August 24, 2018

Text: Jesse Dorris

This San Juan Hotel By ICRAVE Keeps Sparkling

Swing chairs by Kettal and a rug by Durkan furnish the PiñaCo lounge in the lobby.
Swing chairs by Kettal and a rug by Durkan furnish the PiñaCo lounge in the lobby. Photography by Alex Herrera.

Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria, but that fact only encouraged the team behind the Serafina Beach Hotel, a 65,000-square-foot gem in the Condado district of San Juan, to continue full steam ahead on the project. ICRAVE worked with local firm LA Architects on the hotel, which now serves as a hopeful symbol of the area’s path forward. “Luckily, almost everything had been delivered prior to Maria,” says ICRAVE director Jesse MacDougall.

“If you keep the project moving, you keep people working,” MacDougall continues. “This was the first new [San Juan] hotel to open after Maria, and there were people counting on those jobs. We were lucky to have weathered the storm.”

The 96 guest rooms, furnished in an oceanic palette of greens and grays, boast new floor-to-ceiling windows looking across the Atlantic to the north or the Laguna del Condado to the south. Even better views are offered at the Amare restaurant’s alfresco dining terrace and at the glamorous pool deck. Furnishings blend mid-century and post-modern styles, with work from local artists providing a true sense of place in this San Juan hotel.

Inside the Serafina Beach Hotel in San Juan

The 100-seat Amare restaurant and bar mixes white brick walls with Nemo’s turquoise and blue glazed tiles.
The 100-seat Amare restaurant and bar mixes white brick walls with Nemo’s turquoise and blue glazed tiles. Photography by Alex Herrera.
Local artist Gerardo Cloquell created Amare’s mural in shades of blue alone one wall of the dining area.
Local artist Gerardo Cloquell created Amare’s mural. Photography by Alex Herrera.
Metal posts in the dining room are tinted nautical blue, as are the mirrored porthole-style rings on the walls.
Metal posts in the dining room are tinted nautical blue, as are the mirrored porthole-style rings on the walls. Photography by Alex Herrera.
The new facade incorporates continuous glass bands to maximize views.
The new facade incorporates continuous glass bands to maximize views. Photography by Alex Herrera.
Nine cabanas anchor the pool deck with pillows in blue and teal for a pop of color in this San Juan hotel
Kettal manufactured the nine cabanas that anchor the pool deck. Photography by Alex Herrera.
A 50-foot-long infinity pool offers freshwater swimming just steps from the ocean in the hotel.
A 50-foot-long infinity pool offers freshwater swimming just steps from the ocean. Photography by Alex Herrera.
Light blue pendants from El Torrent brighten the reception area.
Pendants from El Torrent brighten the reception area. Photography by Alex Herrera.
A mural by Sofia Maldonado draws the eye up the open-tread terrazzo staircase.
A mural by Sofia Maldonado draws the eye up the open-tread terrazzo staircase. Photography by Alex Herrera.
In this guest room with ocean views, headboard walls achieve a faux-plaster effect with Romo wallcovering.
Headboard walls achieve a faux-plaster effect with Romo wallcovering. Photography by Alex Herrera.
Wood paneling in the hallways conjures the cabanas downstairs.
Wood paneling in the hallways conjures the cabanas downstairs. Photography by Alex Herrera.
The minibar housed within a curio cabinet is custom, as is the sconce and saw-horse desk in this guest room with double beds.
The minibar housed within a curio cabinet is custom, as is the sconce and saw-horse desk. Photography by Alex Herrera.
Kettal swing chairs decorate a private balcony with views of the Atlantic in this San Juan hotel
Kettal swing chairs decorate a private balcony with views of the Atlantic. Photography by Alex Herrera.

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