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The best-rated room in Puerto Rico. Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is AAA Five Diamond and the only Five-Star hotel on Forbes's Puerto Rico page, with 114 rooms on 50 beachfront acres, per Forbes.
Forbes lists COA with a 650-label wine cellar, more than 50 private plunge pools and Spa Botánico, rated Four-Star.
It's in Dorado, 35 minutes from SJU per Forbes — and we couldn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages, so parking, breakfast and check-in times aren't confirmed.
Book it as a night of its own, and leave time for the drive to the piers.
Book it if
- A celebration before the cruise
- Food and wine lovers
- Spa people
Look elsewhere if
- You want to be near the ship.
- You want the details in writing before you book.
What you’re paying for, and what you’re not
A splurge is worth it when you know exactly what the extra money buys. Green is on offer, gold comes with a cost or a catch, and grey isn’t there or isn’t stated.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Dorado Beach publishes.
Per Forbes: COA with a 650-label wine cellar, the Encanto Beach Club Bar and Grill, Positivo Sand Bar, Flor de Sal, two pool areas and more than 50 private plunge pools, and Spa Botánico, which Forbes rates Four-Star.
Forbes's page mentions no ride to the ship, and we didn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages. A taxi or rideshare covers the trip.
Not stated.
Forbes puts Dorado Beach "35 minutes from San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín Airport"; neither Forbes nor AAA gives a distance to the cruise piers. We couldn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages. Your cruise line’s documents name your terminal and check-in window.
Not on the pages we read. Nothing about leaving the car while you cruise.
Getting here, and on to the ship
Pick where you’re coming from. Solid lines are rides the hotel publishes; a question mark is a leg you’ll arrange yourself. At a splurge hotel, that’s usually the morning ride.
The pages we read don't mention airport transport; Forbes puts SJU 35 minutes away.
Forbes's page mentions no ride to the ship, and we didn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
Forbes puts Dorado Beach "35 minutes from San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín Airport"; neither Forbes nor AAA gives a distance to the cruise piers. We couldn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
From SJU without a hotel shuttle
The port puts SJU about 10 minutes from the Pan American Piers and about 15 from Piers 1–4, around $24 to $30 by taxi or rideshare. Taxis run on zone fares and take cash only, per Discover Puerto Rico, and Uber and Lyft pick up at the airport.
Not on the pages we read. Nothing about leaving the car while you cruise.
Parking for your stay: Not stated.
Forbes's page mentions no ride to the ship, and we didn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
Forbes puts Dorado Beach "35 minutes from San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín Airport"; neither Forbes nor AAA gives a distance to the cruise piers. We couldn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; see the airport page and the landing check.
Distance
No distance statedForbes puts Dorado Beach "35 minutes from San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín Airport"; neither Forbes nor AAA gives a distance to the cruise piers. We couldn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
Source: forbestravelguide.comCruise shuttle
No shuttle statedForbes's page mentions no ride to the ship, and we didn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
Source: forbestravelguide.comParking while you sail
At the hotel
Cruise parking unconfirmedNot on the pages we read. Nothing about leaving the car while you cruise.
Source: forbestravelguide.comParking for the cruise
No parking at the piers“There is no parking within San Juan Cruise Port,” per the port, which points drivers to the public Covadonga lot across from the Old San Juan piers; Royal Caribbean says the same for Pan American Pier 2, while Celebrity’s page says its terminal has a lot. The cheapest daily figure we found is the Isla Grande airport’s long-term lot, $8.56 a day on a local parking guide, not the operator, and a taxi from the Pan American side. None of the garages publishes a week-long cruise rate.
Source: sanjuanpuertorico.comThe night you’re paying for
The evening
Pool · Food or drinks on sitePer Forbes: COA with a 650-label wine cellar, the Encanto Beach Club Bar and Grill, Positivo Sand Bar, Flor de Sal, two pool areas and more than 50 private plunge pools, and Spa Botánico, which Forbes rates Four-Star.
Breakfast
Not statedNot stated.
Address
Dorado, west of San Juan100 Dorado Beach Drive, Dorado, PR 00646
Hotel website
Ratings
AAA Five DiamondAAA rates it Five Diamond, and Forbes Travel Guide gives it Five-Star.
Source: aaa.comThe fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Dorado Beach publishes it. Where it says “not stated”, the hotel doesn’t say, and a quick call will settle it.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
Not stated by the hotel.
Resort fee
Not stated
Wi-Fi
Not stated
Parking for your stay
Not stated
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Not stated
Pool
Two pool areas and more than 50 private plunge pools, per Forbes
Pets
The pages we read don't mention pets.
Food and drink on site
- COA650-label wine cellar (per Forbes)
- Encanto Beach Club Bar and GrillPer Forbes
- Positivo Sand BarPer Forbes
- Flor de SalPer Forbes
Rooms
114 accommodations on 50 beachfront acres, per Forbes.
Accessibility
The hotel’s pages don’t detail accessible rooms. Call before you book if you need one.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryNot stated
- Fitness centerNot stated
- Pets allowedNot stated
Also worth knowing
- AAA Five Diamond; Forbes Five-Star
- Spa Botánico, Forbes Four-Star
- We didn’t read the Ritz-Carlton’s own pages
Before you book
Worth knowing
- AAA Five Diamond on AAA's San Juan list; Forbes Five-Star on Forbes's Puerto Rico page, which shows no year.
- Everything here is from Forbes and AAA; we didn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
- Booking.com also lists separate Residences at Dorado Beach.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Check-in and check-out times
- Breakfast
- Parking
- Any resort fee
- Pets
- The drive to the piers
Rates and policies are as the hotel published them on September 26, 2026. Confirm anything you’re counting on when you book.
The other splurges near the ship
Wake up in San Juan.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Dorado Beach for the night before. No payment on the form.
Dorado Beach FAQ
Is Dorado Beach a luxury hotel?
AAA rates it Five Diamond, and Forbes Travel Guide gives it Five-Star.
Does Dorado Beach have a cruise shuttle?
No. Forbes's page mentions no ride to the ship, and we didn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
Does Dorado Beach have an airport shuttle?
Not that it publishes. The pages we read don't mention airport transport; Forbes puts SJU 35 minutes away.
Can I park at Dorado Beach while I cruise?
It doesn't say. Not on the pages we read. Nothing about leaving the car while you cruise.
How far is Dorado Beach from the cruise terminal?
Forbes puts Dorado Beach "35 minutes from San Juan's Luis Muñoz Marín Airport"; neither Forbes nor AAA gives a distance to the cruise piers. We couldn't read the Ritz-Carlton's own pages.
Booking the cruise too?
Tell us your dates and we'll line up the ship, the hotel and the ride. A real advisor does the work. No obligation.
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