There aren’t many Caribbean hotels where you can walk in the footsteps of dignitaries and movie stars. The Caribe Hilton is one such place — a unique Puerto Rican landmark that serves up a blend of midcentury tropical glamor and modern amenities that’s as enticing as the pina coladas that, according to the hotel, were invented there.
I checked into the Caribe Hilton during the American Society of Travel Advisors’ Global Convention in San Juan last month. It had been more than 15 years since my last visit, and I was pleased to find that the property retains the breezy, sun-soaked ambiance that has attracted guests for more than 70 years.
And recent renovations have enhanced the guest experience in myriad ways.
Opened in 1949 as the first Hilton hotel outside of the continental United States, the Caribe Hilton immediately attracted the rich and famous with its alluring style and posh vibes. Elizabeth Taylor spent part of her first honeymoon here in 1950 with none other than Conrad Hilton, Jr., son of Hilton Hotels’ founder, Conrad Hilton.
A stream of big names graced the corridors of the Caribe Hilton in the coming decades, and curious visitors can check out the fascinating historical displays in the hotel’s public areas.
There have been challenges, too. When Hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017, for example, management closed the Caribe Hilton and began a $150 million restoration that imbued the hotel with updated elegance when it reopened in 2019.
Today, the Caribe Hilton continues to enjoy a singular reputation as a resort-style property in the heart of the city, a lush oasis with all the trappings of a beach paradise, just minutes from the city’s top attractions.
A $150 million renovation took place in 2019.
Credit: 2023 Hilton Hotels & ResortsExploring the Property
The Caribe Hilton has a variety of room categories spread across multiple buildings. I stayed in the Wave wing, the tallest tower in the complex, in a 19th-floor, standard king room with a balcony that was anything but standard — it provided a spectacular aerial view that I’d previously seen only in postcards.
I took lots of sky-high photos of the 18th-century Fort San Jeronimo, the nearby Condado Lagoon and the city’s beachfront coastline in the neighborhood of Condado. While the hotel room was spacious, comfortable and well-appointed, I was eager to explore the property, and soon headed to the beach, which curves gently around a tiny bay with wonderfully calm, family-friendly waters.
It was clear what my first cocktail would have to be: a pina colada, the hotel’s signature drink. The story goes, according to Hilton, that the tasty cocktail was invented in 1954 by Ramon “Monchito” Marrero, a bartender at the
hotel’s Beachcomber Bar.
That story is disputed by a nearby restaurant in Old San Juan that also claims to be the birthplace of the beloved beverage, but who was I to argue when I was relaxing in paradise and enjoying the gorgeous view? (There’s another story I love, by the way, that says when 20th-century actress Joan Crawford first sampled a pina colada at the Hilton, she declared it was “better than slapping Bette Davis in the face.”)
The pool at Caribe Hilton in San Juan
Credit: 2023 Hilton Hotels & ResortsDining and Other Activities
The Caribe Hilton has a variety of excellent food and beverage venues. One of my favorite meals combined delicious dishes from two adjacent restaurants: Rustica Ristorante, where the menu includes more than a dozen types of pasta, as well as pizza and other Italian inspired delicacies, and Lola’s, which specializes in delicious Puerto Rican dishes.
The two restaurants are connected, allowing guests in either to order from both menus.
I savored a delicious, freshly made pizza and mouthwatering aranitas (fried plantain fritters) topped with ropa vieja (sauteed shredded beef).
Additional dining venues include Nectar del Caribe for buffet-style and a-la-carte breakfast; Mojitos, a casual Caribbean fusion restaurant; and Morton’s The Steakhouse, a sumptuously reliable choice for steak and seafood.
Guests can also make use of the hotel’s large fitness center, a spa and three tennis courts where they can take lessons. And, for water-based fun, guests can rent one of the beach cabanas, created in partnership with Perrier Jouet, or sign up for activities with Aqua Adventures, the on-site activity operator.
