Located in the heart of San Juan’s bustling Condado neighborhood, the new AC Hotel San Juan Condado — the Caribbean’s first — brings the AC brand’s sleek, European-inspired, urban sophistication to a beach locale. Once home to the storied Ambassador Hotel & Casino, the design celebrates the clean lines of the building’s 1970s rationalist architecture, with notable touches in every detail.

The hotel’s 223 guestrooms include 46 suites and follow AC’s guestroom prototype. To rework the property for life as a modern hotel, the public spaces were completely gutted and reworked. A unique space plan accommodates the existing elevator and restroom core, and allows for a second bar location not seen in other AC’s. The first-level bar takes on a “jewel box” aesthetic — reflective blue glass, chrome, and backlit accents — and is open to the street for enjoyment by guests and locals alike. Home to San Juan’s only rooftop pool, the property’s second bar, targeted to guests, joins other rooftop elements, including AC Kitchen, AC Lounge, meeting space, and fitness facilities. Outside, the porte cochere’s vibrant LED ceiling lights and live green walls welcome guests with the assurance that this is indeed “a new way to hotel.”