El San Juan Resort & Casino - Isla Verde
El San Juan Resort & Casino is located in the foyer of the Hilton Hotel in the city of San Juan. This property is best known for being one of the most luxurious resort casinos in Puerto Rico, and was famous for its celebrity visits back in the 1960’s. El San Juan Resort and Casino Review. A luxury resort since the days of the Rat Pack in the 1950s, the El San Juan Resort & Casino is an opulent throwback that honors tradition while updating the basics. The result is one of the most popular and cherished hotels in Puerto Rico. Fairmont El San Juan Hotel, Carolina, Puerto Rico. Experience a Legacy of Extraordinary at Puerto Rico's most Iconic Beachfront Hotel #FairmontElSanJuanHotel.
- San Juan Hotel And Casino
- El San Juan Hotel & Casino Hilton Isla Verde
- Isla Verde Puerto Rico Hotels
- Restaurants At El San Juan Resort
- El San Juan Resort And Casino
- LocationCarolina, Puerto Rico
- 50 to 99 Million
- Year2017
- Aimbridge Hospitality, Fundamental Advisors, Imprint Hospitality, León Mayer & Co.
- BrandCurio Collection by Hilton
Project Overview
Fairmont El San Juan Hotel, tempts locals and visitors to venture inside for a one-of-a-kind, inspired mix of traditions, old and new. If these walls could talk, they’d share stories of 1960s Hollywood headliners crooning in the nightclub and generations of locals marking milestones in the ballrooms.
Born during Fidel Castro’s rise to power and Eastern Airlines’ introduction of the Caribbean to the US vacation seeker, the El San Juan is an iconic jewel of a hotel designed by Morris Lapidus at the height of his career. PDSI’s charge was to restore this landmark property to its former glory while at the same time bringing it into the modern age.
Our client had strong personal ties to the community, and making sure every detail was perfect was a matter of pride and integrity for all of us. In fact, the Morris Lapidus motto of “Make It Scream Luxury” could have been our team’s mantra. From the very beginning it was important that we made sure the entire team shared a clear understanding of the owner’s vision for the property.
- Carolina, Puerto Rico
- Budget50 to 99 Million
- 2017
- ClientsAimbridge Hospitality, Fundamental Advisors, Imprint Hospitality, León Mayer & Co.
- Curio Collection by Hilton
- Team
By the Numbers
387
Rooms
2
Miles of beach
9
Restaurants
Complex Challenges. Innovative Solutions.
San Juan Hotel And Casino
San Juan is just over 1,000 miles from the U.S., but when it comes to working in the Caribbean, it might as well be worlds away. Island projects always bring their own set of unique challenges. Whether it’s cost, availability of materials, local labor, tradespeople, language barriers, shipping and freight or working through customs, we’ve seen it before. And if we haven’t, no problem; it’s another opportunity to prove why we’re the best at project management and development.
Working with locals was a priority for the hotel owners. In fact, 90% of the work on this project was done by Puerto Rican companies, including the architect. This offered a distinct advantage when it came to sourcing materials, dealing with local codes and regulations, and for the fact that on the island the architect is the same person who signs off on building inspections. Which saved time and money for our client.
Historic Meets Contemporary
While the age of the hotel was a factor with regard to the infrastructure, it also meant there were luxurious amounts of marble, woodwork and fixtures that were original to the structure and when contrasted with the modern upgrades created a beautiful mix of contemporary and classic. We sourced craftsmen with expertise in restoring these materials to bring them back to their original beauty.
In Their Words
The updates pay homage to the historical status of this property as an iconic luxury lifestyle and entertainment resort, while incorporating a playfully elegant feeling to the modernized setting.
– Andro Nodarse-León, León Mayer & Co.
Financially Savvy
It’s not uncommon to have multiple lenders involved in the financing of a project this size. What is rare is to find another project management company with the knowledge, experience and financial savvy that PDSI offers. On this project, we provided expert guidance to our client in complex financial areas like loan recaps, historic tax credits, investment credits and cost segregation.
Saving Time and Money
To save time, money and labor we used one vendor for all the case goods. The furniture was routed from Vietnam to Florida where it was consolidated in Miami, and then staged to the project site in Puerto Rico. Any assembly or touch up work that was needed was down at the hotel.
A Timeless Beauty
From the hotel entrance to the two miles of pristine beach behind it, this was a top to bottom redevelopment of every inch of the property. The El San Juan is not only the most beautiful hotel on the island of Puerto Rico, it now stands as the epitome of luxury throughout the entire region. And while the owner was thrilled with the project, our best endorsement came from longtime employees of the hotel who said PDSI took something that had a special place in their hearts and made it even more special. We call that success.
ARC Portfolio (HIT)
Renovation
Inland Portfolio
El San Juan Hotel & Casino Hilton Isla Verde
Renovation
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
Renovation
Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina
Renovation
El San Juan Resort & Casino is located in the foyer of the Hilton Hotel in the city of San Juan. This property is best known for being one of the most luxurious resort casinos in Puerto Rico, and was famous for its celebrity visits back in the 1960’s. When Hilton took over the hotel back in 2014 they intended to keep the magnificent theme and luxurious feel that makes it one of the most popular destinations in Puerto Rico for tourists. The Hilton Group classifies this property under their Curio Collection.
El San Juan is located in the capital city of Puerto Rico, on the Isle Verde Beach. Picture a pristine beachfront hotel perfectly tucked between nature and the city, this is what you can expect from El San Juan Resort & Casino. There are many attractions in the area including restaurants and bars, watersport activities, swimming, and the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico.
The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is the only international airport in San Juan, and it is only 2.2 miles away from El San Juan Resort & Casino. The best way to travel is by rental car or taxi/shuttle. There is secure parking available at the resort, with valet and self-parking options (including covered parking spaces) as well as.
The minimum age for both drinking and gambling in Puerto Rico is 18 years old, but the hotel goes one step further by restricting anyone under the age of 21 from entering. The dress code requires semi-formal attire with closed shoes, although a dress code is applicable to the hotel and all other resort facilities. There is an entrance fee if you are not staying at the resort, otherwise a resort fee is paid if booking accommodation for the use of all facilities.
El San Juan Resort & Casino
El San Juan boasts an impressive 17,000 square foot gaming floor that features all the gambling essentials. There is a classy atmosphere about the casino which is the same throughout the entire resort.
The casino is not really meant for high rollers, and it mostly features slot machines. There are a couple of table games spread across the floor, so they are usually over-crowded during peak hours. However, you can enjoy free drinks when playing at the casino. The staff are fairly strict on this rule as you actually have to be involved in a game in order to get free drinks.
The casino operates daily (Monday-Sunday) and stays open from 10AM to 5.30AM. Some of the table games like craps, for example, may only open later in the evening. Like casinos in other parts of the world, the slot machines will always be available. The best time to go to the casino is from 9PM because that is when it starts to get busy.
It is also worth mentioning that the main attraction of the casino is the resort itself. El San Juan Resort & Casino has one of the hottest nightclubs in San Juan, called Brava. There are constantly events being hosted at Brava, and it attracts a lot of locals as well as tourists.
Table games at El San Juan Casino
Being a vacation-style resort, this is not a casino meant for high rollers. Due to the laid-back atmosphere, the minimum bets are relatively low. If you are looking for a VIP casino experience, then you will likely have to look elsewhere.
There are only two types of table games offered at El San Juan. The tables are known to get extremely crowded so make sure you get there relatively early to reserve your spot at the table. There are $10 minimum blackjack tables (these are the most popular) and there are also one or two $20 tables. The rules are similar to most mainland U.S. casinos, except that all players are first dealt their cards before the dealer receives his cards.
You will find a small number of craps tables available. During peak hours, there will be maybe two or three tables running, and they are known to fill up fast. There are $5 and $10 tables and limits are pretty low.
Slots and Video Poker at El San Juan Casino
With just a 17,000 square foot casino floor, you will only find 100-200 slot machines at El San Juan. There are plenty of classic 3-reel machines, as well as modern multi-line video slots. Spin bets range from $0.01 to $5. Also, some of the machines are linked to a progressive jackpot bonus network that increases every time the specific machines within the network are played.
There is no electronic roulette or video poker available.
Hotel and Accommodation at El San Juan Resort & Casino
This is a Hilton Hotel and it is known to be a luxurious establishment with the best nightlife in the city. The room options include guest rooms, villas, suites, and specialty suites. Each of these rooms have either one King bed or two Queen beds. The price per person, per night will depend on the type of room you stay in but typically ranges between $220-$750 on average.
A 17% resort fee of the overall accommodation cost will be added to guest’s booking bill so they can use all the facilities within the resort, which includes entrance to the casino.
Restaurants at El San Juan Resort & Casino
El San Juan Resort & Casino is perfectly located in the city of San Juan where there are plenty of dining options in the area. The Caña restaurant by famed chef Juliana González incorporates the freshest ingredients of the island to bring you modern dishes that explode with native flavors. Here you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner inside or outside by the pool.
Trattoria Napoles is a family run restaurant inside of the El San Juan Resort. They offer a more casual dining experience for families. Here you can enjoy a selection of pizzas, salads, and sandwiches perfect for a casual lunch or dinner.