El Conquistador Resort, a Waldorf Astoria Resort

I believe that once the resort gets back to a sense of normalcy, it will once again be a beautiful place. But, right now this place seems to be a shell of its former...I will come back to vacation in March of 2019, I hope by then the bugs and the smell will be gone, and they will clean the bird poop away from the eating areas near the outdoor grill - I just couldn't bring myself to even walk pass the area.

This a late review. I was there with my family--wife and 2 kids 11 and 10 in March 2017. Resort is about 45 mins from the San Juan Airport but the drive is Comfortable and gives a good glimpse of the island. Setting of the resort is truly majestic. Pertched high off the cliff with sweeping views of sea and very expansive and lovely setting. Very big resort with many different areas. You have to get on a private cable car to get down to their private marina to catch the boat to the private island with beach--wow!!. Restaurant choices are very good. Service is usually very good but can be somewhat inconsistent. Rooms are good even in basic category. We had oceanview room which is worth it as the sunrise is really beautiful. Not sure why they have to charge extra for their super small " waterpark"--but the really cool Infiniity pool is inside there so we paid. Overall this is an excellent resort and I really hope this was not damaged by the hurricane. I hope to be back.

My husband, Parth, and I originally planned our entire wedding for January 2018 to be held at El Conquistador Resort. We absolutely love Puerto Rico and we fell in LOVE with this resort when we visited back in October 2016. We worked with Kamil Rivera, the catering manager to set up our plans. Unfortunately, due to the damage caused by Hurricane Maria, we had to change our wedding plans completly, however this place will always hold a special spot in our hearts. We can't explain the beauty in words - it's definetly worth the visit. There is an infinity pool in Las Casitas Villages that you can relax at, a boat that brings you to a private island (Palomino) which is full of games and sunshine. It truly feels like paradise on earth!

We have stayed here (as a family) a few times, and the most recent was ringing the New Year of 2017, and it's a perfect multi-generational spot due to having something-for-everyone, and good accessibility. Since then, the island has been hammered by the storms, and we saw that El Con had some damage. But since then, it's been fixed we hear, and mostly the place has been dedicated to relief workers. WHEN they reopen for tourists, run don't walk to this resort for a feeling of luxurious indulgence. It's well situated, beautifully laid-out, and well cared for, and as a tourist visiting PR, I can hardly imagine staying elsewhere. As others have noted, the best food options are in neighboring restaurants, rather than on-site,

I went for a second time June 2017 and stayed in a waterview room, two queen beds with nice balcony. I got a fantastic deal by booking in advance! We arrived and were helped in a timely manner, even though there was a convention going on and a lot of people. When we got into the room and I was so relieved to find that it was clean. My friend who is sensitive to mold said she could smell it and we could tell it was in the fabric of the headboards (leather fabric that looked to be spray painted with Kilz, maybe?) but honestly, I know hot and humid areas are most likely going to have some kind of mold. I was just happy that the room was clean and they were taking measures to prevent the mold. The beds were comfortable and we got good sleep,for the most part. There was one night (Havana Night) where they were playing music pretty late, but it wasnt unbearable and I enjoyed watching the people at the party enjoying their night. The breeze was really nice and the view of Palomino Island was so relaxing. The AC worked really fast and well. The grounds were well kept and pools were clean. My son had so much fun and I liked swimming up to the bar and ordering food and drinks. The meals at the pool bar are HUGE! Try splitting a meal - save some money! The drinks went down super easy since they tasted so good! On the way to Palomino Island you will pass by shops that have some cute stuff! There was one place that had a cutest platform shoes with pompom details on them that were so cute. They didnt have my size :( Palomino Island was a hit. When you get on the boat it is HOT (in June)...but once it starts moving the breeze cools you down! The boys loved riding on the boat to the island, it made them feel VIP! Once you get close to the island the water is so clear you can see down 30 feet or so! We saw sting rays and a shark! Once we arrived on the island we saw iguana, hermit crab and baby chicks! We spent the day drinking and eating and playing on the beautiful island. Snorkeling there is fun, but there isn’t as much wildlife as other places I snorkeled in PR. The convenience and fact it was free was a plus though! We booked a horse ride — I do not recommend the Palomino horse rides for anyone over 180 pounds or those with young children. This is the only real negative thing about the resort, and I did report it. The horses were not healthy and the horse they gave my friend was due any day and poor thing was having to tote people on her back up and down that hill. The horse was so tired she laid down and my friend got her foot out just in time. My horses leg was injured so it kept limping which scared the crap out of me. My friends son’s horse did what it wanted and because of that he didn’t enjoy the ride. My son had a great horse and a great time, I should note. We ended the trip early and the guides were very understanding, gave the boys a horseshoe and we paid 1/2 of the tour cost. We only rode for about 20 minutes or so. El Conquistador provided my son and I wonderful entertainment and memories. I am booking to go back in 2019 and will stay at El Conquistador again!!! Glad I gave them a second chance!