When I wrote for travel magazines about Puerto Rico, a few decades ago, tourism in San Juan consisted mainly of high-end hotels and resorts. There were few offerings for budget-minded travelers. It seemed a shame the island wasn’t courting those of more modest financial means. Perhaps they wouldn’t spend as much on any one visit, but there were a lot more of them.
Caribe Hilton Hotel, reopening this month
Out on the Island:
Beyond the metropolitan area, the situation was somewhat different. A scattering of reasonably priced lodgings could be found; unfortunately, many of them were motels. For most North Americans, the word ‘motel’ conjures up images of unadorned lodgings next to highways, station wagons, exuberant kids, and undersized pools. However, in Puerto Rico it evokes private garages leading to rooms, drinks and bills (calculated by the hour) appearing through slits in the doors, and lots of mirrors. In short, a rendezvous for extra-marital affairs. Excluding motels, the pickings were much slimmer.
Parador Villas Sotomayor, Adjuntas
In the mid-1970s, the Tourism Company inaugurated a network of small family-run country inns. Known as Paradores de Puerto Rico, they offered authentic cultural experiences at attractive rates. Although the program has seen its ups and downs, it endures. In spite of the devastation of Hurricane Maria, there are still a baker’s dozen paradores found in lovely places along the coast and in the mountains.
Back to San Juan:
After the hurricane, San Juan languished for months with spotty electricity at best. The big hotels had no choice but to close down, powerless as unbridled heat and humidity damaged the interiors. Some were still closed when I visited Puerto Rico a month ago. At the same time, local entrepreneurs could get their own or vacated homes ready for short-term rentals, primarily through Airbnb. Currently, Airbnb has over 10,000 listings in Puerto Rico. In the San Juan metropolitan area, the greatest concentration is found in Old San Juan, Miramar, Isla Verde, and my old neighborhood, Ocean Park. Prices range from $20 for a spartan room to over a hundred for a luxury apartment.
Ocean Park entranceway
The two weeks I stayed in Ocean Park fell squarely during spring break. As I explored my old haunts, I was surrounded by friendly packs of light-haired, pale-skinned college-age visitors speaking English and wearing the latest styles of beach shirts, shorts, and sandals. It seemed strange – when I lived in Ocean Park, I was part of a small minority of U.S. Americans on the island, but during my visit I heard more English than Spanish on Ocean Park’s streets. Dozens of doorways displayed lock boxes, indications that a home or apartment was functioning as a short-term rental. My former home, which had been streamlined beyond recognition to look contemporary Mediterranean, held a lock box.
The old, the new, and power lines everywhere
Undoubtedly, short-term rentals of apartments, houses, and rooms have helped local people survive in post-Maria Puerto Rico, and — at long last — they have opened up a niche for students and other budget-minded visitors who want to spend time on the island. But as I wandered the streets, I wondered how this will affect the fabric of Ocean Park as a community. The same concerns have been voiced in other neighborhoods, particularly in Old San Juan, where entire buildings have apparently been bought up to serve as short-term rentals.
Veremos – we’ll see.