will be blown away by the view. Driving up to the entrance takes about 5 minutes because the site is so big. Once you are all booked an settled in you could spend several days just exploring the grounds alone. There are several pools, multiple shops and restaurants, a spa, a gym and even a Starbucks for all you coffee fanatics!
The breakfast buffet at Las Brisas was unbelievable! 5-Star Dining at it’s finest! There are breathtaking cliff-side Ocean Views from almost everywhere in the resort as well as a tropical garden in the center of the resort.The backside of the hotel is actually on a cliff overlooking the ocean and you can also see the local harbor below.
Words of Wisdom and Inspiration
“Nothing is better for your soul than to visit Puerto Rico”
– Lin-Manuel Miranda
Location
El Conquistador is located in the town of Fajardo. I’ve mentioned before that this is our absolute favorite town to stay in when in Puerto Rico. Staying in this town is ideal because you are only 5 minutes away from the ferry over to Culebra Island, which by the way now offers online ticket purchasing. The hotel is also surrounded by several beautiful local beaches and only 20 minutes to El Yunque Rainforest! There is also a Wal-Mart about 5 minutes away in case you need anything.
El Coqui Water Park
This one is for parents but honestly as an adult I was all about this water park! Guests staying at the hotel still have to pay to go in the water park but I think it’s only like $7 or something like that. The water park is actually at the bottom of the cliff where the hotel is located so you just take a cable car down. From there you walk a short distance through some private villas and you will see the entrance to the park . The water park features water slides, a lazy river, and a pool surround by a lawn on the beach. We actually spent a full day just at the water park and it was a blast!
Palomino Private Island
The hotel features their own private island called Palomino Island. This is hands down my favorite feature of this hotel. If you are staying at the hotel you can take the ferry over to the island for free. You can’t actually stay overnight on Palomino so it’s just a day trip. You can actually see the island from the hotel grounds so it’s very close and the ferry only takes about 30 minutes.
The green iguanas are my favorite part of Palomino Island. They are very used to humans though so they will come right up to you looking for food. This guy was following us for quite awhile. There is even a restaurant there called the Green Iguana Cafe and this guy and all his friends just sit next to the tables waiting for food. You’re not actually supposed to feed them because it’s not healthy for them. They will try stealing food from you though.
Fun Fact: I actually owned 2 pet iguanas in high school! Hence the reason I love them so much!
There are several restaurants on Palomino but Mino’s Rum Bar was my favorite. I did lose track of how many drinks I got…but that means it was a good vacation, right? After you hit up Mino’s for some drinks you can check out the mini golf course or play a round of Chess on the life-size chess board!
If games aren’t your thing you can also go horseback riding on Palomino. There are several trail ride options and I believe they even have horse rides on the beach. This particular horse was not on Palomino but he was in Fajardo just down the street from the hotel. Horses are very common pets in Puerto Rico. In fact, a lot of people in the country still use them for transportation so it’s not uncommon to see them tied up on the side of the road.
Keep in mind El Conquistador did suffer a lot of devastation during Hurricane Maria but they are already back in business and booking. The good thing is now room rates are as low as $199 /night in efforts to bring tourism back to this beautiful island! If you are interested in booking a stay here check out the hotels official website or click any of the linked images below!
Book Your Visit Now
Erica
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