San Juan
- La Concha Resort (787.721.7500; www.laconcharesort.com) recently unveiled a $100 million all-suite tower. La Concha features 483 guest rooms and extensive meeting and event space that includes Mirador, a rooftop space with San Juan city views; Indigo, located in the new Atrium Tower, accessible by a glass-enclosed bridge suspended over water; Sereno Pool, where a glass stage can be placed over the pool for cocktail party dancing; and Sereno Sand, an “adult sandbox” that serves as a spot for team-building activities or cocktails.
- Doubletree by Hilton San Juan (787.721.1200; www.hilton.com) recently renovated its 184 guest rooms, which feature a sleek redesign, new amenities and cutting-edge technology. The property offers 2,200 square feet of meeting and banquet space, including three meeting rooms and a boardroom accommodating up to 60 guests. The property is conveniently located near the airport.
- The 107-room Wyndham Garden at Palmas del Mar (877.999.3223; www.wyndham.com) in Humacao opened in July as the second Wyndham property on the island, joining Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa. Located 30 miles southeast of San Juan, the hotel provides more than 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including lake and garden settings—plus a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 450 people.
North Shore
- The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is set to launch the first Reserve property in the Americas with Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve (787.626.1001; www.ritzcarlton.com). The resort, slated to open in December 2012, will be the second in the exclusive portfolio worldwide, joining Phulay Bay in Krabi, Southern Thailand. Set on three miles of coastline on 1,400 acres, the resort will feature 100 guest rooms and 14 one-bedroom suites, all situated directly on the beach, plus Su Casa, the original plantation hacienda restored to its original 1920s style to serve as a five-bedroom beachfront VIP villa, perfect for weddings and private parties. The resort will also include a five-acre, “botanical” spa; a beach club; and a Wind and Waves center featuring Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment, a celebrated program that will provide innovative, hands-on eco adventures using Dorado Beach as a natural classroom.
Ponce
- Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort (787.259.7676; www.hilton.com) is in the midst of a massive improvement project set for completion in 2012. Commemorating the resort’s 20th anniversary, the upgrade covers everything from accommodations and public areas to restaurants and meeting spaces. Guest rooms in both the East and West towers will be completely redone with a new look and feel, and the rooms will also feature 36-inch and 42-inch LCD televisions, as well as wireless high-speed Internet, new electronic safety deposit boxes and large sleeper sofas. Recreational areas have also received significant upgrades, with new fitness center equipment and technology and a resurfacing of the pool, tennis courts and soccer field.