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Discover El Convento Hotel, which is a former Carmelite convent dating back to 1651 in the walled city of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

El Convento Hotel was constructed at a time when Europeans settled in the New World throughout much of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Located in the walled city of Old San Juan, the Hotel El Convento is a former Carmelite convent dating back to 1651. Vacated by the nuns in 1903 and left for ruin, it was nearly destroyed in the 1950s, but the Puerto Rican tourism and cultural officials and millionaire Robert Woolworth purchased the property in 1962 and converted it into a European-style luxury hotel. In 1995, a $15 million restoration returned the hotel to its original beauty by accentuating the Spanish features of the original convent.

This historic hotel in San Juan, which occupies the top four floors, has a private entrance in the original courtyard where a 300-year-old Nispero fruit tree from Spain still stands. Rooms and luxury suites are individually decorated with Andalusian tile floors, mahogany beams, throw rugs and hacienda-style furniture. Each room has a view of Old San Juan or its bay. The first two floors feature restaurants, 10 new guest rooms, which were introduced in 2003, and meeting rooms.

  • About the Architecture +

    Located in the walled city of Old San Juan, the Hotel El Convento is a former Carmelite convent dating back to 1651. Vacated by the nuns in 1903 and left for ruin, it was nearly destroyed in the 1950s, but the Puerto Rican tourism and cultural officials and millionaire Robert Woolworth purchased the property in 1962 and converted it into a European-style luxury hotel. In 1995, a $15 million restoration returned the hotel to its original beauty by accentuating the Spanish features of the original convent.


Image of Historian Stanley Turkel, Historic Hotels of America Image of Stanley Turkel's Book Built To Last: 100 Year Old Hotels East of the Mississippi, Historic Hotels of America.

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Hotel History: El Convento Hotel (1651), San Juan, Puerto Rico*



By Stanley Turkel, CMHS



Located in the walled city of Old San Juan, the Hotel El Convento is a former Carmelite convent dating back to 1651. The Monasterio del Señor San Jose was founded by Doña Ana Lanzos, a wealthy widow who donated her money and her magnificent residence with a large double sloped tile roof. Three Carmelite nuns from Santo Domingo served as founders. The building was expanded between 1854 and 1861 after the original structure was torn down. Governor Fernando de Norzagaray helped raising the necessary funds and personally inspected the work daily. Certain elements stand out in the facade of the chapel, besides the entrance: the pair of Tuscan columns, the two towers and the latticed choir arch.



Vacated by the nuns in 1903 and left for ruin, it was nearly destroyed in the 1950s. It was saved by the Puerto Rican tourism office and millionaire Robert Woolworth who purchased the destination in 1962 and converted it into a European-style luxury hotel. In 1995, a $15 million restoration returned the hotel to its original beauty by accentuating the Spanish features of the original convent.



This historic hotel occupies the top four floors, has a private entrance in the original courtyard where a 300-year-old Nispero fruit tree from Spain still stands. Rooms and luxury suites are individually decorated with Andalusian tile floors, mahogany beams, throw rugs and hacienda-style furniture. Each room has a view of Old San Juan or its bay. The first two floors feature restaurants, 10 new guestrooms (introduced in 2003), and meeting rooms interconnected by a series of black-and-white tiled hallways.



The garden terrace, overlooking the Plaza de las Monjas and historic San Juan cathedral, offers a serene atmosphere for relaxing and enjoying evening cocktails. The flower-bedecked rooftop pool terrace, with its spectacular panoramic views of Old San Juan has a plunge pool and a Jacuzzi. This small boutique hotel celebrates the old—as its address in historic Old San Juan indicates—while embracing all the comforts modern travelers expect. Guests have beach access to El Convento’s sister location. There are three restaurants, including a friendly tapas bar. Named the premier "Small Luxury Hotel" in Puerto Rico, El Convento is the oldest member of Historic Hotels of America, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is rated as a AAA Four Diamond holiday destination.



*excerpted from his book Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi



*****



About Stanley Turkel, CMHS



Stanley Turkel is a recognized consultant in the hotel industry. He operates his hotel consulting practice serving as an expert witness in hotel-related cases and providing asset management an and hotel franchising consultation. Prior to forming his hotel consulting firm, Turkel was the Product Line Manager for worldwide Hotel/Motel Operations at the International Telephone & Telegraph Co. overseeing the Sheraton Corporation of America. Before joining IT&T, he was the Resident Manager of the Americana Hotel (1842 Rooms), General Manager of the Drake Hotel (680 Rooms) and General Manager of the Summit Hotel (762 Rooms), all in New York City. He serves as a Friend of the Tisch Center and lectures at the NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism. He is certified as a Master Hotel Supplier Emeritus by the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. He served for eleven years as Chairman of the Board of the Trustees of the City Club of New York and is now the Honorary Chairman.




Stanley Turkel is one of the most widely-published authors in the hospitality field. More than 275 articles on various hotel subjects have been posted in hotel magazines and on the Hotel-Online, Blue MauMau, Hotel News Resource and eTurboNews websites. Two of his hotel books have been promoted, distributed and sold by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry and Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi). A third hotel book (Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York) was called "passionate and informative" by the New York Times. Executive Vice President of Historic Hotels of America, Lawrence Horwitz, has even praised one book, Great American Hoteliers Volume 2: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry:



  • “If you have ever been in a hotel, as a guest, attended a conference, enjoyed a romantic dinner, celebrated a special occasion, or worked as a hotelier in the front or back of the house, Great American Hoteliers, Volume 2: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry is a must read book. This book is recommended for any business person, entrepreneur, student, or aspiring hotelier. This book is an excellent history book with insights into seventeen of the great innovators and visionaries of the hotel industry and their inspirational stories.”


Turkel was designated as the “2014 Historian of the Year by Historic Hotels of America,” the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This award is presented to an individual for making a unique contribution in the research and presentation of history and whose work has encouraged a wide discussion, greater understanding and enthusiasm for American History.



Works published by Stanley Turkel include:



Most of these books can be ordered from AuthorHouse—(except Heroes of the American Reconstruction, which can be ordered from McFarland)—by visiting www.stanleyturkel.com, or by clicking on the book’s title.



Contact: Stanley Turkel



[email protected]/917-628-8549