The Bottom Line
Pros
- Ultra-stylish decor by fashion designer Nono Maldonado
- In-room butler service available
- Limo pickup at the airport
- Terrific restaurant in the lobby
Cons
- Very expensive, and not for those who like the big-chain hotels
- Not the best view from the rooms
Description
- Furnishings and artwork carry through a contemporary theme that combines comfort with visual appeal.
- You can see the bed from the whirlpool bathtub in the presidential suite; only a glass pane separates you.
- A room with a balcony isn't essential, as you're facing a busy street and a parking lot.
Guide Review - Chateau Cervantes in San Juan Hotel Review
Chateau Cervantes is more chateau than Don Quixote. This posh hotel in the heart Old San Juan oozes style and luxury. The interior is designed by one of Puerto Rico's most prominent and established fashion gurus, Nono Maldonado.The hotel is an oasis of luxury along busy Recinto Sur Street. In fact, it is so inconspicuous on the outside that you could easily walk by its elegant façade without seeing it. But once you enter, you're in a whole new world. The lobby is dominated by Panza, one of the best restaurants on the island. Soft marble and rich wood furniture abounds.
There are only 12 rooms and all are suites, and no expense is spared in any of them. The rooms have high ceilings (an unexpected bonus in this relatively small space), recessed lighting, and artistic furnishings that include plush sofas and original paintings. Deluxe beds high off the ground feature ultra-soft mattresses and Egyptian cotton duvets. The bathrooms are all-marble affairs, and each suite has a kitchen area and work space. The amenities, from bath robe to flat-panel HDTV, are top-class.
As lush as the accommodations are, it is the extra pampering that justifies the prices at Chateau Cervantes. Start with the limo pick-up from the airport; continue with the impeccable service at the front desk; and finish off with your own butler, should you want one. This is the place you want to be if you want to feel like a rock star when you're on vacation.
If you want to splurge (and we're talking a grand a night splurging here), book the fabulous presidential suite. Occupying the top floor, this palatial, multi-room suite has a dining area, living area, gorgeous bedroom and a bathroom with a whirlpool tub that looks out into the bedroom. You also get a private garden terrace for your money.
