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Puerto Rico: A Study in Contrasts

By Dan Schlossberg
ConsumerAffairs.com

February 2, 2006
While residents debate the merits of statehood, independence, or keeping the status quo, Puerto Rico remains a tropical paradise that is also a study in contrasts.

Half the island's four million residents live in San Juan, where cruise ships dock near the old walled city and send passengers into the narrow streets searching for bargains. With cobblestone streets, plazas, and stone fortresses on both ends, Old San Juan favors shoppers, sightseers, and walkers - not to mention people attracted by vibrant nightlife that includes casino gambling.

Though the area is compact, the tropical heat and humidity exact a steep toll on strollers without water. A good alternative to pounding the pavement is hopping on the free trolley provided by the city. Visitors can hop on and off as many times as they like - or as long as the sunlight lasts.

Although the south coast gets less rain than the north, winter guests can count on lots of light, ocean breezes, and temperatures in the mid-80s.

The rooftop pool of the Sheraton Old San Juan provides a perfect vantage point for photographers; it overlooks the section of town sandwiched between San Cristobal fort and the deep-water port where the cruise ships dock.

The hotel has its own casino, a restaurant heavy on local flavor, and the intimacy of a small but well-run property (240 rooms).

Tours of all kinds - including an evening walking tour called Legends of Puerto Rico - leave from the Sheraton's lobby. One of them combines the history of Old San Juan with a 90-minute stop at the Baccardi rum factory, located on a private campus outside the city center. Strawberry daquiris are included among the free samples.

The Westin Rio Mar is so different from the Sheraton Old San Juan that it's hard to believe they're sister properties. In fact, the parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts offers a "Town & Country" package that combines the best of both worlds.

Officially called the Westin Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the property is perched on 500 acres of the northeastern coast, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the El Yunque rainforest on the other. It has 600 guest rooms, including 72 suites, and a 2-to-1 ratio of employees to guests.

Beyond the usual mix of beach resort activities (golf, tennis, sailing, etc.) are daily aquasize classes, nightly beachfront bonfires, and scheduled iguana feedings. The lizards come in seven different breeds but all have one thing in common: they're so used to humans that they'll pose for poolside photographers. One even learned to use the hotel's waterslide.

Wildlife abounds in the area: a New Jersey travel writer visiting in January even encountered a wild mongoose during his tour of the tropical rainforest.

Thanks to new facilities, the Rio Mar caters to individuals, families, and conventions - providing a new, full-service spa plus restaurants to please every palate (Asian, Italian, Tex-Mex, Puerto Rican, American, and seafood-themed).

The Westin rolls out oversized flat-screen TVs for special events (i.e. the Super Bowl), sells fresh cookies from a shop outside its casino, and even imports USA TODAY - for those willing to fork over five times the usual price.

The tour desk provides plenty of diversions, from shopping trips to Old San Juan to nighttime "swimming with the fishes" excursions. No, it's not the local version of The Sopranos but a visit to a bay where glowing organisms, and those who join them, shine in the dark.

For further information, contact Westin Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort & Spa (Tel. 800-4-RIO-MAR, www.westinriomar.com) or Sheraton Old San Juan (Tel. 866-653-7577, www.sheratonoldsanjuan.com).

Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ is president of the North American Travel Journalists Association, and a frequent contributor to AAA Traveler and USAirways Magazine.

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