PRICE:
Frommer's Recommended

A recent upgrade has buffed up this architectural gem, but its location still dooms it, and unlike its recommended neighbor, the property does not have the facilities and services to overcome that weakness. We include it here only because it first opened in 1942 and remains one of the purest examples of Art Deco architecture in Puerto Rico. Originally built for a Parisian cancan dancer by her tycoon husband, the building has a curve-sided design that was inspired by the famous French ocean liner, Le Normandie. The gardens are not particularly extensive, and the beach and pool area are unexceptional. Bedrooms are tastefully outfitted, each with a neatly tiled tub-and-shower bathroom. The lobby retains its original Art Deco zest, and soars upward into an atrium. A new Latin fusion restaurant and lounge have made hanging around a bit more appealing, but you'll still feel trapped here at night. Better to come by for a drink or perhaps dinner, soak up some of the ambience, and stay elsewhere. The location is our major complaint. Besides the Hilton next door, the sector (dominated by two lovely parks in the day) is a ghost town in evenings. You're likely to get a better rate here than at other hotels in Condado or Isla Verde, but it's worth it to pay more elsewhere. In Condado or Isla Verde, you'll get a better beach and a nicer pool area. The two sectors are also bustling tourist zones and centers of nightlife and entertainment, so dozens of restaurants and nightclubs are a short walk away from where you'll stay.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Puerto Rico, 9th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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