El Conquistador Resort

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El Conquistador
El Conquistador Resort
Former namesLas Vistas
General information
Location Fajardo, Puerto Rico, USA
Coordinates 18°21′31″N65°37′42″W / 18.3585045°N 65.6282546°W / 18.3585045; -65.6282546
OpenedJuly 14, 1962
OwnerUrbano Varro, LLC
Technical details
Floor count5 [1]
Other information
Number of rooms700

El Conquistador, known informally as El Con [2] and formerly Las Vistas, is a vacation resort located on the outskirts of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The resort was formerly part of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts chain before being bought by Urbano Varro, LLC in 2019.

Contents

History

The funicular that connects two parts of the resort El Conquistador Resort Fajardo, Puerto Rico 05.jpg
The funicular that connects two parts of the resort

Robert Aldersice oversaw the construction of the original hotel building, which had a total of 84 rooms covering four floors. [3] [4] Financial backers Richard Light and Ronald Evans also contributed to the resort's construction; architect Morris Lapidus designed the structures that would be located on the grounds of the resort. [4] The resort opened its doors on July 14, 1962, being originally named "Las Vistas". [3]

A large renovation took place on the site in 1968, which included the installation of a funicular that connected two separate parts of the resort. [4] In 1993, a golf course designed by Arthur Hills was installed on resort grounds. [5] In July 1996, the National Governors Association Conference was held at the resort. [6]

Damage from Hurricane Maria

The resort was heavily damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017, [7] [8] suspending travel reservations due to the damage. [9] All staff on resort grounds at the time of Maria's landfall were safe. [10] In November 2019, commercial real estate company Urbano Varro, LLC bought the property. [11] The resort remained closed until March 2021 while significant repairs and renovations were made to the site. [12] [5] The resort remained partially reopened until 2022, when all 700 rooms were made available to the public. Renovations at the resort costed an estimated $220 million (2021 USD). [13]

The main pool area and Ventanas restaurant (right) El Conquistador Resort Fajardo, Puerto Rico 07.jpg
The main pool area and Ventanas restaurant (right)

Facilities

Large portions of Palominos Island, located a short distance off-shore of the main resort grounds, have been rented out by the resort; guests take a 13-minute ferry to the island. [14] Restaurants and cafes at the resort include El Cafecito, Café Bella Vista, Brisas Courtyard Café, Ballyhoo, Vinos & Tapas and Ventanas. [15] [16]

Accolades

The resort won the World Travel Award's "Puerto Rico's Leading Resort" award in 2008, [17] 2015, [18] 2016, [19] 2019, [20] and 2024. [21] In 2015, the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association named the resort the "Large Green Hotel of the Year". [22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "El Conquistador Resort - Fajardo, Puerto Rico". Association Meetings International. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  2. ↑ "The El Conquistador Resort, a Waldorf Astoria Resort in Puerto Rico, shines bright, day and night". Golf Advisor. April 4, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Welcome to Conquistador Resort". El Conquistador Resort. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 "El Conquistador Resort, a member of Historic Hotels of America since 2024, dates to 1962". Historic Hotels Worldwide. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Dunlop, Dale (June 17, 2022). "El Conquistador GC - A Caribbean Icon is Reborn". The Maritime Explorer. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  6. ↑ "My Best Assignment Ever: The 1996 National Governors Association Conference". WVXU . November 30, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  7. ↑ "El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo reopens after near 4-year closure". News is My Business. May 21, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  8. ↑ Correa, Melissa (May 20, 2021). "El Conquistador Resort Reopens After Hiatus". The Weekly Journal . Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  9. ↑ Turner, Matt (September 28, 2017). "Hurricane Maria Updates: Damage Assessments to Caribbean Resorts". Luxury Travel Advisor. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  10. ↑ Trejos, Nancy. "Puerto Rico hotels still closed after Hurricane Maria". USA Today . Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  11. ↑ "How El Conquistador Resort tackled a move from branded to fully independent by leveraging Amadeus' full suite of solutions". Amadeus Hospitality. October 19, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  12. ↑ "El Conquistador Resort to Reopen Next Week". The Weekly Journal . May 13, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
  13. ↑ Carlos, Juan (May 21, 2021). "El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo reopens after near 4-year closure". F&R Construction Group, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Puerto Rico's Highly Anticipated Hotel Openings for 2020". The Weekly Journal . January 15, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  15. ↑ "$3M Ventanas Restaurant opens at El Conquistador Resort". News is My Business. June 14, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  16. ↑ "El Conquistador Resort". Skylark. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Puerto Rico's Leading Resort 2008". World Travel Awards. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Puerto Rico's Leading Resort 2015". World Travel Awards. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Puerto Rico's Leading Resort 2016". World Travel Awards. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Puerto Rico's Leading Resort 2019". World Travel Awards. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Puerto Rico's Leading Resort 2024". World Travel Awards. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  22. ↑ Hasek, Glenn (November 11, 2015). "El Conquistador Resort Named Green Hotel of the Year". Green Lodging News. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
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