El Conquistador Resort
Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
| El Conquistador | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of the El Conquistador area | |
| Former names | Las Vistas |
General information | |
| Location | Fajardo, Puerto Rico, USA |
| Coordinates | 18.3585045°N 65.6282546°W |
| Opened | July 14, 1962 |
| Owner | Urbano Varro, LLC |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5[1] |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 700 |
History
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]
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]
