Visitors to Puerto Rico think first and foremost about the Island’s stunning beaches, first-class hotels and other amenities that make it a world-class travel destination.
But beyond the Island’s inherent beauty lies a destination that leads the global marketplace in such commercial areas as product manufacturing, financial services, pharmaceutical development and biotech research.
It is this unique paradox that has helped propel the continuation of Puerto Rico’s business infrastructure to the benefit of the Island’s meetings and conventions market.
Since the opening of the Puerto Rico Convention Center in late 2005, Puerto Rico has worked synergistically to lure groups to the Island by flexing its muscle within specific areas of business strength.
From hosting Citywide conventions for pharma/medical groups like INTERPHEX, AARP and Asociación Latinoamericana de Pediatría (ALAPE) or manufacturing-related gatherings for groups like SEUI or Shoppers’ Drug Mart, Puerto Rico is demonstrating its prowess as a center of commerce and a natural choice for meetings and conventions within these market sectors.
“Meetings and conventions generate more than $900 million into our local economy each year,” stated Ana María Viscasillas, president and CEO, Puerto Rico Convention Bureau. “This means big business – and opportunity – not only for our visiting convention delegates, but for local industry partners as well.”
Aggressive Hotel Development
Renowned hotel chains in Puerto Rico continue to expand and improve offerings of top hotel brands, investing an estimated $2.1 billion into new developments and $350 million into renovation and expansion projects throughout the Island.
Currently, Puerto Rico boasts more than 1.3 million square feet (120,774 sq. m.) of meeting space with more than 14,000 hotel rooms to provide meeting planners an unprecedented range of top-name hotel brand choices in a variety of price ranges to suit any group.
Recent development highlights include an $800,000 remodeling project at El Convento. A 58-room property in the heart of Old San Juan, upgrades blend the landmark hotel’s Old World charm with New World technology, including furniture restoration, LCD plasma televisions in guestrooms, in-room lighting and soft-good upgrades.
Just outside of Old San Juan, the Caribe Hilton is putting $12 million into refurbishing meeting rooms, Expo Center and outdoor bar and beach areas, while working on the second phase of its Laguna Villas project.
Once complete in 2010, the property will offer 910 guest rooms. Also, just outside of the Convention Center District, the Vistas de San Juan hotel project will bring a 48-room corporate hotel to the former Clarion property, along with 197 condo-hotel rooms.
A second phase includes plans for the construction of a two tower, 480-room property, with over 300,000 sq. ft. of commercial space.
Also just outside of the Convention Center District is the newly rebuilt 184-room Doubletree by Hilton San Juan (formerly the Pierre Hotel), featuring four meeting rooms, a Business Center, wireless internet and other top amenities to cater to the business traveler.
In the Condado area, the re-launch of the 570-room Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza followed a $70 million dollar redesign that included refurbishment of all rooms, public areas, a new lobby, and 40,000 square feet of meeting space.
Nearby, development continues at the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, which is scheduled to open in November 2010 and will feature 305 guest rooms, including 80 Commodore Suites and 40 Biltmore Suites, along with 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
In nearby Isla Verde, the 382-room El San Juan Hotel & Casino recently joined the Waldorf Astoria Collection brand of hotels following a $52 million renovation that included meeting space re-designed by Robert Barry of Barry Design and an alluring pool and beachside experience - Encanto Beach Club, by acclaimed architect Stephane Dupoux.
Following a complete re-design, the former Holiday Inn San Juan was renamed in late 2009 as the Verdanza Hotel. The property, which boasts a fresh and casual urban-inspired atmosphere and personalized approach, features 222 guestrooms including 60 Pool Club guest rooms fronting the pool area and 22 guest suites with customized perks that include personal bike taxi transport to the nearby beach, made-to-order beach picnic lunches, a pillow menu and more.
With 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, the Verdanza offers four on-site dining options, complimentary Internet and Wi-Fi, a self-service Business Center and Fitness Center.
Nearby, the InterContinental San Juan Resort & Casino recently completed a $40 million remodeling to the hotel’s public spaces, casino, guest rooms and 18,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Puerto Rico Convention Center – A Dynamic Business Hub
As the 580,000 sq. ft. Puerto Rico Convention Center enters its fifth year of operation, completion of the surrounding District in 2012 will provide a dynamic, physical location for the exchange of goods, services and ideas unparalleled within the region.
Anchored by the Puerto Rico Convention Center, the largest facility of its kind in the Caribbean and the most technologically-advanced in the Caribbean and Latin America, the District also will include office space, retail operations, restaurants and entertainment complexes, as well as three hotels.
The District’s first property, the Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel opened in November 2009.
The 503-room property serves as the headquarter hotel for the Center and is a contemporary, urban resort featuring an additional 35,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, along with a rooftop pool and spa, retail shops, a casino and flexible outdoor function areas.
Plans and development of two additional properties within the District include a 300-room Marriott Courtyard Convention District Hotel and a 252-room Aloft property, also part of the Starwood hotel collection.
Another 700 – 750 hotel rooms are part of the District’s master plan and include the development of a 500-room and a 200-250 room property.
Increased Airlift and Airport Upgrades
Puerto Rico currently offers 1,778 weekly non-stop flights from the U.S. with carriers including American Airlines, ATA, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, Pan Am, Spirit, United, US Airways, as well as service with international carriers such as Iberia, Copa, Virgin Atlantic and Transmeridian Airlines.
Recently, American Airlines added additional daily flights to Puerto Rico from Boston, Chicago and Washington/Dulles as well as adding an additional weekly flight to Los Angeles.
Last Spring, American Eagle added 109 weekly flights from San Juan other Caribbean destinations including St. Martin, Tortola, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Guadelupe, Martinica, Trinidad and Tobago and an additional weekly flight to Grenada.
Other airlines which have increased service to the Island include Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Insel Air and Virgin Atlantic, with service from Puerto Rico to other Caribbean locations, the U.S., South America and Europe.
Smooth Meetings Made Easy
Whether part of a large association meeting or small incentive travel reward, a key factor why Puerto Rico continues to be one of the most sought-after destinations for meetings and conventions is the ease of doing business, especially for U.S. conventioneers.
As part of the U.S., passports are not required of U.S. citizens traveling to the Island. Puerto Rico shares the same currency, offers outstanding telecommunications service with the same top service providers as on the U.S. Mainland, including Verizon, Sprint, ATT and T-Mobile, and works with the same postal system, making it easy to conduct business and stay in touch while feeling like a world away.
“Puerto Rico offers the ease and familiarity of conducting business as one would in any major U.S. city, yet with a distinctive culture and exotic flavor that many groups desire in a meeting destination,” Viscasillas concluded.
“Our sophisticated business climate and the allure of our tropical paradise are what set us apart from other meeting destinations placing Puerto Rico in a class of its own.”
For more information, visit Puerto Rico Convention Bureau
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