Hey guys!
Haven’t posted in a while, but I’m back! I finally went back home to Puerto Rico for a couple of days and had a fabulous vacation. I was really happy that I got to spend time with my family and hometown friends. This trip was exactly what I needed to recharge and go back to the comfort of what I have known my whole life.
First thing I did when I arrived was visit my hometown, Ponce, and see my family.
Another perk of being in Ponce was being able to spend time with my love Christina Roig. We mostly chilled at one of our favorite places to relax in Ponce, The Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort. The pool area is fantastic with its view of the ocean in the background just makes it that much better. They have many sun loungers and cabanas around the pool area where you can lay, relax and order from their sports bar that has a lot of variety in their menu. (They have 4 restaurants on site lol) They also have a tennis court, basketball court, a golf course and a really fun mini golf course by the pools.
After hanging out in Ponce for a couple of days, me and Christina went to San Juan to attend the Stella Nolasco show at El San Juan Hotel and also visit the beaches in the north. Stella’s new collection was very beautiful. I didn’t expect to see so many gorgeous dresses back to back on the runway. The ambiance was perfect. The runway was at the lobby of the hotel. In the middle of the lobby there’s a beautiful bar with a stunning chandelier above. Only thing that bummed me out about the runway location was that security wasn’t stopping the hotel guests from interrupting the runway. So there were several guests that literally walked through the middle of the runway path and disturbed the models. I was very excited to wear my outfit because I knew it would blend perfectly with the hotel and all its mirrors lol. (hence the many mirror pics I took with Christina)
Another fun thing we did in San Juan was a really nice picnic by ”El Morro” at ”El Viejo San Juan”. Great thing about having a picnic by ”El Morro” was the fact that there’s a huge plane right in-front of it that over looks the bay, the sea and Old San Juan. I love this field because there’s always so many people having picnics and flying kites. For our picnic we mostly brought fruits from a local market and a lot of products from one of our favorite Acai Bowl stores ”Samba Acai. Samba Acai offers a huge variety of delicious products like smoothies, natural juices, paninis and açaí bowls. They sell some of the best açaí bowls in the island. Their natural juices are also extremely good and refreshing. They have four locations in Puerto Rico. One in Ponce, another at the Ave.Roosevelt, The Inter Metro and Las Piedras.
In Puerto Rico, because of Hurricane Maria, tourism is steadily climbing once again. Cruise ships are returning and San Juan hotels have continued to re-open. On my recent visit to PR, I spent time at one of the premier properties in Old San Juan, Hotel El Convento. I can honestly say this is my favorite hotel in San Juan. This is a perfect luxury hotel in the heart of Old San Juan where all the action happens in the city yet it feels like a world away.
This hotel was originally a Carmelite convent established by the Spanish government in 1646. Nuns lived on the property for 252 years. After the property was abandoned, it became a retail store, a dance hall, and eventually a flop house. Now it is a Hotel and it has meticulously maintained the original character & charm of the hotel – you truly feel as if you’ve taken a step back in time. It’s the epitome of an oasis in the city with lush greenery and open-air common spaces.
I spent a day at this hotel to do a lifestyle / restaurant photoshoot for Venus Et Fleur and Lace. I knew that the style and architecture of the hotel would go perfect with the clothes from the boutique and flowers from Venus.
Something I have to highlight about our visit to Hotel El Convento was the hospitality. It was second to none. No request was too big and room service was always prompt. They helped me and my team with everything we needed. They even allowed us to use a private section of the restaurant Patio del Nisperio. The best part was that every employee always greeted us with a smile.
Last but not least I’m really excited to share one of my favorite, and easy to access waterfalls in Puerto Rico. It’s actually somewhat of a secret waterfall that only the island locals know about it. It’s called Rio La Planta in Arecibo. This location has two waterfalls. Once walking to La Planta , about 3 mins ahead you will find the first waterfall. The first one is small, about 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Although the first one is gorgeous and super fun, the real beauty lies ahead. Once you get into the river and walk for about 15 minutes you will reach La Planta.