Can you recommend a restaurant for a business lunch or dinner?
The restaurant I normally would recommend, which is one of my
favorites, is Pikallo. It is at The Museum of Art in Puerto Rico. It is
one of the most famous restaurants in Puerto Rico. The second restaurant
I would recommend is Ramiros, and lastly Ajili Mojili. These restaurants
have tables overlooking lagoons. They are our most famous restaurants
because of their Puerto Rican cuisine and their views.
What's a good way to impress a client?
I took one of my guests to have lunch outside a place called
Kioskos de Luquillo. They have local food near the rainforest, and right
after I take them to see the waterfall.
Is there a top-notch golf course nearby? How about tennis?
We do have a spa and it's probably one of the best, but we
[also] have a golf course our guests can use--not at The Ritz-Carlton
but at the Palmas del Mar Country Club. We have an affiliation with the
country club, and we can get special rates for our guests.
I have to bring a large group into town for a conference. What are
my options around town?
Our new convention center is one of the biggest in the Caribbean.
It is called El Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico. It's
beautiful.
Can you recommend a shopping district or two?
Definitely. It depends. If you are looking for local things, I
recommend shopping at Old San Juan. It is a shopping area that has
souvenirs, clothing stores--everything local. It's our historic
district. Another place I would recommend is the Plaza Las Americas. It
is the biggest shopping mall in Puerto Rico. It has more than 300
stores. It is the biggest in the Caribbean. There are a lot of things to
do there.
What do people always seem to ask you for?
Working as a concierge the question I get asked most is what
restaurant do I most recommend for dinner? Guests are always looking for
restaurants with Puerto Rican cuisine. Another thing I always seem to be
asked is, what is our currency. There are a lot of people who don't
know [it's the U.S. dollar], so we get these questions a lot.
Maria Reyes is the head concierge at The Ritz-Carlton San Juan
Hotel, Spa and Casino in San Juan, Puerto Rico and has been on the job
for three-and-a-half years.
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