It was the crown jewel of San Juan’s hotels: the nearly 420-room Ritz-Carlton, San Juan, set in the heart of the beachfront neighborhood of Isla Verde and home to a popular casino, too.
Then came the storms of 2017. The iconic luxury resort closed its doors after the twin hurricanes of Irma and Maria, and it’s been shuttered ever since.
But that is about to change. The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan is making its long-awaited return in 2025, Caribbean Journal has learned.
Parent company Marriott International has already announced the hiring of a new area general manager for Puerto Rico — a title that will include being the general manager of the reopened hotel.
Marriott has tapped industry veteran Sam Basu to the role, in which he will “lead the highly anticipated reopening of The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan,” the company said in a statement obtained by Caribbean Journal.
Basu is a veteran of the resort, having spent a decade at the Ritz-Carlton, San Juan during its heyday, including stops at a number of other top resorts in Puerto Rico.
It’s a significant addition for San Juan and Puerto Rico at large, with the destination continuing to see blazing-fast tourism arrival numbers and air passenger traffic.
Now, its luxury sector will get a much-needed boost.
Of course, Ritz-Carlton is no stranger to greater Puerto Rico — the existing Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Dorado Beach has been among the region’s top luxury resorts for some time.
Now, for the first time in seven years, that property will be joined by another Ritz-Carlton-branded resort on the island.
CJ Expert Take: The return of the Ritz-Carlton, San Juan will bring back a much-needed ultra-luxe hotel for the city of San Juan, which has been performing very well as a hotel market but has lacked a true, full-service five-star beach resort.
