El Blok Hotel
158 Calle Flamboyan, Esperanza 00718-2128 Puerto Rico
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About
#1 of 2 hotels in Esperanza
Location
Cleanliness
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Value
GreenLeaders Platinum level
El Blok is an iconic inn by the sea - a bar and restaurant with rooms - that aims to be a soft landing for the intrepid traveler after a hard day of relaxation. Affordable, simple rooms appointed with touch of luxe, it has a visual style like nowhere else. Colored hidrolico tiles, exposed concrete, native woods, clean, spare, exciting spaces. All this in a building that is gold LEED certified for it's sustainable design. El Blok is part sculpture, part oasis. Impossibly serene far flung beaches, great restaurants and only a few hotels, Vieques is a strange jewel of an island amongst the beauty and understated glamour of the Caribbean. 6 Miles to the east of Puerto Rico, and a short 20 minutes flight from San Juan, Vieques is in Puerto Rico's backyard...And light years from anywhere.
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Property amenities
Free public parking nearby
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Bar / lounge
Evening entertainment
Patio
Car hire
Adults only
Street parking
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Poolside bar
Rooftop bar
Board games / puzzles
Taxi service
Rooftop terrace
Baggage storage
Gift shop
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun terrace
ATM on site
First aid kit
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Room features
Allergy-free room
Air purifier
Air conditioning
Desk
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Walk-in shower
Bath / shower
Safe
VIP room facilities
Bottled water
Laptop safe
Private bathrooms
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Mountain view
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Trendy
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
76Somewhat walkable
Grade: 76 out of 100
10Restaurantswithin 1 km
7Attractionswithin 1 km
Contact
158 Calle Flamboyan, Esperanza 00718-2128 Puerto Rico
Getting there
Car HireSee all Esperanza car hire
321Reviews26Q+A65Room tips
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There was a happy hour on Sunday 3/26 on the rooftop. My husband and I attended and ordered drinks from the bar. There were only about 15 people on the rooftop Terrance at that time. .We decided to have an open tab and my husband gave his gold American Express card to the bartender. Two hours after we went to close the account and we were told they couldn’t find the card. The bartender kept insisting we never gave him our card. So how we were able to continue to purchase drinks on a tab? Over the 2 hours we ordered 3 to 4 drinks on our tab. We bought drinks for friends. Where was our card? Another bartender was also there when my husband ordered drinks and asked for his name. All of a suddenly no one knew where his card was or what his name was. They kept insisting they never received a card. How were we able to purchase drinks? We then went downstairs for our dinner reservation. We were told by the bartender to ask about our credit card there. No one knew anything. I then said ok, we have dinner reservations. They wanted to put us in the corner at a terrible table. I asked to be changed to a better table but they refused. We were treated horrible after having our credit card stolen from their establishment. Don’t have an open tab at the bar! Not sure if they just lost our card or the bartender took it. …
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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PhilaPA82 wrote a review Feb 2023
Washington DC, District of Columbia85 contributions31 helpful votes
We stayed at El Blok for 2 of our nights in Vieques, and the room (Esquina), was comfortable, with nice outdoor space. The location is great, just steps from the restaurants of the Malecon, and walking distance (15-20 min) to Sun Bay Beach. As a bonus, we thought that the beach area just a couple of minutes from the hotel, that you walk through on the way to Sun Bay Beach, seemed like a better spot for swimming that Sun Bay itself. We enjoyed the rooftop hot tub in the morning, at which time it was empty, where we relaxed and enjoyed the great views over the coastline of Vieques. One note, as for noise. The nearby roosters in the morning start crowing around 5:30 am. It didn't bother us, but this may not be for finicky sleepers.
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Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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I've been wanting to stay at El Blok for a long time, but wasn't able to do so until this last visit to Vieques. In some ways, it was as nice as I hoped; in others, it wasn't quite as good. I'll go into more detail below but tl;dr it's a pleasant stay but maybe a bit overpriced for where it's at now. The good: * Staff was uniformly great. Everyone was very helpful and friendly. They scheduled cabs for us, gave us advice, helped us with little things as needed. * The architecture is interesting and different. Brutalist, but in a good way? Everything is concrete and curves, inside and out. It's definitely a unique property. * Extremely comfortable bed. My partner and I rarely find a bed we like as much as our bed at home. The beds here are memory foam king-sized mattresses and we slept great. * The rest of the furniture was also comfortable, even more than it appeared--mid-century modern chairs that don't hurt to sit in! * Balcony was huge and very pleasant. Mostly semi-private (concrete panels with holes in them) but with a couple windows out to the beach. We stayed in the corner room and it had two chairs, a little table, and a hanging hammock-type chair. Ten minutes of reading in that thing and I was in fully vacation mode. * Restaurant in the lobby (Placita) had excellent food and cocktails. Make a reservation! * Good location on the end of the Malecon - close to bars and restaurants but far enough to avoid noise, and a short easy walk to Sun Bay. * Rooftop is beautiful. We didn't use the hot tub (who uses a hot tub when it's 80 degrees and humid? A lot of people, apparently, but not us) but the views are incredible and you can sit and listen to the coqui frogs. * Good wifi. I didn't use it heavily, but it was reliable when I did. The neutral: * Has kind of a sexy vibe--suggestive and/or tastefully erotic art in the rooms, semi-transparent glass between the the bedroom and the shower, that sort of thing. If you're sharing a room with a partner, this is a plus; if you're sharing a room with a parent, as the person checking in before us was, it could be a bit awkward. * They're very insistent that doors to balconies stay closed, going so far as to state in the materials that a fine will be levied if you're discovered to have left the balcony door open while you're out. Presumably this is to avoid water and/or bugs coming in (there's no screen) and didn't bother us, but if you like to have a lot of fresh air in your room it could be an issue. The bad: * Bathroom was cramped and poorly laid out. The room we stayed in was massive but the bathroom was the size of a closet, with the toilet crammed into a corner between the wall and the sink, and the shower is separated by a glass half-wall with a drain between it and the remainder of the bathroom that does little to keep the whole floor from getting wet. There was a little sign that said the bathroom was scheduled for a remodel, but short of making the whole thing bigger I'm not sure if they can do much. At least they apparently know it's bad. * The aforementioned sexy shower window doesn't have a screen or anything you can place over it, meaning that if you need to do some private cleaning while your partner's in bed, you're out of luck. More importantly, because it lets light through and faces the bed, if your partner gets up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and turns on the bathroom light, the person who's in bed will get a faceful of light. Not ideal. * The restaurant has extremely limited hours. I imagine this is a staffing issue and not really the hotel's fault, but it was disappointing after having such great food and drinks on our first night that it was closed for the rest of our stay. *Nowhere to rinse your feet before entering the hotel. It's a small thing, but it seems like an obvious one when the primary activity for most vacationers here is going to the beach. All in all, we really enjoyed our stay. Given the price, though, the little quirks are enough that we may try somewhere else next time. If it were 25% cheaper we'd probably stay here every time.…
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Date of stay: January 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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I stayed at this property while doing some military history research on this island. The property is well located and clearly, is well loved. The rooms are clean and spacious. Everything worked, contrary to other islands properties, it was not musty-stale or humid. The staff is well trained, friendly, attentive and speak english well. Some of the hotel amenities were closed as season has not picked up, but plenty of good bars nearly (Lazy Jacks) for a cold beer- and a good burger AND good music AND good vibes
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip: hotel has awesone window views and top of the hotel bar has magnificent sunrise and sunset views...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Patricia at the front desk gave us a warm welcome with complete details of the hotel, it's surroundings and activities through out the island as a great start to our weekend gateway. Raul at the restaurant gave us such an excelent service providing excellent service and details of the food and the cooking style greatly influenced by the islands culture and history making it a complete unique experience. The room accomodations as well as the hotel surroundings and arquitecture were very pleasing. Staff at the rooftop bar needs trainning. *Advice - Rent a Jeep, stay at the Blok and visit La Chiva and Caracas beach. You would thank me later😉 .
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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El Blok hotel was amazing! Rooms have a beautiful view and the rooftop terrace is a wonderful place to enjoy the sunset from the jacuzzi. The staff is very friendly. The location is great, right in front of the beach! The restaurant is excellent!
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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We only went to their restaurant for dinner on 6/20/2022. It’s the best meal during our whole trip in Puerto Rico. Food and service were beyond expectations. We had a group of 15 people, the manager Joe, was so helpful, our table were already set up even though our reservation was at 7:15pm. I really regretted not staying at the property for the night but the website requires minimum 2 nights stay for the date I picked. Anyway, don’t think I will go back to the island but I definitely would highly recommend this hotel to everyone!!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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We had been looking forward for years to visit Vieques because we had heard about its pristine beaches. The hurricanes that battered Puerto Rico put our plans on ice. So we were really excited when we booked our trip in January 2022. Now, the "it" hotel in Vieques until the hurricanes had been the W, but it was destroyed and so far not rebuilt. So we looked at the next-best alternative, which was El Blok. The hotel looks very sleek on the promotional materials, so we were excited when we were able to snatch a room. The hotel is 3-star, as (luckily), Vieques has not yet been affected by a 5-star resort and the horrors they bring (golf courses, environmental impact, and Americans with money but no class). The day we arrived it was very rainy, we were lucky our Cape Air flight from San Juan was cleared to land. We managed to get our rental Jeep just before they closed for the day, and we drove to the hotel right away. The hotel is a building like nothing else in the island. It is sort of a blend between Miami-style architecture and Soviet brutalist style, and you can't miss it when you arrive. My wife had to get out of the Jeep and get in the lobby to ask where we could park. They instructed to park across the road, which is where you park for the town beach (the town is Esperanza). The beach is fantastic, much better than your average mainland US beach. I would say this is a major selling point for this hotel, it's on the beach, and the beach is much better than the average US mainland beach, but more about beaches later. We parked and brought our luggage in. Check in was quick, and the key is a bracelet that you wear, which is a great idea for a beach hotel. The building, again, looks like a concrete bunker inside. There is a nice interior skylight around which the rooms are located in a circular fashion. We were given a room in the 3rd floor facing the beach. The room was average size, but the odd architecture of the building gave it an odd shape. There was little room for storage, only a small rack with hangers, and we had to leave the luggage on the floor. The bathroom was quite small, again, thanks to the odd architecture. To be honest, the architect did not think of comfort. The toilet is in a nook, and if you are not on the athletic side body-wise you will find it uncomfortable. The shower drains into a strip sink in the middle of the bathroom, so you have to be careful or you will splash past it and can flood the room. There is a restaurant at the premises. It is called Placita. The food is ABSOLUTELY TOP NOTCH. We commented that this restaurant and the dishes they served would be killer in any place, New York, London, you name it. We ate dinner four nights of the seven we were there and the food was just awesome in flavor and quality. This chef and manager are unparalleled. The cocktails were very good, albeit on the small side. It only opens for dinner. On the last night, we were lucky, they had to close early due to lack of staff. This seems to be a problem in Vieques. Now the bad stuff. We are morning people. We like to go to the beach early, to enjoy an hour or two before someone shows up with a boombox to ruin the ambiance. The hotel has no coffee maker in the room. The hotel has no coffee maker in the room. Let that sink. We stayed in 2017 at the Four Seasons in Bora Bora. I had always wanted to go since I was a kid and I saw a photo in National Geographic. I am a person of modest means so I saved and saved and went. It was worth every penny, best money I have ever spent. You know what was one of the things we loved about the Four Seasons? They had a Nespresso machine. You have no idea what it is for a morning person who loves coffee to wake up and have a Nespresso on the veranda. I see no reason why El Blok could not have even an entry-level Keurig machine in the room. The hotel supposedly has complementary coffee in the morning. Most of the days we were there the coffee was not out before like 8 or 8:30 AM, even though there was enough staff to take care of that. You either go to the beach early or wait and wait to see if coffee will happen. The closest place that opened where you could have a coffee is a nearby restaurant/bar that opens at 8:30. We had breakfast there one day. It's called Lazy Jacks. Nice staff, all the coffee you want. However, since we wanted to go the the beaches early, we went without coffee a couple of days, and had the privilege of enjoying the caffeine withdrawal headache. The rooms do have a mini-fridge and a security lock-box, which is a big plus. In addition, the Wi-Fi was complimentary and excellent in speed and connectivity. This was a huge plus as the rooms have no TV. We were able to watch movies on an iPad with no difficulty. The bed was comfortable and the pillows and comforter very good. Another thing about El Blok. The architect, for some reason, decided that the second and third floor would not have direct views, and placed sort of a concrete blind system. We thought all of them opened, but no, only one opens. We thought the view was spoiled by this odd architectural feature. I am sure it is great defense if a hurricane hits (oddly the 1st level has rooms that do not have this). Another thing lacking is a screen door. If you open the door to your balcony, you may get mosquitoes. Now, something about the location. As I said, the hotel is on the road along the beach at Esperanza, called the Malecón. Well, it turns out that some men from Vieques have a mission in life and that is to burst your eardrums. We saw (and heard) dozens upon dozens of old, beat up cars worth less than $50 with massive aftermarket speakers. These guys go up and down the street blasting reggaeton at 11/10 level. You literally hear it in the room as if you had a stereo in the room at full blast. So MAKE SURE YOU BRING ENOUGH EARPLUGS. I don't know if this is something locals do to annoy tourists, but it could be. Something for the local authorities to think about. This island needs to build some respect from the population towards their main economic lifeline. Now, a nice thing. The hotel will provide your room with two portable beach chairs, and will lend you beach towels. This is a very nice idea and makes your trip to the beaches much more convenient. The hotel has a rooftop area with a Jacuzzi and lounge chairs, and a bar, which was not operating (I think there is like a happy hour on Sundays only). The views from there are amazing and it is a nice feature. I think, however, that there has to be some enforcement about quiet hours, on two nights we could hear people partying loudly directly above our room. Perhaps the area should be off-limits after midnight. Now, the beach at Esperanza, across the hotel, is very nice. It is quite long, so you can find a quiet spot, and you can swim in very clear water. You can actually walk to a few nearby beaches from the hotel. As an added bonus, tours for the bioluminiscent bay (a must-see) depart from the beach parking lot and return there, so it was a huge plus. So, overall, the hotel is very good for the beach location, and its restaurant. However, there is room for improvement. If the staffing and cost issue prevents them from opening the restaurant for breakfast, a coffee maker for the room is a welcome addition. A couple of luggage racks or a redesign to put more storage space would also be very welcome. If a redesign ever comes, enlarging the bathroom would be a huge plus. Overall, the price point for the amenities and conveniences was good in my opinion. I hope that the review helps anyone going who may find noise at night (again, not the hotel's fault) or the small inconvenience of finding coffee an issue.…
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Date of stay: May 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Forgo a room with a beach view and ask for a room with a view towards the mountain, it will have...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
3 Helpful votes
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This HOTEL is truly garbage. Puts PROFITS 💰💸first instead of early 2 months ahead booking. I suggest you all shiznit them like me. No wonder why PR is bankrupt, they can’t even do normal good business! You better verify & DOUBLE VERIFY them. They told us it’s confirmed & we double checked a few days ahead. Upon arriving they say it’s cancelled & they say overbooked (EXCUSES). If your screwed in your booking same day you arrived it is overpriced to book last minute other places. Not to mention the ferry rides schedule tough to pivot back the other way! YOU BEEN WARNED! (CHECK OTHER 1 ⭐️ STAR REVIEWS BEFORE YOU BOOK if you don’t believe me!) 🥂🍻🥂🍻
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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When checking in, the hotel did NOT want to honor the Booking.com reservation price for the stay. As they wanted to charge more than the contractual price, we told them we would escalate the price difference later on to Booking.com and AmericanExpress. We were then refused into the hotel and were left stranded against our will without accomodation late afternoon/early evening (although we were willing to pay what they ask for in cash/other card). As Vieques is a tiny island, finding a relocation was a nightmare. No flights or ferries were neither available. Being a PLATINUM member at both Accor and Mariott, I can really say that I've never seen anything like this in my life within the hospitality sector (and could have never imagined so). From what happened to us plus taking into account $300 per night we would NOT recommend this property at all.…
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Date of stay: March 2022
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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PRICE RANGE
US$242 - US$302 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
CaribbeanPuerto RicoIsla de ViequesEsperanza
NUMBER OF ROOMS
30
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Claim Your ListingEL BLOK HOTEL: UPDATED 2023 Reviews, Price Comparison and 365 Photos (Esperanza, Puerto Rico) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about El Blok Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to El Blok Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Balneario Sun Bay (0.9 km), Malecon (0.2 km), and Vieques Gifts (0.2 km).
What are some of the property amenities at El Blok Hotel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a rooftop bar, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at El Blok Hotel?
Top room amenities include air conditioning, a desk, and a view of the mountains.
What food & drink options are available at El Blok Hotel?
Guests can enjoy a rooftop bar, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at El Blok Hotel?
Yes, free public parking nearby and street parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to El Blok Hotel?
Conveniently located restaurants include El Quenepo, Bili, and Bananas.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at El Blok Hotel?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
Are there any historical sites close to El Blok Hotel?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Puerto Ferro Lighthouse (7.2 km).
Does El Blok Hotel have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the harbour view available here.
Is El Blok Hotel accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.