The Marriott Courtyard has a Latin band in the lobby.

For $10 you get 2 drinks and access to the dancing area. The Intercontinental has a salsa band on Friday and Saturday nights. Nothing will replace the excitement of the nightlife at the old El San Juan but there are other hotels in Isla Verde to dance and enjoy good Latin music. Actually, at night, the guest registration and the lobby are roped off as well with security staff manning the small spaces allotted for access. I don't see that happening.Īlso, Chico's Tavern, the area with the band and a dance floor, is roped off now where it used to be open so dancers could flow into the lobby. If I were a hotel guest I would want to be able to just sit in the lobby, say after dinne,r and relax. First of all, there is no area of the lobby where you can just sit and relax without be approached every 5 minutes by hotel staff members asking if you are being helped, can they get you a drink. However, I think the ambiance has change significantly. It may just be a matter of time before the place is action packed. However, on Friday night about a tenth of the people showed up, even at 11:30. I am not sure whether any of the guestrooms are in use. Wednesday was quiet which was not surprising. The ESJ has scheduled live music in the lobby every night.

Although they did change the furniture I was glad to see they left that quieter area available. We would use this space to relax in between sets. The one sitting area I particularly like is a curtained space with reclining lounges. It is a large open space with a sunken bar in the center and several other bars within this engraved mahogany paneled space. They haven't changed the layout of the lobby. It was great.įast-forward to the grand re-opening.

As my husband and I practiced our dancing we would occasionally get an approving nod from a table of 'abuelas' (grandmothers). The guests of the ESJ and other tourists seemed to enjoy the Latin rhythms and stayed to watch or invent their own moves. There were some 'regulars' who always put on a good show. You could witness some incredible dancing ranging from high energy and sexy moves of the younger crowd to the subtle movements of couples who have danced together for decades. Women in stiletto heels and platform shoes, glittering dresses. In recent years, as we have learned the rudiments of Latin dances, Friday nights became the place to be. It has always attracted people with style and energy. My husband and I have visited Puerto Rico since the late 1960's and have always enjoyed the El San Juan entertainment even way back in the the Hunka Munka days. Sorry, no casino for those who like to gamble.

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