What I love about the Ritz-Carlton brand is that I can always count on having a memorable experience, whether I’m staying a week, or in this last case, just 24 hours.
On my way to a Travel Therapy TV shoot on Windstar Cruise’s luxurious Star Legend in the Virgin Islands, I decided to stay one night at the award-winning Ritz-Carlton, San Juan, Puerto Rico. I brought my dad with me for this trip and since it was his first Ritz-Carlton stay I wanted him to experience as much as possible and the incredible staff at the property made that possible.
We started off with a cool drink, checking in at the Club Lounge, where the view of beach and ocean is magical. The way they spoil you at the Club Lounge, with complimentary food and beverage, had my dad saying he would have been happy to stay there all day, but then he saw the Ritz’s beautiful pool and off he went, grinning ear to ear, to check it out. When he saw the pool up close and personal the one word out of his mouth was, “Wow!”.
After spending a few relaxing hours by the pool and at the beach, toasting the sunset, we had an incredible dinner at the Ritz’s Ocean Bar & Grill. This open-air restaurant is ideally set right next to the beach so you can hear the waves hit the sand and is a top pick when visiting San Juan. We decided to put our fate in Chef Ernesto Alvarado’s hands as he’s all about using fresh local flavors to create award-winning cuisine and had one of the best meals I’ve ever had in the Caribbean.
Some of our favorite dishes included Chef’s Rocio’s Ceviche, the Pork Belly in a jerk glaze, and the Caribbean Seafood Pot with lobster, local fish and jumbo prawns in a coconut ginger broth. For dessert don’t miss the Puerto Rican 80% Cacao Chocolate Fondue for Two.
But our decadence didn’t end here. It was back to the Club Lounge for Chocolate and Cordials before finally retiring to our beautiful room with a view of the ocean.
The next morning we didn’t waste any time continuing our Ritz adventure. After a delicious breakfast with mimosas back at the Club Lounge we both headed to the spa for some more pampering. My dad loved his Gentleman’s Facial that included a head and shoulder massage and my skin was glowing after my high-tech Quantum Lifting Non-Surgical Facelift. I would have liked to have spent more time at the spa but the clock was ticking on our 24 hour stay. Still, we managed to squeeze in a bit more beach time before reluctantly saying goodbye to the Ritz-Carlton, San Juan.
This short stay at the Ritz proved again what I always say about a Travel Therapy trip. It’s not the amount of time you spend on a vacation, but where you go and how you spend that time that makes all the difference. My dad and I left the Ritz feeling rested, pampered, and ready for our next adventure on a Windstar Cruise.
Stay tuned for the Travel Therapy TV segment that aired during ABC’s Kelly & Michael on WABC-TV in New York City this week featuring the Ritz-Carlton, San Juan, as the top pick for a place to stay in San Juan before heading out to explore the islands!
