El Conquistador Resort

We’ve been coming to El Conquistador long before there was a TripAdvisor. It was “our Paradise”, and we would have rated 5 stars for each of our first three visits. Sadly, this is our fourth (and final) stay at El Conquistador. We believed that booking directly (no 3rd party commission) with plenty of time was a formula for best results…wrong. We thought we booked three rooms directly with the property, and requested to be near each other. We were told the request was not guaranteed but would be put into guest notes. Upon arrival there were no notes and we were placed on different floors with awful views. Continuing our frustration, when we booked we were told the daily rate included the resort fee. When we arrived, we were told the resort fees were not included. Our final frustration….we thought we booked directly with the hotel but the front desk manager told us that the hotel’s own reservation line is a “third party”, and we should have spoken to and booked through the front desk directly for better room availability…..really?? The property is still beautiful, but the lack of coordination and customer service can de summarized in one word….disappointing. Next time we’ll be looking elsewhere for “our Paradise”.

After several months of cold and boring weather we arrived to this gorgeous place. Our experience so far is 10 out of 10. We felt so welcome from day one. The place is out of this world and the staff are so friendly, and professional. One person that stands out is Yjaira at the entrance of the water park. She was so welcoming, helpful, kind and friendly. She went out of her way to show us what this resort has to offer. Not just that but provided us information about the restaurant waiting the resort as well of the amazing food we should try there. She definitely is an asset to this resort. Thank you Yajaira for your help and for being the way you are. Another person was Luis while taking us to the room Luis was also super kind and helpful informing us not just the amazing things this resort has to offer but around the area. So far the experience is unforgettable!

Beautiful Hotel!! It has everything your family needs.

We loved our trip to El Conauistador! On our son’s 13th birthday we celebrated at the Coqui water park. We had a cabana and our server, Hector, was absolutely wonderful! He was so attentive and super sweet. He helped make the day extra special for us and our birthday boy!

We had the best family trip. The view are STUNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Breathing each and every time I stepped out side. Special special shout to Yajaira at the coqui water park desk. She was the friendliest staff member. We loved visiting her. Her hospitality was far beyond anything we could as for. We will definitely be coming back.

Avoid room 1235 - next to marina pool / water park (kids, music bass, 7a gardening equipment) - 15 min from main lobby (funicular + elevators + walk) - no hot water for shower (sink has hot water though; shower valve is broken), gave up asking for fix after being gaslighted for 2 days Front desk is ill-equipped to deal with large volumes of customers (spring break + conference), fixes, accommodations (basically regular hotel-type requests) On-site restaurant food is mediocre. Probably the best one is the Mexican restaurant by main lobby pool. In general, the serving staff is nice, the only bright spot of our stay. Ferries to Palomino Island are too infrequent (once every 60 min. Music bass at Palomino Island is too loud. There is a nearby beach outside the resort which is much lovelier & larger. We love Puerto Rico, but not this particular stay. We hope El Conquistador improves.

The El Conquistador ("El Con") is an iconic historic brand and resort. We've been there since the early 90's when most of these Karens from the NE USA weren't born. The logo has been and always should be aquamarine blue. Get rid of the black and white sign. The furnishings always have been and should be wood, not white, Bahama style furnishings. The lobby area was full of treasured wood and should be today, not painted over white. The colors were always a warm cream and blue, with wood and terra cotta, not white and black. Just look at the beautiful tile floors and the entire place had the same look. The funiculars were always gold inside, not cheap chrome. When you go to the Greenbriar, or stay in Europe or any iconic historic world brand resort, you become part of the history, no "updating" is required. Unfortunately, too many Karens and foolish 20 something marketing firms from NYC thought modernization to current decorating trends is the only way to "update". In short, they ruined the El Con. brand by "updating" instead of just "refreshing". Look at what the NYC corporate updaters did to the Caribe Hilton's once iconic, timeless and treasured Breezes bar. Now it is unrecognizable but "updated" modern and the entire vibe is lost. You go to the El Con to travel to that brand, that place that is unique in all of the world. A fresh coat of paint of the same color does not require loss of character and brand. Who decided to paint over all the incredible wood trim with white? They should be banned from ever stepping foot on the El Con. There was never a need to "update" because the El Con was never and could never be "outdated". Adding flat panel tv's and usb ports did not require removing all of the rooms character with white ultra modern IKEA furniture. The look was always classic timeless Tommy Bahama, and that is gone by some "modern" NYC corporate hotel marketing genius. That's not "updated" it is a complete loss of character, brand, and history. The El Con itself deserves to return to the full glory of its history, where you were transported to a magic place that did not look like every other hotel room because it wasn't ever just an "updated" nameless Marriott hotel room, it was the El Con. with a history and pedigree unlike any other. For the Karens, complaining about "updating" there was a shuttle service to/from the airport, you were greeted with the aquamarine blue logo, welcomed to your adventure, with rum in the back. When you arrived, the birds were in the lobby, the casino sounds going, several shops and the wooden library style cigar bar upstairs (not painted white), with 3-4 really decent restaurants, and people dressed up to eat there like they knew they were in a special place. There was a night club, and no one cared if you smoked a cigar outside. The poolside bar wasn't packed with screaming kids, and there was a huge workout center in the basement area. All of that is gone, and with it the icon and history that should be there replaced by a 20something marketing whiz kid to make it "updated" while losing all of the history, charm, and glory. The loyal customer base is gone, because they kept coming over and over again, and then experienced the 20something marketing kids version and it wasn't the same El Con - and stopped coming and starting going somewhere else. Is isn't too late to return to the glory days of the El Con. Stop listening to the nonsense from Karens on "outdated" and keep the historic colors and decorating, all the El Con ever needed was "refreshing" to the same prestigious look and sense of place. The customer base didn't want to come to something "new" they wanted the El Con they always experienced, "refreshed", not changed by complete renovation that lost all its character and iconic brand. The El Con was a place that when you left, you were already planning your return.

Yajaira at the water park was fantastic. Her service and welcoming spirit was amazing. She was a great host and made our stay enjoyable.

I am so disappointed about what has been done to the El Conquistador I could cry! My family started coming to the El Conquistador in the 90s. Back then it was Caribbean, it was Spanish tile and wood, it was LUXARY! People dressed up for dinner at REAL fine dining restaurants. This trip was my first return since 2013. Deeply saddened for the resort and the people of PR when hurricane Maria devastated the island. We didn’t know if it would reopen, and then Covid.. When we heard it was reopening we said, ‘we will return!’ Big mistake! The once 5 diamond award luxury brand is no longer. Seeing other reviews of people reminiscing of the ‘good old days’ validates my dissatisfaction. The decor is horrendous as another reviewer wrote, the ikea style ‘contemporary’ furniture and the black and white everywhere? Yuck. Looks like your local Hilton garden inn. Another red flag on our first night we went to cigar bar, locked. Walked to the front desk and was told ‘they opened at 7pm and nobody came in so they closed’. What?! On a Friday night at 8pm after dinner we can’t smoke a cigar? Absolutely ridiculous. From what we understand from the front desk everything is now 3rd party vendors and only open and operate when they want to, not what’s advertised. All the literature on TVs, pamphlets, website, it’s all contradictory. Nobody seems to know what’s going on. Fine dining? That’s a wild claim. As we wait to be seated and see the placard on the wall that says ‘pants and collard shirts’ as they walk in people in jeans and athletic wear. The food has been absolutely terrible. The hallway lined with local vendors looks like a flea market. The hallways used to be lined with exotic birds, so far I have only seen one and never out of its cage. Service has not been great either, not what I expected from the El Conquistador. So sad. The services are a sliver of what they used to be. They used to have Alto Grande in the rooms. Now it’s a cheaper PR coffee. But you can BUY Alto Grande if you want that. Palomino island used to have steel drums and Sala music playing. Today was some day club pop remixes, Madonna, Beyoncé and Luke Bryan. Really? Where am? I had to find the DJ and request something that at least sounded like I was in PR and not Miami. If you want luxury, choose a known brand like the Ritz or the Four Seasons, at least there is a standard, not whatever this is anymore. The new owners of this property don’t deserve to use its name.

Some of the prettiest grounds in the Caribbean. It’s perched on a hill overlooking the Atlantic and Caribbean. Beautiful turquoise and cornflower waters. Facility is clean and gorgeous. However, the service was quite poor. Food was delicious but clearly prepared ahead of time. Sometimes it came out in 60 seconds, other times 25 min. My mahi was raw in the middle…I told the waitress and she did nothing but disappear after saying something unintelligible. Never saw a manager…restaurant/bar/pool/front desk. This place could be great w just a bit of good mgmt. Staff always looked put out…almost all of them.

This is my second time staying at the resort. It is still a beautiful destination, private beach, comfortable pool chairs, and the food choices are plentiful at the resort. Communication with the hotel is impossible. No one picks up the phone and the concierge isn’t sitting at the desk most days. I had to physically walk to each restaurant to make our reservations for dinner. Email was the only way to communicate before we arrived. Our family had a nice week as we were there for a conference.

This resort came highly recommended by some good traveling friends. We were able to meet some other good traveling friends here as well. This Resort is absolutely stunning and amazing. It is full of family friendly activities and fun things to do. We loved the waterpark, pool and hot tubs and several restaurant with majestic views, ferry and Palamino Island was awesome. We had an absolute blast and will definitely come here again. Highly recommend!

We had dinner at Bono Restaurant and it was a wonderful experience. The food was delicious and thoughtfully prepared, and everything we tried was satisfying. A special shoutout to our waiter, Wacho, who provided excellent service, attentive, friendly, and professional throughout the evening. He really helped make our visit even more enjoyable.

Dreadful communication, we tried on multiple occasions to contact the property via e mail and phone in order to rearrange arrival date. On the day of arrival we are sitting in reception awaiting room details, it has been 2 hours since we arrived and although they offer you can use facilities, I am imagining how u comfortable i would be if I had gone to pool!!!. Reception is understaffed and each time we are in line it takes > 10 minutes to talk to someone. Book here at your peril

Wonderful first visit to El Conquistador! We stayed in a Marina room that was lovely. Food at Ventanas was delicious. Francheska and Jean at Coqui Waterpark were amazing when one of my kids had a scraped knee. They made sure he was safe and enjoyed the rest of his time on the slides. My kids also loved the scavenger hunt from the front desk. Thank you!

I stayed at the resort March 9th-11th. The resort is on a beautiful piece of property which is why it has a few stars to this rating. I’ve highlighted below my takeaways for others to consider before booking. Palomino Island - 4/5 The island itself is beautiful so had to rate separately, but the ferry ride to and from the island I would give a negative 5 on that. Ferry to Palomino Island - 0/5 Recommend having more ferry boats over to the island and back. One was running at the time and we wasted three hours in total waiting for the ferry. Not something I recommend. Beach is beautiful, but the ferry schedule needs major work. There also was some group that got off a bus that got to go before guests on the ferry which caused an uproar rightfully so since some guests didn’t make the ferry due to those individuals cutting the line. It was all around not a good experience. There are plenty of beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico with a lot less headache to see. I recommend you go see the other beaches and not spend half your day wasted on waiting around for a ferry. Coqui water park - 4/5 Water park features a small lazy river which was the best part in my opinion, but be prepared to bump into everyone along the lazy river. Water slides were also fun and you have three options. Was a beautiful spot to spend the day at the pool. Can see this being a major win with families due to variety and plenty of pool space as well. Cutz Steakhouse - 5/5 Meal was amazing and drinks were spot on. Atmosphere is what you’d be expecting for this type of resort. Highly recommend. Sicilia - 4/5 Meal was great and drinks were okay. More of a family spot which was fine, but the atmosphere needs some updating. Seemed off to me from the moment I sat down. Brapanta Bar - 3/5 We ended up stumbling upon this bar which ended up being good drinks, but odd service. Wait staff didn’t come around so I went up to order and when I did they said they’d be over to the table. After they eventually came over it was a better experience, but wouldn’t be my first go to. BallyHoo - 5/5 The second night we stopped here for a drink as our end cap which was great drinks and a beautiful spot. We were happy we found this spot the second day when sitting for our long ferry ride. Hotel rooms - 3/5 My hotel room was updated and we had a beautiful view. I will say we had so much noise outside our room at all hours of the night. I actually sent an email that night complaining to ensure future guests get told this room is very loud. I am a light sleeper so the 12am screaming from fellow quests was a little much. I get having a good time out, but when everyone is walking by your room being towards the start of the building you hear it all. Would recommend staff have selections for individuals who are light sleepers from someone who was up two nights in a row to constant loud talking and screaming. I also would recommend looking at the Las Casitas Village as we didn’t look at that as an option and regret not picking a more secluded area. Casablanca - 1/5 I’m sure it’s a beautiful bar, but opening at 9pm is a little late for someone who likes to go to bed at a decent hour. I was very disappointed in the late hour opening and was hoping at least 7pm to enjoy a drink at this establishment. I never got to enjoy a drink there which was sad because it was on my top things to do at the resort. My recommendation is changing the hours of the bar. The first night we stayed we found ourselves not able to enjoy a drink anywhere. The outdoor bar was full and no bartender was to be found at the bar upstairs. When you are staying at a “luxury” hotel you expect more than what was presented during our trip. I had thought about staying here for my upcoming honeymoon and I’m glad we visited before making that decision. I wouldn’t run back here, but I hope with some more years of work I will visit to a different and improved El Conquistador.

Yahaira really stood out. Our stay at the Conquistador was pleasant. Yahaira was welcoming, and knowledgeable. The Coqui Water Park was an awesome time for the entire family! Thank you Conquistador Resort and thank you Yahaira for putting forth your best effort at every encounter. We loved it!

Facility is massive. For as big and expensive it is the service is so deathly slow and expensive you should just get a small hotel in the village where the food is affordable and the service is good.

This is strictly a review of our experience at Bono restaurant. Our overall rating for the resort would be 3.5/5 stars, but our experience at Bono with our server, Osbel, was truly exceptional. It was my 40th birthday, and we were looking forward to dining at one of the nicer restaurants on the resort property. He made great recommendations, timed out food nicely, and sang happy birthday to me. It was an unforgettable dining experience. He is warm, professional, and truly a lovely human being who made us feel so special and well-cared-for. The food was overall delicious. But Osbel was truly the star. I would rate the overall rating lower due to the situation I will describe below, but I do not want to take away from the 5 star service he provided. I do want to note one unfortunate part of our evening. We called concierge for over an hour trying to make a reservation. Turns out we did not need one, but I do wish I had the option to call the restaurant directly. When we arrived at the restaurant, it was empty, and there was a hostess and a very bald server standing at the front. I told the hostess we tried to make a reservation but were not able to. The other server spoke in Spanish to the hostess, and she asked if we want to see a menu. I told her that was not necessary, we would like to dine there. The very bald server said something to her again and then cut himself off and said to us "it is very expensive." We assured him we still would like to dine there. But we were shocked at his forthrightness. Thankfully, he was not our server, and we had a wonderful meal with Osbel. But it was a shame this other staff member tried to deter us based on price.

Francisco was amazing. Best service we have received.

We stayed at the resort and ordered groceries from Walmart so that our kids couple have snacks while they enjoyed their stay. Instead the security, front desk and bell staff all said they would not allow the driver to come past the gait. By the time we tried to get it handled, the lady had to leave and my groceries were canceled. I understand why they would not allow this, however it’s not clearly stated anywhere in your booking or website. Then because you’re forced to spend a lot of money to buy their food, they don’t have enough breakfast spots (they have 2), so you stand in line for 40 minutes waiting for a muffin. They also harassed my 8 year old son regarding his height repeatedly. He’s 48” and he was measured repeatedly and not allowed down until the manager came. Why wouldn’t they just give him a wrist band so they didn’t keep doing this?! They said they couldn’t give a band. We got locked out of our room. The bands just turned off prior to our late check out that they confirmed twice. They nickel and dime you, they put up volley ball nets at the island beach but you have to buy your own ball. No one ever apologizes. No one asked how our stay was. The boat broke down to get back from the island so we had to wait another 30 minutes. Water park restaurant didn’t open for lunch on time (11am) employee sent me to a different option which didn’t open until 1 pm. At 550am there was a truck backing up outside our room, beeping. Multiple other guests said they have had issues too.

Francheska Hernandez and her amazing team at Coqui Water Park did an outstanding job ensuring everyone’s safety. The lifeguards are attentive and on top of everything, and the entire staff is friendly, respectful, and extremely knowledgeable. They went above and beyond to help us celebrate our son’s birthday and were incredibly accommodating of my mom’s needs in her wheelchair. We can’t wait to go back! Thank you all for such a wonderful experience! We all had a blast!

I really wanted to love this place and I wouldn't say were are that picky. Based on looks alone, everything is perfect. However, our stay was way more stressful than necessary. Did not sleep well because it's just one of those places where you aren't sure if you can get basic needs met or that anyone even cares. I could go into more detail but basically lots of waiting in line, no one available to help, learning curve to learn how everything works because no one tells you. Took about 30 minutes just to get a drink at the pool bar. They tried to give us the wrong room and we had to argue to get what we actually booked. 90 minute wait for most restaurants in the evening. I have to laugh now because at one point all of us were crying in the hotel room because we were so stressed, hungry, and exhausted from having to figure everything out. We went during Presidents day week when lots of schools in the northeast are off, so maybe if you go at a non-peak time it's better. WAY understaffed. Later on our trip we went to the Marriott Stellaris in San Juan and the service was incredible there. Night and day. I do have to say the food was good at Ballyhoo and we had great service there. However most of the food elsewhere is just ok and overpriced. Tours: we enjoyed the rainforest tour with H and J and also the El Yunque Zipline tour. In summary, proceed with caution: know what to expect and try to learn the rules ahead of times (like how to actually make dinner reservations, how the ferry works, plan for long lines at funicular and front desk), and don't go during peak times.

Great bar experience with Angel!

Angel the Bar tender at El Conquistador resort was very personable and provided great service. He made a great impression on our first day on resort. Gave us lots of great recommendations as well.

Great experience, the watepark staff was really good. There Manager Francheska Hernandez and his supervisor Jean Mendez are very great and very kind. Amazing staff you have in the water park.

This resort functions like a nightclub 24/7. There is music blasting at the pool, the waterpark, the beach, the lounge and every restaurant all the time—there is no escape from oppressive noise. Our room was in the marina area between the line for the boat to the island, the Ballyhoo restaurant, and on the other side was the Furnicular. Every day there were steel drums playing between 4:30-6:30pm playing at full volume for the boat arrivals, so we couldn’t rest in our room before dinner after being in loud spaces all day with our kids. The resort calls it “Music Entertainment” but it is more like a “Music Migraine” and it is completely not necessary. In fact, the experience would have been way better without it even though this place has other big problems… There are long lines everywhere. For example, if you do not make dinner reservations for every night, then good luck getting dinner. On our first night it took about an hour and a half to get service and this is not easy with little kids. There is no daily option for a good breakfast in the marina area. There is a small market with coffee and pastries but the line usually takes an hour because of the line to get to the island. If you want to go to Palomino Island at 9, the line starts at 8am and gets long until about 1PM. My idea of vacation is not standing in long lines to do everything, including getting a coffee. My husband and I ended up spending a half day of our trip taking an Uber to a grocery store to get fruit, breakfast supplies, and snacks for our room once we realized how difficult it was to have a proper meal that wasn’t frozen, sugar filled junk. We also ordered meals an hour before we were hungry because that was on average how long service would take. Lastly, we were traveling with my elderly mother and having to go up and down the Furnicular multiple times a day, walk a long path, and then go up another elevator to get to the main pool and lobby area took about 20 minutes each way and there were often lines at the Furnicular and the elevator. Our room location made everything harder. We will never go back here and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Our favorite memory was walking out of the resort on the service road, having dinner at a local restaurant, and doing the bioluminescence bay night kayak tour!

El Conquistador has many good things to offer -- a water park for children, lots of restaurants, a beautiful view, several pools, game rooms, etc. However, my family's experience there was negatively impacted by the fact that there was loud music blasting everywhere much of the time. For example, it was impossible to sit and read a book, while lounging and watching the kids play in the water park, because the music was so incredibly loud. Another problem was that they were so understaffed that it sometimes took over an hour to get a pizza. It is true that we did go at a busy time, Feb school vacation week -- but there were long lines for everything. For example, there is a ferry to a lovely little island with a beach. The line for the ferry was brutal, and, if you didn't make the cut, you had to wait another hour for the next ferry. (Is it just me, or is it weird to be at a resort in Puerto Rico that has no beach on its property??) Finally, our room on the marina level was very inconvenient. In order to get to the main area of the resort, you had to go on a funicular! Then you had to walk down a hall and go on an elevator. It wasn't easy or convenient with children. That said, we did have a good time overall, but would be unlikely to stay there again.

All the staff were wonderful just not enough of them for busy restaurant times. Check in check out super easy and staff were helpful. Food… overpriced and not great. Taco spot was the best one but we ate off property after day 2. Many great local options nearby. Always nice to support the locals! Ferry service to the beach was slow and only ran every hour. Plan to wait 45 minutes during the busy times. Miniboats are a must! So fun and great way to get to some nice private islands. Coffee is hard to get in the am plan ahead bc the line takes forever. Overall a great resort and will come back but disappointed in the food and overpriced menus. Rooms were great except be warned of the birds who start making noise early it feels like you’re sleeping in the jungle with all windows and doors shut. Part of being in a beautiful location, but it was very loud at 6 am. The tour desk ppl were wonderful book some activities off property after. The rainforest is close and horseback riding was great.

The property is nice but there is no service because it is too crowded, and not enough staff or amenities to accommodate. It feels like a cruise ship that forgot to prepare for the amount of people. Must be thousands, yet only 1 person on the entire earth has the capability to make dinner reservations (completely pen and paper system) which were a must if you didn't want to wait hours. We had to leave the resort to relax and actually be on vacation. When it was time to return we joked "time to go fight for basic needs to be met at... El conquistador." Bartenders ignore you, food prices somehow rise in between ordering from the menu and receiving the bill, the ferry won't return for another hour even though they couldn't fit everyone who was waiting for 30 minutes.... The warning signs were there starting at check in. They put us in a room type that we didn't reserve and couldn't sleep all of us but didn't tell us this, leaving us to find out after the 30 minute trek to the room. Then they pressured and argued us to accept it due to "availability". You get what you get. We called back to get someone else to argue with and we must have finally won that battle because they found a room that had enough beds for us and we had to move. At that point we had no idea the battles that were to come for mass produced overpriced food...

Just a horrible hotel. Gum on our furniture. Sinks don’t drain. Guests smoking in rooms. 2hr wait for terrible food. Couldn’t get into our room u til 6pm. Children screaming everywhere. Paper thin walls.

We arrived and got in line for check-in and there’s about five people in front of me and it took one hour and 45 minutes to check in. It was a complete crap show from the beginning. Our room was not clean. The line for coffee is astronomical. We then wanted to just get pizza later and it was an hour wait and my husband put our name on the list in an hour later we went back and they had lost our name. We finally got pizza that was undercooked and chips that were stale. The food here is terrible. But the cherry on top was when I went to concierge to book a cabana for the entire day and she told me I was all set at the waterpark from 9 to 6 PM and we got to the waterpark around 11 to find out that she had never actually made our reservation. The explanation was that when she went to book it it was full, however, nobody bothered to email me or call me even though both of contact were on the reservation form. Would I believe it happened, Is that she put it aside and forgot about it. Because they are completely understaffed. It took us an hour to get açai bowls this morning. This place is terrible. The employees are nice enough but incompetent. I would not stay here again, might as well go to Disney because at least i get a ride at the end of the 2 hour wait. Other people have had similar complaints. I have heard- this place is so slow. We should have just got an air bnb. For what i paid to stay here for 2 rooms, i would expect better food and faster service. No one wants to spend a “luxury” resort vacation waiting in line for hours.

Resort doesn’t have a beach, need to take 20 min ferry. Rooms need a good FaceTime Lift, food was horrible especially in restaurant Cuts( not fresh, cooking oil probably was changed last time a month or two ago)smelly and taste bad. All the activities like Blue water and Culebra just a gimmick and a total ripoff. Never had such a bad experience. Very disappointed. Will never go again.

I am staying here now. Despite the high price tag, the resort does not have enough basic amenities for the guests. Last night, none of the dining venues on the resort were available for dinner with less than an hour wait. Breakfast was a 30 minute wait everywhere. As I write this, I am at the water park, where the only seats are next to a man setting up speakers. He tells me that the music will be so loud that I will need to move. I understand that a resort may busy, but this could be mitigated by hiring staff.

I took my daughter here for winter break and at first glance it’s incredible. The views and architecture are beautiful but once you scratch the surface all the cracks appear. Arrived at 11pm and our door lock was broken, two new installed locks and four bad sets of keys we finally got in. The first day we went to the waterpark where we waited 80 mins at the Oasis Grill for a burger. There were 2 people working - one bartending, one gilling, and no one serving. We all stood there helpless as no one bothered to serve our food that was cooked but not served. The second day, the resort fills up and no one at the hotel is prepared. The trashcans are overflowing, there are cockroaches floating around the pools, the toilets in the women’s bathroom at the water park overflow all over the floor, the funicular “tram” gets stuck halfway up the hill, the bars are backed up 20 deep, and the towel guy won’t give you more than one towel to put on a wet chair after a rainstorm soaks everything. This place needs new ownership because it’s horribly run and a huge insurance liability . Putting all the aforementioned issues aside, i saw three kids slip on the pool deck and hit their heads on the stone pavers and a baby almost fall to its death on an excessively steep staircase on the ferry to Palomino Island. When you have a resort this big, you need to be fully staffed (with people who have been there more than 3 days), who know what they are doing, where things are in the hotel, when things open, and how to resolve problems. If you want to be a 2 or 3 star resort, keep it up but if you want to charge the prices you are charging and get businesses to hold their conventions here, please step it up. I feel like i’m trapped on a cruise ship and can’t wait to get to port. Ii

We stayed at El Conquistador expecting four-diamond service, but unfortunately our experience did not fully meet that expectation. For background, we are a family of four traveling with an autistic 7-year-old who requires gluten-free meals, and a 4-year-old. Pros: • Unparalleled natural beauty • Impeccably clean resort and rooms • Stunning views and landscaping • Multiple pools, waterpark, and private island amenity • Many dining options and water refill stations throughout the resort Cons: • Inconsistent ferry access to the private island • Limited and unreliable gluten-free food options • Guest Services difficult to reach • Balcony pests (wasps, ants, mosquitoes) not resolved after calling Guest Services Resort & Rooms: The resort itself is breathtaking, very large, and fun to explore. The funicular tram connecting the upper resort to the marina/waterpark is convenient. Room areas vary: • Las Brisas • Las Vistas (near pools and restaurants) • La Marina (closer to waterpark/ferry but limited dining) Palomino Island: The island is beautiful, but access is poorly managed. Ferry service runs on the hour starting at 9am, with the last ferry to the island at 3pm and returns until 5pm. Around 2pm, service was inconsistent due to staff lunch breaks. Sometimes a smaller boat is used instead of the larger ferry, resulting in guests being turned away. We waited about 25 minutes in line only to be turned away, which was especially difficulty for our autistic child. There is no system to count guests or inform families ahead of time that they won’t make the cutoff. We were also given conflicting explanations about why the larger ferry wasn’t running from it was broken to they just don’t use it during the week. Dining: Dining was a recurring issue. • Ventanas: Over an hour wait for food, missing items, forgotten drinks, inattentive service, and still charged full price for incomplete meals. Our son’s gluten-free muffin arrived undercooked and much later than everyone else’s food. We were told they were very busy and that the oven was broken. (The coconut French toast was delicious.) • OATs: Great açaí bowls and smoothies • Cafe Bella Vista: Just okay; outdoor setting with guests walking through • Okinawa: Excellent sushi and service • La Ezkina: Very good and consistent poolside Mexican food • El Cafecito & Palettamerica: Great grab-and-go options In-Room Dining: In-room dining is only available via QR code. Ours did not work, requiring staff to physically walk the QR code to us. Items ordered were unavailable at one location and sourced from another, resulting in different charges without notification. Charges were removed, then reapplied incorrectly. If staying in La Marina, food arrives cold due to distance. El Coquí Water Park: Great waterpark with slides, lazy river, infinity pool, and kiddie area. Strict 48-inch height requirement for larger slides. Some staff at the rental station were unhelpful. A standout was Waldy at Oasis Bar & Grill, who went above and beyond to help accommodate our son with a gluten-free grilled cheese despite ongoing equipment issues. Unfortunately, the oven remained broken our entire stay, limiting safe food options. Bottom line: El Conquistador is undeniably beautiful, with great amenities but service, communication, and disability accommodations need improvement. Families traveling with special-needs children or dietary restrictions should be aware of these challenges before booking.

Stayed 1/18–1/20/26. First time at El Conquistador. Check-in was extremely disorganized. I booked and paid for two ocean-view rooms for a party of four. Rooms were not ready at 4 PM (standard check-in) and were still not ready at 4:45 PM. Staff refused to offer a reasonable late check-out or waive the resort fee despite the delay. At 5:15 PM the same representative claimed I only had one ocean-view room and said the hotel was overbooked. Only after showing proof and pushing back did they waive the resort fee and provide a 2 PM check-out. Room conditions were poor. Brisas wing, 2nd floor had a strong musty/moldy smell in the hallway and room. Carpet powder was used to mask the odor, making it worse. Bathroom was very outdated—rust around the faucet, slippery sunken tub, and a malfunctioning shower that caused standing water. Sheets were thin and pilling. The only positives were the balcony ocean view, facilities, and restaurants. Based on the room quality and customer service, I would not stay here again.

Our trip at this resort was absolutely amazing, everything was beautiful, and we had a wonderful time, but the highlight of our trip was definitely the Coqui waterpark. Specifically, lifeguards Yakira and Yashira were so wonderful to us and our children. We will certainly return!

This is a review for the High Tide Bar at the El Conquistador Resort. There are lots of great options at the resort and I was grateful to discover this hidden gem our first night there. With a week-long stay, I visited often. Tucked away in an upper level it has a great bar, pool table, small selection of cigars and outdoor seating with an amazing view of the ocean and overlooks the resort. The best part of High Tide though was Madeline and Mylee, the bartenders. They are an efficient pair and were able to manage big groups with ease. The service was incredible. Pleasant and prompt without being pushy. Very well made cocktails. They set me up with a custom drink my first night there and remembered it without me even having to ask. Really good folks. The next time I'm in the area, I will definitely be back.

We enjoyed the food and service at Ballyhoo restaurant at the El Conquistador very much. Gilberto was our server. He was friendly, offered menu suggestions, and was a pleasure to talk to. The food was flavorful and delicious. Highly recommend.

Amazing experience super clean hotel great food great drinks great vibes. I left my son’s favorite swim shirt on the island and yajaira helped me get in contact with security and we got it back within a few hours. She’s loves her job and you can tell she goes above and beyond as well as the valet Parker’s and front desk. I love this place and will visit over and over again

Great time! Yajaira at the waterpark was very nice and friendly. Everything is beautiful here.

This was a wonderful experience and a fantastic resort from the food, the pools, the beach and the island across the way and the people were so friendly. A special shout out to Gilberto, Alexis and Bolivar at the Bally Hoo restaurant who are absolutely awesome. Give them a raise.! :) Martha Bateman

From the clean rooms to the picturesque island.. The incredible service from Osbel at the Bono restaurant and Raquel's wonderful poolside services, this place is 10 out of 10 across the board. I would highly recommend to anyone and already looking forward to visiting again!

Gilberto was amazing! Remembered us from our last trip! The best food!! Could not have asked for better service!! The food was great! Always giving us the best suggestions!

This is a beautiful resort that offers many amenities for all to enjoy. It truly depends on what you are looking for on vacation. The staff was very personable and although not as knowledgeable they always tried to listen and help. One of the front desk attendants was very helpful when we had an issue. Not sure I have the correct spelling of her name. But think started with a “N.” Hard to explain the pros and cons of the resort: Pro-if you want large expansive resort with lots to do. Con- nothing is close. Not even the beach. You must take a ferry to their beach area because not a beach front property. There is a funicular that you ride down to access other parts of the property. The views were awesome, but this gives you an idea of how big the property is. If you are looking for quiet, couples type of atmosphere then not here. It is a family resort that caters to young children too. Food was good average prices to pricey. They have options of pizza through Mexican with ice cream shops and a coffee shop. Rooms were very clean and designed nicely for a comfortable stay.

I've been coming here the past few months. Love the vibes and the professionalism radiating from the staff. The service is top notch, couldn't ask for more. Wish they could be more sarcastic and give nick a hard time more often. I should emphasize Madeline should be in charge, she obviously runs the show. Please add a step stool for Mylee. But in all honesty, They're great people, and do their job with an exceptional quality few bartenders can match. 13/10 would highly recommend. It'll be a sad day indeed when I have to fly back home.

Bolivar and Gilbbarto are the sweetest men that exist. We love you! Delicious dinner and much fun had by all……………,,……..

Regardless being in Puerto Rico the pool water was cold near the condo where we stayed. The ocean view from my balcony looking out to Palomino Island was beautiful and peaceful. I didn't like that I needed to wait for the ferry to go to the beach I would prefer to be able to walk to one from the resort. The staff was friendly however a resort that size and the amount we paid, did not have enough people to help deliver luggage to the room. They kept the resort very clean including the pools and trash can never overflowing. The water park is overrated and not really geared toward your children. The food was overpriced and adequate. The local public beach was my favorite to visit. it's a very large resort at the end of the day my smart watch calculated an average of 20,000 steps a day.

Loved the resort, amazing layout, with a beautiful low key beach and a lazy river/waterslide on another side of the resort, but the food was overpriced and not good, especially the dinner food. The breakfast and lunch food was good though, especially the acai bowls.

We had an amazing trip. The hotel is beautiful. From the minute you arrive the views are amazing. The room was clean and cleaned everyday. All of the food we ate on the resort was great. We traveled during the holidays so making reservations was recommended for some of the restaurants but we never really had to wait for a table without a reservation. Every employee that we dealt with went above and beyond. A few employees that we dealt with stand out - Robert at the Splash bar at the main pool, Jason and Kevin at Las Ventanas Restaurant and Raquel at La Eskina Restaurant. The hotel has access to a private beach a short boat ride from the resort. The beach was great. Their pools were also amazing. We went to the water park one day and had a great time. The resort is a short walk into las Croabas, which had a bunch of decent restaurants as well. I would head back tomorrow.

Hmm—where to start? I’d summarize this as a place with an identity crisis. Check in was a bizarre experience when they tried a bait and switch and send us down the cliff side to the marina section when we booked ocean view up top. We had no warning or heads up that our original building was ‘closed’—wasn’t until the bellman had us going down a funicular that we were like “hold up…” Thankfully we got a equal substitute to what we booked but did they really think we’d take something half the cost and deal with the funicular several times a day? Others had glowing reviews on the water park. “Meh” is a polite verdict from our family. Our 7 year old was an inch short to do anything but a baby slide and there was NO budge on that rule. I wouldn’t ever suggest something unsafe or I didn’t think my kids couldn’t handle but we’ve been to many other water parks and there were many more options for her age. If the resort ever thinks of charging extra or separate for this amenity they are out of their mind. They might as well have played Pink Floyd’s The Wall as vibe music behind all the lifeguard whistles. If you like running or staying in shape on your vacations—good luck! The main fitness center is nowhere near appropriate size for a resort with this capacity. Two treadmills. Two. They were taken all hours of the day I observed between 6:30AM and 9PM. Other options are running loops onsite up and down a small mountain (hill training anyone?) with no path. Or you can brave the trek to Seven Seas beach where I became a Strava Local Legend doing so many loops. I learned on the 3rd day there is a gym in the spa with more treadmills—9-5 PM only. No one mentioned this at the resort orientation we didn’t actually have. Anyway, not everyone is a psychopath like me and likes running before starting their family time but I offer this as my advice to management (and warning to fellow psychopaths)—a larger gym or longer spa gym hours would be a good investment. Palomino is cool but is a long wait for a boat (both ways). Which gave me a chance to write this review on our last day when one of their boats was inoperable! The restaurants were respectable, but I’m not a foodie (all that running means everything tastes good!). It’s a beautiful (and big) resort too. They have a big conference center so if I ever worked somewhere that paid my room here, would I come back? Heck yeah! But would I pay for it again on my own. Now that I know more of the resort layout and hacks—maybe, but likely not my first choice here in P.R. Scenery and close proximity to many activities like El Yunque nudged this from a 2 star to 3 star experience. Also make sure you get your parking ticket validated if you rent a car before trying to rush to a bio bay tour.

We had a wonderful stay over Christmas. The resort has been renovated in the last few years, and continues to improve. The Casitas are wonderful. Our restaurant experiences were great.

I can’t say enough great things about the entire team at Coquí Water Park at the El Conquistador Hotel. Every single time I brought my family and kids down to the pool, the lifeguards and support staff were absolutely amazing. Their professionalism goes far beyond five stars—attentive, friendly, and always fully engaged in keeping everyone safe while still making the experience fun. We stayed for 11 days, and by the second day the lifeguard staff already remembered my room number, which truly shows the level of care, attention, and pride they take in their work. It made us feel welcomed, valued, and completely at ease as parents. The lifeguards were consistently alert, approachable, and great with kids, and the support staff kept everything running smoothly and efficiently. Because of them, Coquí Water Park became one of the highlights of our entire trip. Huge thank-you to all the staff for creating such a safe, professional, and enjoyable environment for families. We can’t wait to come back!

My 4th time here over a 25 year period. They did an amazing job cleaning up after Hurricane Maria. Place looks great. Room was amazing. Island beach facilities top notch as I remembered them. Service was great with a few exceptions. 1. Wait at check-in and checkout was 10-15 minutes in queue. Staff was great just understaffed for the number of guests. 2. Self parking very frustrating. Once you validated your parking ticket there are pedestals at the entrances and exits that have a camera to show you have validated the ticket. Well the cameras don't work - at least 3 or 4 were broken. So you have to call to the valet parking to have them raise the gate. Time consuming and frustrating. There has got to be a better way. 3. Pool bars have menus with out of date prices. What you pay can be way more than the listed price. "Sorry, we haven't updated the menus yet." was the best I could get in was of consideration. For example a glass of Prosecco was charged at 167% of the menu price. Really? You don't care that you can't seem to update your menus BEFORE raising prices. I think this was my last trip here. Other resorts available with better service.

We are a family of 4 with a 6yr and 9yr old. This resort was perfect for us due to the water park and private island. Its a huge resort with so much to do but I didn't feel like we were staying with a bunch of other guests. The private island was awesome, super clean beach and so many seats and umbrellas. Towels were there so you didn't have to carry them and the ferry over was a smaller boat and took maybe 10 minutes. The water park was great for both sized kids with slides for the older and younger ones. Now the best was the staff, just every one of them from manager to bellman were so nice. Special appreciation to Jean Mehder(supervisor), Elimarie Robles, and Fabiola Jantos for sticking around past their shift to let our son go down the slides a few more times on our last day.

My husband and I stayed her for the last 4 days of our 8 days in Puerto Rico and is not at all what we expected for the rate we paid. The pros were the access to the private island, which was beautiful, access to multiple pools, and the views. Cons: The food at the resort was not 5 star, we tried multiple restaurants and they all felt short. This was also no breakfast options unless you order room service or you wanted to eat microwave sandwiches from the cafe. If we were to come back I would only stay for 1-2 days. I would recommend folks to stay in San Juan, that is were we are going to stay when we come back.

Great property and amazing staff. Lots to do!

What can I say this place was incredible!!! From the views to the rooms and just had an overall paradise feel ! I would stay again and definitely recommend this place to stay.

According to my confirmation from Expedia- I had booked a room with two queen beds. They ared NOT queen beds-they are full beds. The maps of the grounds are not adequate. As an example, we found it hard to find one of the restaurants, and though we asked staff for directions, they did not inform us it was closed. Signage around the property could be much improved. For a disabled person, the walk arounds to get around the property in some places are hard to find, and some are pretty arduous-steep and lengthy. The hotel does provide free wheel chairs. the staff were very nice, but I would not as a disabled person come back to this hotel unless I used a mobility scooter.

Super friendly staff and great hotel.

Great views. Cleanliness

This is hands down the most beautiful and spectacular hotel in all of Puerto

We enjoyed the view of the ocean. Awesome pool options, excellent dining at driving distance. The most challenging golf course I have ever played,

This hotel is lovely! Great food options and beautiful views. Hotel was quiet because we visited during down season. Hotel is huge and was confusing for the first hour until we figured everything out. You have to take the funicular to get to the bottom and see the watermark and extra pool. Also Oasis pool side food is down at the bottom. Rooms clean and new. The hotel staff wasn’t interactive unless you engaged with them. I expected better service. But overall lovely, likely return if possible. Mostly enjoyed hearing the Forrest Coqui at night! We missed them when we got home.

Outstanding place

Me encanto todo esta habitación quedaba justo en la bahia el servicio excelente un 10/10 y el personal muy profesionales

love it

The property was beautiful and amenities were great. We had one negative experience with a staff member everyone else for our entire stay were great. If someone orders room service at 5:58 I personally would take the order and not ask them to call back in two minutes. Additional charge for parking is ridiculous. The resort also decided they were going to charge additional resort fee and hold an additional set fee of $200 per day "just in case" you charge to your room. Also the food was not great at any of the on property restaurants we went to so for these reasons we rated it a 3. Maybe just charge more for the rooms and not nickel and dime people staying.

Everything

It was a beautiful hotel. Breath taking views. The service was spot on, and the surroundings were beautiful. Their private island, Palomino was beautiful. Highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a place to relax and enjoy.

Really nice place

Amazing views

The hotel was amazing. Many options for dining and entertainment. The pool and waterpark were a plus.

As a travel coordinator, I recently arranged a stay at El Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico for one of my clients, and I’m pleased to share their positive experience. The resort’s location is truly exceptional—perched above the coastline with sweeping views of the Caribbean and Atlantic. My client especially appreciated the access to Palomino Island, a private retreat that offered tranquility, clean beaches, and a refreshing escape from the mainland bustle. Staff interactions were warm and professional, and the resort’s amenities—from the water park to the golf course—provided a great balance of leisure and activity. The accommodations were comfortable and well-maintained, with thoughtful touches that made the stay feel relaxed and restorative. From a logistical standpoint, the booking process and on-site coordination were smooth, and the property delivered on its promise of a classic Caribbean experience. I would confidently recommend El Conquistador to other clients seeking a scenic, well-rounded resort in Puerto Rico.

We stayed at El Conquistador for a group convention. First time there since the recent reopening. Loved it!!!! The rooms are beautifully remodeled, the bed super comfy, overall great. Do ask for an ocean view. The resort is huge and there are activities for everyone. Staff is super nice and eager to help. The landscape and maintenance is impressiveI. I gave a 4/5 only because the room was not serviced while we stayed. Only for that reason. Everything else was really nice. El Conquistador has one of the best views in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean!!!

Good

Very clean

ONE OF THE BEST HOTELS. 100 % RECOMENDED

A great place to stay, staff are so friendly and helpful. I definitely enjoyed my stay! Good food and nice pools all within the resort too!

Amazing

Very good resort but they not have activities on monday to Wednesday

The El Conquistador Resort was a great place to vacation. A very beautiful property with a very pleasant staff. I would definitely stay here again.

Great place for kids! The cheap rooms are always a little bit mildewy, but all in all, a great fun visit

The room was a bit outdated but the grounds were beautiful

There wasnt really hot water and only one boat going to palomino island so it made going to the island really time consuming. The ballyhoo restaurant on Sunday morning did not want to work we asked to be sat down to 2 different person they said give them a-minute with the restaurant almost empty we waited 25 minutes and we just left to ventanas restaurant and it was great. A part from does incidents it was great.

Fabulous multi family vacation with children 5-15. Enough activity for most all to enjoy. Rooms very comfortable with great ocean views. Be prepared to get your steps in (a good thing) in order to get for one place to another. We sampled most of the restaurants and found them all quite good. Palomino Island had a beautiful beach. We would have liked some paddle boards. One must be 18 for the jet ski and it left the 15 year olds with nothing to engage with. However, by the pools at the hotel, all the games, such as fuss-ball and pool were appreciated. Also, I have to say that the art around the grounds of the hotel, especially the Botello, were greatly admired Please try to someday have a list of each of your pieces, with names and artist etc, and where to find of them so guests are able to discover….

The outdoor facility is amazing. This is my second time visiting and the views, outdoor Cleanliness and options of activities are great. Unfortunately, our room had poor cleaning services and I had to sweep the room myself. Mold exists in the bathroom, ironing board was broken and not replaced. The bathroom door handle was also broken. The biggest disappointment was when I complained about the sweeping, room service showed up to only throw the garbage in the hallway. I had to take pictures of the unreal laziness or lack of cleaning supplies perhaps. Only towels were changed during my 5 day stay and beds were made up. Cups used for tea were not cleaned. The list goes on! My first experience two years ago was a 5 star and it’s now a 3 star. Thankfully we spent our time outdoors where certainly the resort is unmatched to others.

Spent my first time in Puerto Rico here and was absolutely blown away by my experience. Got engaged at the resort. Will definitely be returning in the near future

Facilities are awesome!!! Excellent Resort!!

nos encanto todo!!

This property is beautiful and so many things to do. It has a cigar lounge, many pool options, 2 ice cream shops, so many bars. Definitely will be coming back.

Our first stay at El Conquistador in Fajardo was wonderful! The resort offers great amenities, with the water park and free transportation to Palomino Island being highlights. The food was very good, and while the service was pretty standard, it was still nice overall. We loved that the hotel feels secluded but has everything you need, from restaurants and shops to activities and entertainment. At night, the atmosphere was lively with DJs and live bands, which made it extra fun for our group of friends. It’s a beautiful location with plenty to enjoy for both families and groups.

Had a great time. I wish we had more days to stay.

Bad check in service, AC not working properly in room, no valet parking, nobody available to help with these issues.

Excellent place our room had no hot water though

Highly recommended

Needs more breakfast and lunch options in the Marina area. Love to stay at El Conquistador.

Quiet relaxing time

Staying in La Casita, and the power went out. That’s a problem, but not THE problem. After I notified the Casita desk, the woman working said she didn’t have a timeline for when the power was going to be back. Also, a problem, and also still not THE problem. When I said that we were not going to stay in a room with this summer heat wo AC and would like an alternative room in the main hotel (which is completely empty - bc they had a major conference cancel so the vast majority of the rooms were unoccupied). The main hotel insisted that they could only give us a room if someone from the Casitas desk called them. The woman working at the Casitas desk said she couldn’t call them bc there’s no power (no kidding). And when I suggested she call on her mobile, she said that she didn’t know the number. What?? I googled the front desk and showed her the number, which she still didn’t call. It was clear that she had determined she wanted to leave for the day (it was 6pm) and she was not going to be helpful. That’s the problem. With staff like that, I don’t see how this resort can possibly be rated above 1 star (and I would give a zero if I could). We ended up getting other rooms in the empty main hotel, but only after major discussions.