Puerto Rico, Part One: La Concha Renaissance San Juan

Before I get into today’s post – whoa! Did all of you watch Big Little Lies last night? So. Good! I feel like the series got better and better as it went on, and last night’s episode was so beautifully shot and amazingly acted, like a movie in itself. Atmospheric and even creepy…just well done. So sad it’s over!

Life must go on however, even without BLL…I got back from Puerto Rico on Saturday, and I’m excited to share the details of our trip with you!

I went with my friend Lori and we had such a great stay at the La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort. The hotel was located right on the beach in San Juan, and the view from our oceanfront room was gorgeous – such a pleasure to wake up to each morning. Palm trees and crystal blue water as far as the eye could see.

We mostly hung out at the beach and pools, but we also took a day to explore Old San Juan and Castillo San Cristobal, which is a massive fort built by the Spanish when they colonized Puerto Rico. It was really cool and I’ll share more from that on Wednesday. We had an awesome time exploring Old San Juan, which is full of charming cobblestone streets and brightly colored buildings!

I have to say though, the best part of the trip was just relaxing by the water! La Concha has three pools, my favorite of which was the adults-only infinity pool overlooking the beach. It was peaceful, at a perfect temp, and got lots of shade (perfect for me and my SPF-obsessed self :). The other pools were also great and we took advantage of all of them – they’re open 24 hours, along with the hotels’ two hot tubs. The adult pool was more on the quiet side, while the beach and the other pools were kid-friendly and had music playing, for more of an energetic vibe. You were also able to order drinks right from waiters walking around on the beach and by the pools, which was clutch – nothin’ like enjoying a pina colada without having to leave your lounge chair!

This pink building in Old San Juan was my favorite!

Everyone at La Concha was SO nice – they made us feel really welcome and were always there to lend a helping hand – I was really impressed by how kind and helpful everyone was, whether it was helping us set up our chairs and umbrellas on the beach or assisting us in getting up to our rooms faster when the elevators were busy. The food was also great – one morning I got room service of coconut muesli and it was surprisingly delicious. Our beds were super comfy and each night falling asleep I could hear the sound of the waves down on the beach – like a real-life noise machine :).

For dinners ventured out to La Placida (a nearby town), and the adjacent Condado Vanderbilt Hotel. For Cuban food we went to Asere (a reader recommendation which was fantastic), Jose Enrique (a GOOP rec – also wonderful – get the pumpkin flan!), and then for Mexican, Tacos and Tequila at the Condado Vanderbilt (also wonderful – the guac and the churro ice cream sandwich are not to be missed). We loved all of the meals and I’d highly recommend these restaurants!

Overall we had such a great time at La Concha and in Puerto Rico. On Wednesday I’ll be sharing some more of the colorful buildings of Old San Juan, so check back for that – so much charm! If you have any questions about the La Concha hotel feel free to ask in the comments.

photos by Jacqueline Clair

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  1. elena wrote:

    LOVE!!!! You need to put the pink building on Etsy!

    Published 4.3.17 · Reply
    • York Avenue wrote:

      Thank you so much Elena, I definitely will! xo

      Published 4.3.17 · Reply
  2. Jackie, So glad you had a pleasant experience in my hometown. Your pictures are gorgeous, as always.

    Will have to go try that churro ice-cream sandwich soon!

    Published 4.3.17 · Reply
    • York Avenue wrote:

      Maria, can’t thank you enough for your awesome suggestions! We tried to go to Santaella, but the wait was over an hour so we headed to Asere instead, and LOVED it. We had a great brunch at Caficultura, and also popped into the chocolate shop you mentioned – so good. I appreciate your help so much, you made our trip that much better! xoxo

      Published 4.3.17 · Reply