Veranó San Juan, a luxury-focused hotel, is set to open mid-spring to meet the growing demand for high-end accommodations. This is the first of three hotels being built with a total investment of $100 million.
John Sears, CEO of Veranó Hotels + Resorts, announced the news during a presentation yesterday. He shared that the company bought an old office building on Avenida Ponce de León in Santurce, which they’ve been working on for the last two years to transform it into Puerto Rico’s first Leading Hotels of the World® (LHW) property.
“It’s an existing building,” Sears explained. “We prefer reusing buildings instead of tearing them down. Instead of creating waste, we’re beautifying the project. We’ll have 17 corner suites, three executive suites called ‘O,’ and 40 other rooms.”
Sears also noted that the hotel’s inclusion in the exclusive LHW collection is a result of careful attention to design and high-quality furnishings, all meeting strict international standards. LHW represents over 400 luxury hotels across more than 80 countries.
The rooms will feature a top-tier audio experience with first-class acoustic insulation for ultimate peace and quiet. “They’ll be ultra-quiet,” Sears said, describing the thickened walls and special doors designed to block out street and hallway noise. “You won’t hear a thing.”
Room rates start at $400 per night, with suites going up to $900.
Sears also mentioned that the hotel will create about 100 jobs, including positions at the rooftop bar, and the construction has already generated around 600 jobs. As for incentives, the company has submitted documents to Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC) and expects to receive around $10 million in funds.
In addition to Veranó San Juan, Sears revealed plans for two more hotels. One of the upcoming projects involves transforming a 10-acre motel in Caimito into Puerto Rico’s first luxury rainforest resort, just 25 minutes from the city. “Instead of a rooftop bar, we’re going to have a treetop restaurant,” he said, describing a jungle experience with 75 rooms, event spaces, and dining options.
Construction on the rainforest resort will begin about a year after Veranó San Juan opens, and it’s expected to generate over 700 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs.
Invest PR played a key role in connecting the developers with public and private sector entities to help the project get off the ground.
“We’re excited about Puerto Rico and hope to build a great community through our projects,” Sears said.
