If you like piña coladas and gettin' caught in the rain...
This is your sign to book a stay with the PRBBA.
Puerto Rico is known for its tasty drinks and tropical climate, and the Puerto Rico Bed & Breakfast Association is known for giving you the best lodging experience of your life.
But wait- you may be thinking, why would I want to stay at a Bed & Breakfast when there are Super Cheap Airbnbs and Super Fancy Resorts?
Keyword: experience.
“We cook you gourmet breakfasts every morning, we give you the best insider tips and recommendations that only locals know about, and we make sure you are well taken care of.”
Airbnbs and Hotels can't come close to the personal touches, and attention to detail that our Bed & Breakfasts provide.
We know your name. We know how you like your coffee in the morning. We know your dietary preferences and restrictions. But most importantly, we know how to make your trip across Puerto Rico a memorable one.
Choose between having your morning coffee(s) and a fully vegetarian breakfast served directly to your private villa, or poolside by the heated saltwater pool at the Rainforest Inn… that might be a tough one.
From being greeted with complementary piña coladas at the Rainforest Inn, to living the farm life at 4 Casitas and Tierra Adentro, to staying in a historical Spanish-style building from the 18th century at Casa Sol and Casa Isabel- you’ll see that our B&Bs are just built differently. And, more often than not, built (and renovated) by the owners’ own two hands.
Image descriptions from left to right: 1) Jessica of Tierra Adentro working hard on the land. 2) The beautiful, timeless entryway of Casa Isabel. 3) A glimpse of the picturesque view The Serene House has to offer. 4) Fernando of 4 Casitas posing with a handful of the resident goats.
Our B&Bs are more than just a place for you to lay your weary head to rest while on vacation- they are our homes, and we have opened them up and curated them, especially for you.
So, as they say in the other lesser-known B&B (Beauty & the Beast, I know, you’ve probably never heard of it)…
Oh, and don’t worry, you don’t (and shouldn’t!) have to choose just one of our twelve (eight are currently open and four are coming soon) amazing B&Bs to stay at.
Members of the PRBBA work together to give you an island-wide experience that you won’t forget—in other words, you’ll save money while having the time of your life. Check out the booking tab on our website to see what promotions we have available, as well as vacancies to choose from.
Once you see the B&Bs we currently have to offer, and the new B&Bs joining our association, you’ll want to start planning your trip today!
The stunning Dos Aguas Bed & Breakfast is the perfect place to relax, unwind, and connect with nature.
Now, let’s get down to business…
On February 4th, 2023, Bill & Renée of the Rainforest Inn, who have been innkeepers for over 20 years, hosted a meeting for new and upcoming members of the PRBBA.
This included: Javier & Tamara of Casa Bajura B&B, Jessica & Ruben of Tierra Adentro B&B, Maribel & Pablo of The Serene House B&B (via Skype), as well as Mailyn & Jose of a B&B that will be opening in Aguas Buenas. The owner of Dos Aguas B&B and Vice President of the PRBBA, Carla Arraiza, was also able to join the meeting via Skype to provide her insight and experience of running a successful B&B over the past six years.
The group of passionate B&B owners enjoying good food and great conversation at the new and upcoming members’ meeting.
Why did we have this meeting? And why am I mentioning it?
Yes, don’t worry, it’s still all about you.
We discussed the importance and the benefits of working together as a team, having the same reservation systems, and keeping our joint website and social media accounts updated because it makes it easier and a better service for our guests.
Vacations shouldn’t be stressful, and that’s why we’re here for you. Literally! Our members of the Puerto Rico Bed & Breakfast Association actually live on the property you’ll be visiting, which gives them the ability to answer any and all questions or concerns virtually 24/7.
We cook you gourmet breakfasts every morning, we give you the best insider tips and recommendations that only locals know about, and we make sure you are well taken care of. What else could you ask for? (No, seriously, let us know if there’s anything else you need, and we will do our best to make it happen.)
We are looking forward to meeting you, and cannot wait to host you!
¡Salud!
-From the PRBBA, and all of its members.
Puerto Rico Tourism Company "conversation" with our PRBBA members
Puerto Rico Bed and Breakfast Association working with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to create a network of unique “out on the island” experiences in Bed and Breakfasts located on every corner, mountain, city and beach throughout our Isla Boricua.
On the same day New York Times named Puerto Rico the number one place to travel in 2019, the Puerto Rico Bed and Breakfast Association owners met with officials from the Puerto Rico Tourism Company to improve their already awesome partnership. The Puerto Rico Bed and Breakfast Association comprises about a dozen small property owners from all corners of Puerto Rico. This includes Fernando Seda and Joonseong Kim of 4 Casitas Bed & Breakfast; Carla Arraiza of Dos Aguas Bed & Breakfast; Eddie Ramirez of Casa Sol Bed and Breakfast; Margarita Buenaga of Casa Isabel Bed and Breakfast; Florin Lepadatu of Casa Flamboyant Bed and Breakfast; Yaiza Arvelo, and her husband Edwin Cortés Seguinot, of San Sebastian Bed and Breakfast; William Puig of Casa Campo Bed and Breakfast; and Bill and Renée Humphrey of the Rainforest Inn Bed and Breakfast. 90% of the members of the Association were present, some having driven two or three hours to be there. Incredible! And what an amazing, successful meeting!
Bill, of the Rainforest Inn Bed & Breakfast, remarked how he is constantly impressed by the interactions between the Puerto Rico Tourism Company and the local Bed and Breakfast Association. “There’s presently less than ten endorsed small bed and breakfast properties (and growing) on the whole island, but the Puerto Rico Tourism Company still helps us all so much,” he says. Today’s meeting focused on how the Tourism Company will continue to help our local bed & breakfasts overcome obstacles and attract new and old visitors to the island.
The Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Carla Campos, headed the meeting, which met at the Princesa GastroBar in Downtown San Juan. Campos told the group about her plans for a “boot-camp style meeting” soon intended to ensure things like the Incentivo Program are actually accomplished. The Incentivo Program would provide endorsed bed & breakfasts with a 30% tax break for construction projects and new additions, as well as other benefits. Campos is also arranging a meeting with Discover Puerto Rico to implement more international exposure for the bed & breakfasts endorsed by the Association.
Carlos Romo was also present, as he will be in charge of implementing the Incentivo Program for tourism. In fact, he shared his personal cell phone number with members of the Bed & Breakfast Association so that he can directly field requests, issues, and concerns from each of the members of the Association. For example, if an owner is struggling to complete the necessary legal paperwork to receive the tax break, Romo will be only a phone call or text away. Romo will also be available to help with training new staff members. In fact, the Company in general pledged their support to do everything they can to help endorsed bed & breakfasts educate their employees to best serve tourists. This will also be providing free trainings and educational materials for owners and staff.
Members of the Tourism Company and Bed & Breakfast Association talk business as they finish up their meal.
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is so eager to help the Bed & Breakfast Association because they understand that endorsed, licensed bed & breakfasts must compete against short term rentals who do not have any of the same large operating expenses and concerns: commercial insurance, a health and fire department license, inspections by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and so on. The Company recognizes that endorsed bed & breakfasts represent the island to tourists very succinctly; each property provides a “local” experience via intimate knowledge of the region and its history and can also share first-hand the ways that the property supports surrounding economies and ecosystems (in each individual Bed and Breakfasts unique location “out on the island”).
One goal of the Association is to continue strengthening this branding of intimate, local knowledge throughout the entire network of bed & breakfasts on the island. Eddie Ramirez, the founder of the Association, explains that creating brand standards and guidelines will ensure that, no matter what property you stay at, your experience is fulfilling.
And why is a Bed & Breakfast stay more fulfilling than crashing at a short term rental, or even a hotel? Eddie explains: “The trend is shifting from ‘tourists’ to ‘travelers,’ and travelers are very eager to learn about local culture, history, art, music…That sort of genuine, authentic experience is what you get when you stay at an endorsed bed and breakfast. We can guarantee that we will provide experiences that last a lifetime. Eventually our guests become part of our extended family, so it is an authentic feel. Guests just feel more warm, more welcomed. They feel relaxed. In a sense, they actually feel love. We get tears when guests depart.”
Owners of these properties happily share their tips and tricks for having the best time on the island and how to experience it all “like a local.” They get as much joy out of hosting guests as guests get from staying with them.
Carla Arraiza is clearly pleased with what the group accomplished.
Part of the branding Eddie imagines will be done with the help of Ernesto “Tito” Izquierdo’s company, Puerto Rico Desde del Aire. A master cinematographer with a background in television, “Tito” will produce an imaginary road trip to all the endorsed bed & breakfasts by creating a well-edited video, especially drone shots. Though imaginary in the video, this road trip is entirely possible! Travelers can book two-night (or more) stays at each of the endorsed bed & breakfasts and ensure they see every corner of the island from the eyes of a local. A soon-to-be unified reservation system for every endorsed bed & breakfast on the island will simplify this booking process for travelers.
With the much-appreciated and continued support of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the real Bed & Breakfasts of Puerto Rico will be able to share their knowledge and love of the island with more and more guests. Members of the Association seem humbled by the support of the Company, as they know that, even when considered together, they have a smaller staff than any single big “resort style” hotel. If what New York Times claims is true and conscientious travel (rather than old-school “tourism”) is the big trend of 2019, the Puerto Rico Bed & Breakfast Association has an exciting, busy year ahead of them; and they could not be more excited!
A panorama of the group inside Princesa GastroBar meeting room. A lovely space for a productive meeting.
Great meeting at Casa Flamboyant
Eddie & Tisha of Casa Sol in Old San Juan, Bill & Renée of Rainforest Inn in El Yunque, Margie of Casa Isabel in Condado, Asdrubal & Iones of Hacienda Iones in Florida plus our amazing hosts Ricky & Florin of Casa Flamboyant -- we were all together discussing our Puerto Rico Bed and Breakfast Association.
After we were served a magnificent lunch we sat down and covered:
1. Ways to offer our customers better service. Different cool ideas for little perks we can add like local Puerto Rico chocolate on the pillow or piña colada welcome drinks.
2. Features of the SelectRegistry (an international website of Boutique Inns) that we can emulate from their website and incorporate in our Association website. How our members are "Boutique Bed and Breakfasts" that offer more because we live on the property, act as concierge and serve a "sit-down" full home-cooked breakfast with gourmet touches.
3. How to offer "elopement" small wedding ceremonies and describe features like that on our websites. And speaking of websites we all agreed that our individual websites are the most important marketing tool we have.
4. We discussed the Puerto Rico B&B tour our association offers. Visitors booking our tour can stay in Old San Juan, out on the north west coast in Florida, in the El Yunque rainforest, near a river in Rio Grande. And all of our places offer different incredible activities which we are going to describe on the Association website so that guests can easily see what a myriad of possibilities the Puerto Rico B&B tour brings!
5. We strategized what to do to maintain our competitiveness in today’s sharing internet based market, what makes us different, the truth behind our offerings, that the real local experience is to stay with locals, learn from them, explore their surroundings and daily activities, savor the local foods, learn their culture and live the history. This and more is what a truly vested and certified Bed and Breakfast can offer to it's visitors.
We also talked about marketing opportunities and the importance of staying active within the association. And the importance of pricing our rooms to match our "high end" market.
Watching promotional videos about our different bed and breakfasts
After a round-table of productive discussions we showed our different advertising videos about our properties. Also Eddie showed a video of one of the weddings Casa Sol hosted as well as a couple of videos of guests who took advantage of our bed and breakfast tour and described their happy experience.
Welcoming New Members Over Dinner at the Rainforest Inn
PRB&BA members enjoying Renée's dinner at the Rainforest Inn
The main purpose of our second PRB&BA meeting was to welcome our newest potential members; Lisa Masters of Tres Sirenas Beach Inn in Rincón and Casa Flamboyant bed & breakfast in Naguabo. As our membership grows, it may seem like we went around Puerto Rico and purposely picked the best bed & breakfasts on the island to welcome into our association...but we did no such thing! Perhaps the PRB&BA attracts top tier bed & breakfasts on its own. Once we welcomed our new members, we commenced the meeting, as recounted by Eddie Ramirez of Casa Sol Bed & Breakfast...
* * *
In the rainforest, the sun was setting and the rain was falling hard on a cool summer afternoon. A group of innkeepers met at the Rainforest Inn, and the newly-organized association appeared to be taking shape. There was sharing of ideas, best practices and, most important of all, support for each other. We are working on social media strategies, marketing and promotional packages to enhance bed & breakfasts all over Puerto Rico. The main idea is to create a very strong brand with very strict entrance guidelines and requirements. Packages will include 6-10 day tours of Puerto Rico with lodging in bed & breakfasts in Old San Juan, Condado, El Yunque, Naguabo, Isabela, San Sebastián and Rincón to enjoy the local flare, experience the culture, learn local history and taste our exquisite food. We want to create experiences to last a lifetime, those that are hard to match and especially those that you can only find in Puerto Rico.
* * *
After the meeting, we were served Renée's wonderful dinner featuring grilled salmon, a vegan "meat" loaf (which was devoured in no time by everyone including the meat-eaters!), feta-sprinkled asparagus, apple-cherry kale salad and roasted red peppers. Chocolate cake with berries was a sweet ending to the night.
The commencement of PR B&B Asoc. — getting to know each other and getting down to business.
Saludos,
The first Puerto Rico Bed & Breakfast Association meeting was held today in Casa Sol, the lovely bed & breakfast home of Eddie Ramirez and “Tisha” Margarita Pastor located in El Viejo San Juan. Their bed & breakfast is a restored colonial building that was possibly the residence of Spanish soldiers who once guarded Old San Juan. Eddie and Tisha gave us a tour highlighting all the improvements they made in the building—often with locally-sourced materials—and their solar panel installation that makes their property nearly carbon neutral.
The dining room of Casa Sol
The hosts delighted us with their house specialty: French toast made with homemade artisan bread and topped with their guava syrup. Eddie explained why he wanted to create a bed & breakfast association in Puerto Rico; of course, he said, we will have more bargaining power in numbers and be able to accomplish more together such as the economic breaks large hotels are already getting.
During the meeting, we had the opportunity to meet other owners of bed & breakfasts in Puerto Rico which have also been endorsed by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. We met Natalia and her daughter, Elena, the owners of Casa Castellana in the well-known tourist district of El Condado. Natalia and Elena were very warm and welcoming, and described their bed & breakfast as a Spanish colonial house. They both offered a great deal of experience in the business and many innovative ideas. Jose Miguel and Edwin described their bed & breakfast, Casa Isabel, as a place that offers its visitors a peaceful and quiet home that was meticulously designed so that guests can relax and enjoy their time in Puerto Rico. Casa Isabel is located next to Ocean Park Beach and El Condado. Bill and Renée, the owners of The Rainforest Inn, introduced their bed & breakfast in a way that evoked relaxation and tranquility. Located within the El Yunque rainforest—the only subtropical rainforest in the U.S.—The Rainforest Inn is an elegantly renovated property enveloped by the forest, therefore offering guests an intimate experience with the rainforest (such as a private hike that summits a waterfall). Yaiza and Edwin, the owners of San Sebastián Bed and Breakfast, are a young couple that opened the first bed & breakfast in the northwest region of the island. Their intimate property preserves the antiquity and cultural richness of the historic center of San Sebastián.
PRB&BA members (from left): Eddie, Tisha, Yaiza, Edwin, Renée, Bill, Natalia, Edwin, Jose Miguel
After introductions, the bed & breakfast owners presented various ideas, and all agreed with Eddie's idea of officially creating the bed & breakfast association (which this website foreshadows) as well as guest reservation packages that would include each of the bed & breakfasts. The owners shared their knowledge and experience with topics that create concern among visitors and locals alike, such as the Zika virus and the introduction of Uber in Puerto Rico. A discussion about the integration of new bed & breakfasts into the association followed. It was decided at this meeting that prospective bed & breakfast owners must be members of the Puerto Rico Hotel Association, become certified by the Puerto Rico Tourism Department and manage true bed & breakfasts; the owners live on the property (with less than seven rooms), act as concierges with their local knowledge and serve breakfast to guests every morning.
The meeting concluded with Eddie Ramirez explaining some of the benefits that our new Puerto Rico Bed & Breakfast Association provides its members. Our group bargaining power will earn us some of the “perks” that larger hotels already have. First, Eddie said he would establish a committee for our bed & breakfast category at the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, mainly because their “small hotel” category makes no sense for bed & breakfasts; what B&Bs offer is unique and not remotely the same as a “small” hotel of sixty rooms. Eddie also explained that he would get the IVU filing regulations amended so that we also share the filing exemptions that large hotels experience for their off-island purchases.
Our next meeting will be held in the last week in July at the Rainforest Inn, where we hope to make even more progress as well as welcome new members to the association. Sustainability ideas that were presented at Casa Sol will also be further expanded at that meeting.