Travel: A Weekend in San Juan, Puerto Rico

I’m back from my mini-vacation / birthday trip in Puerto Rico. I’m well rested and ready to conquer the world! The weather wasn’t bad, but it could have been better. It rained a little bit and was very humid. I haven’t been to Puerto Rico in a few years and I forgot about that element. Had I remembered, I would have worn my natural hair in a wash and go instead of a twist-out. The humidity evaporated every crinkle I had within minutes of stepping out of my hotel. So hence the pony puff. Womp!

I had great time in San Juan. Since this was a relaxation trip, I alternated between the pool and the beach. The one time I wasn’t in a bathing suit was when I went to meet up with my friend who now lives in Puerto Rico. She lives about 45 minutes from San Juan so we decided to meet at the Plaza Las Americas, which is the local mall in San Juan. It was just a $20 cab ride from my hotel. It’s a nice size mall with Macy’s and JC Penny as anchor stores. It also has Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Cheng restaurants.

I stayed at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Casino.  This hotel is located in a great area, close to stores and restaurants. It’s also near the airport which is a perfect location if you are taking a cruise out of Puerto Rico. The Embassy Suites chain of hotels is my preferred hotel for travel because of the complimentary breakfast and happy hour.   I will say the breakfast buffet was a little disorganized which resulted in a small wait for made to order food. The drinks during happy hour weren’t strong but it’s unlimited so you are bound to get a buzz if you drink enough. The rooms were really large and spacious with two TVs. You know I had to watch Empire. Wifi was included with the price of the room but it was wishy washy. If you were on it too long, it would kick you off.

 

The pool at the Embassy Suites was huge and looked like a little oasis.  It was beautiful. And they even had a small kiddie pool and play area for children. The hotel is very close to the beach. It’s about a 5 minute walk. Once you are there, you just look for the Embassy Suites flag where you can get complimentary beach chairs, towels and umbrella. You just tell them where you want to sit at on the beach and they set everything up for you. It was perfect!

Wearing: ASOS CURVE Bardot Skater Dress In Bright Print | Folie Follie Heart4Heart Handbag (similar) | Sam Edelman Gigi Leather T-Strap Sandals

The hotel also had a casino and Outback Steakhouse. I didn’t end up gambling, but I did eat at the Outback. The food and service were good. Overall my stay at the hotel was pretty nice. I only had one issue with a snotty front desk person. But I won’t let that take away from my entire experience. The rest of the staff were courteous and accommodating.

It was very easy to find places to eat in Puerto Rico. I’m not a foodie and have a selective appetite. So finding something to eat when I travel can be a little difficult. Of course I ate breakfast at the hotel every morning. In addition to Outback Steakhouse, I ate at The Cheesecake Factory and Church’s Chicken (twice!). If you only knew how much I love their chicken. And it has to be from a Church’s Chicken only, not a White Churches (White Castle and Church’s Chicken combo). I need you to only concentrate on making chicken not burgers too.

It was so good to get away – even if it was just for a few days. I’m currently planning for my next travel excursion. I’m headed to Italy in a few weeks and haven’t planned one thing. Yikes! It’s not finalized, but I think I will be traveling to Milan, Rome and Venice. If you have any suggestions of places to visit or tips on the train systems, please comment below.

Looking for travel inspiration? Check out my guides to Bahamas, Hawaii, and Seattle. Also visit my travel board on Pinterest here!