Puerto Rico small inns ‘ready’ for high occupancy during Easter holidays
The members of the Association of Paradores and Puerto Rican Small Inns announced that they are ready to receive the hundreds of families that usually stay in the hotels during the Easter holidays.
“The Easter celebration extends for 10 days, from March 31 to April 9, since many schools and municipalities will be giving days off during the holy week,” said Xavier A. Ramírez, president of the association and co-owner of the Combate Beach Resort.
“Since mid-January, we’ve been noticing a sustained interest in staying in paradores, and we have prepared our facilities to provide the quality and service that distinguishes us, with the best hygiene, health and safety systems, along with personalized service for our guests,” he said.
The pace of reservations for the summer has accelerated, and the parador owners expect a good season, he said, adding that there are still rooms available, and “Puerto Rican and non-resident families are looking for safe accommodations with contingency equipment to vacation in Puerto Rico.”
“Since January, propelled by Discover Puerto Rico, we’ve received many reservations from U.S. residents, including Puerto Ricans in the diaspora,” said Ramírez. “This is a very positive sign for the tourism sector, for which we recommend booking now for the high summer season, which runs from May to early August.”
Association members collaborate with the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. and have prepared several promotional packages to accommodate the diverse needs of their visitors, he said. For example, some paradores have an offer from Sunday to Thursday that is very popular: “Stay three nights and the fourth is free,” representing a 25% discount.
Other paradores, such as El Buen Café in Hatillo, Guánica 1929 in Guánica and Villas Sotomayor in Adjuntas have packages that include meals and snacks.
Christian Rivera, the association’s vice president, said that, when making a reservation at a parador, people should ask about the amenities and the health and safety protocols, as well as about value-added packages, nearby attractions and restaurants.
“There are paradores on the beach and in the mountains to accommodate all tastes and budgets. All our paradores have a swimming pool, free parking, and Wi-Fi, provide ADA-accessible facilities, and offer a reduced rate from Sunday to Thursday. While some paradores include an American breakfast in their rate, others welcome pets or have a charger for electric or hybrid vehicles,” Rivera pointed out.
Meanwhile, Angel Rodríguez, co-owner of the Parador Boquemar in Cabo Rojo, said “it’s very important that the public plan their vacations in advance and ensure their space in a lodging certified by the Tourism Co.”
The Tourism Co. inspects paradores twice a year, while the Health and Fire departments perform their inspections at least once a year, “which guarantees that they have the personnel and the quality, hygiene and safety systems to properly care for you, and they will be there to support you in case of an emergency,” Rodríguez assured.
The Paradores de Puerto Rico program is celebrating its 50th anniversary of promoting local culture, history, music, and gastronomy, along with Puerto Rican hospitality. The program’s theme for this year is “We are Puerto Rican families, serving other families from the world.”
