Verdanza Hotel embraces local flavor
Hotel offers a friendly flavor and panache
Maura Curley
It’s fresh, hip, creative - and independently owned.
The Verdanza Hotel provides terrific touches a good friend might offer, if he or she had a full service hospitality compound. There are many really nice boutique hotels in the region. But what makes Verdanza so surprisingly special, is its total transformation.
For years it was a Holiday Inn.
One step inside and you know you’ve left the chain gang.
Owner Rick Newman, with the help of his 20 something son Ricky, who manages the property, are creating a happening spot, where you may feel like family too. The resort staff encourages guests to participate in the island’s culture. Local food, music and art are everywhere here.
I attended an event at Verdanza, two years ago during the Caribbean Marketplace January 2010.
We anticipated a strong “new branding” pitch. But the Newmans and their crackerjack sales and marketing team knew better.
They just let us “feel the vibe.”
After sipping bubbly and sampling tapas by the pool, I was expecting a basic buffet.
Instead members of our group-media from the around the world - were handed aprons and treated to an interactive experience with the Verdanza chefs. We grilled our own chrurrasco and salmon, while sautéing, tossing and flambéing under the starry sky.
Nobody needed to remind us we weren’t at that ‘other’ hotel!
These days when many properties offer the "same ole, same ole," Verdanza does it differently.
Guests are greeted with a locally made Puerto Rican frozen treat and leave with a gift- a special CD mix of local music.
During our outing we all were given a Pilsner glass, which had been hand painted and signed, by Zelides, a local artist on the island.
The Verdanza is San Juan’s only independent full-service hotel, with 220 rooms, suites and meeting space.
The Newmans say the new focus is on those personalized details that today's traveler desires. But they don’t mean the usual suspects, like a morning wake up call or a nightly turn down service.
Consider instead a bike taxi transport to and from the beach, made-to-order picnic beach lunches, a pillow menu, and in-room coffee maker with authentically potent Puerto Rican coffee.
The name Verdanza is a creative fusion of the hotel ‘s location in Isle Verde, and danza, Puerto Rico’s musical genre, which symbolizes its artistic expression.
Photos: Churrasco from Verdanza chef Damian Hernandez and view of pool courtesy Verdanza Hotel
For more information visit verdanzahotel.com
Maura Curley is publisher of virginvoices.com.
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