El Conquistador Resort

We have been coming to this area of Puerto Rico for about 17 years - and there are 3 four star resorts we have stayed at: Wyndham Rio Mar, Hyatt Gran Reserve, and El Con. I pretty much stay with the property that I get the best rate. Back in 2009 - travel was significantly less crazy (the economy was in bad shape) and costs were much lower. This property was beat up bad by the 2017 hurricane and the revitalization is remarkable. With 17 years of staying at all of these resorts - I can tell you the El Con is special. The water park no longer charges extra, Palomino Island is great, the pools and facilities were all great. Lastly, the local people are incredible You will not regret!!

My family traveled here in January for a celebration and our stay here was a disappointment. We booked two rooms in the marina. Upon arrival we were not told our rooms were not available. Instead, the desk clerk named Angel simply gave us our newly assigned room in the Las Brias building. When I questioned him he brushed my concerns to the side and informed me they were of the same quality and location. For our inconvenience we were offered a $425/room credit. Sadly, this credit was never given and upon reviewing their website was simply the difference in room category. Our rooms were in what I consider the bowels of the hotel and in desperate need of renovation and cleaning. The windows were not clean, the bathroom had mold and walls/tile/ and flooring were scarred and in need of repair. Halls were musty and honestly the room felt like something in a Motel 6. After 3 nights in these rooms I checked with reception and were moved to the Marina. What a difference. Rooms were beautifully decorated and clean. You’ll want these rooms if you choose this hotel. We liked the property but felt several changes could be made. Ferry to island is small and only holds about 1/2 the number of interested people. This necessitates arriving 30-40 minutes early. Pools were nice and clean and loungers always available. Food at resort was acceptable but not memorable. We waited around 45 minutes for salads at one of the restaurants. Found small village walking from marina that offered better options for both dinners and breakfast. Food at resort was expensive. Upon returning home we realized many mistakes were made in billing including the elusive credit. Our emails and calls have not been returned, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. Is this resort nice? The common grounds certainly are, however the management lacks integrity. Not being told at checkin that we were being given inferior rooms left us feeling taken advantage of. Not receiving credit is the icing on the cake. If our family chooses to return to Puerto Rico we will likely try another resort.

Our experience at ballyhoo was wonderful. Alejandro and bolivar were the best We liked it so much that we dined there 2 nights

Beautiful resort but big problem trying to get to Palomino Island. Today I waited 30 minutes in the sun for the 11 am ferry ( they only run hourly) and instead of using one of their 2 large ferries, they used a small boat which accommodated 25 people leaving 50 of us in the sun for another hour. They claimed mechanical problems. This is the resorts weak link and needs to be fixed!

We really enjoyed our stay. I want to name a few people that were helpful and super friendly. Yvette in the lobby was all smiles and very helpful. We had a great dinner at Epazote, Krystal was our server and she really worked hard to see that we were happy. I need to shout out to John in the General Store. He was very helpful and pleasant. I enjoyed going in there. Everything was wonderful during our stay and we really enjoyed it. We’re returning for sure.