Hotel Review: El Blok in Vieques, Puerto Rico

Are you planning a trip to Vieques, Puerto Rico and looking for a hotel?

If so, this review is for you.

I recently stayed at the El Blok hotel for 6 nights for a work trip. Now I want to share my opinions with you so you can decide if the El Blok hotel in Vieques, Puerto Rico is the right option for you.

Related: If you’re on the fence about booking a trip to Vieques, read my post: 10 Things I Loved and Hated about Vieques

The Basics – El Blok Hotel in Vieques, Puerto Rico

The El Blok Hotel in Vieques, Puerto Rico is definitely a standout.

Located in Esperanza, a small beach town on the south side of the island, the hotel’s stark, brutalist architecture is hard to miss. The 4-story circular structure is made entirely of concrete with perforated facades.

The cool vibe and design continue when you enter the lobby. One wall is given over completely to a large scale mural of a painted octopus.

The lobby curves around to a chic looking restaurant and bar. Elements of wood and pops of turquoise tile complete the minimalist look of the open-air dining room.

The top floor of the El Blok houses their famous roof deck with a small (and I mean tiny) plunge pool. While you might not spend much time swimming up there, you’ll certainly want to take in the commanding views of the beach, greenery and azure colored waters.

Rooms at the El Blok Hotel

I won’t sugar coat this. The standard rooms are TINY! But considering you’ll spend most of your time exploring the island, it’s not the worst thing in the world.

Perks include the beach-chic design of the rooms and Aesop toiletries in the bathroom. However, there are also some downsides to the rooms.

Most of the rooms have no closet to speak of. The hot water is finicky at the hotel, to the point that they give you detailed instructions on what angle to put the shower fixture at so you get the right temperature. I definitely had a few cold showers before one of the hotel managers came to my room to set the shower handle at the right angle for me.

The other problem is the AC units in the rooms on the 2^nd and 3^rd floors. You literally have no control of how much air comes out or at what temperature. They are very archaic systems that were put in, and the only option you have is on or off. (Supposedly they are upgrading these systems, and it’s already been done with rooms on the first floor.) The good news is the concrete structure of the hotel insulates the rooms, so I only needed to turn the AC on in my room for a few minutes and it would stay cool for hours.

There are larger rooms you can book at the El Blok. It’s not that much of a price difference (around $60 per night) so I would recommend this, especially if you’re a couple. I think you’ll appreciate having the extra space and a slightly larger bathroom.

The Restaurant at El Blok

El Blok’s restaurant is one of the main hangouts in Vieques, for good reason. It gets a lively crowd in the evening, with people flocking to the 3 sided bar, swaying to an eclectic mix of music. The bartender shakes up custom-made, craft cocktails and the contemporary Puerto Rican food turned out by chef Carlos Perez is among the best on the island.

If you come to Vieques, it’s definitely worth having dinner at the restaurant, whether you’re staying at the hotel or not. Take note: I recommend making reservations and keep in mind that the restaurant is only open Wednesday through Sunday evenings. Also, the prices are on the higher side. I was actually surprised at how expensive everything is in Vieques. (You can read more here about everything I loved and hated about Vieques.)

Related: Thinking of taking a weekend away with the girls? Check out my list of the best destinations for a girls’ weekend getaway. 

The Amenities at El Blok

The rooftop at the El Blok is definitely one of the coolest features of the hotel. Since many buildings on the island are only one or two stories high, the rooftop here is a great place to enjoy multiple views of the island.

The hotel hosts a weekly sunset party on the rooftop on Sundays, called Adult Swim. Enjoy cocktails from 4p – 8p while listening to a live DJ. Take note, this is the only time the bar on the rooftop is actually open. If you’re staying at the hotel, you can access the rooftop and plunge pool whenever you like, but there’s no bar service aside from this weekly party.

The hotel also has a concert series on the ground floor patio, next to the restaurant. It’s for sure a fun thing to do if you’re staying in Vieques.

If you’re heading to the beach, the hotel offers free beach chairs and towels for guests. This is a great amenity since there’s a beautiful beach practically across the street from the hotel!

Complimentary Breakfast? Not so much!

The last thing I want to talk about is the complimentary breakfast you get if you’re a guest at the hotel. I will be completely honest with you. This is the one thing at the hotel that quite frankly, sucked. Considering how much attention to detail is evident in everything else they do, they completely missed the mark with breakfast.

Breakfast is supposed to start at 7 am. Since I was there for work (I’m a director for House Hunters International), my crew and I needed to grab breakfast right at 7 am before we started our day of filming. There wasn’t a single day that we came down where everything was actually ready at 7 am. And when I say ‘everything’, I mean the instant oatmeal (which was too soupy to eat most days), hard-boiled eggs, a bin of croissants, and some fruit in a bowl.

This continental breakfast is not hard to throw together. And yet, each day, when we asked for something that wasn’t out yet on the buffet table, like cutlery, we got a surly response. It was really quite shocking. So my recommendation is to skip breakfast at the hotel and head down the waterfront to one of the many restaurants that do serve a proper breakfast.

Would I stay at the El Blok Hotel Again?

I would like to visit Vieques again. If I come back with just my husband, then yes, I would stay at the El Blok hotel.

However, if I come with a group of friends, it would make more sense for us to rent a property on Airbnb.

But regardless of where we stay, I know we’ll be on that rooftop for Sunday evening cocktails and we’ll definitely eat at the restaurant.

If you’re considering booking a stay at the El Blok hotel in Vieques, I hope you found this post helpful.

Now I’d love to hear from you. Have you been to Vieques? If so, where did you stay and what did you love about the island?

If not, is this destination on your list?

Comment below.

And remember, as always, happy travels!