Casa Botánica

Casa Botánica, also trading as La Botánica Hotel, is a boutique hotel in a converted house in Ocean Park, San Juan, that opened in 2022. It has eight rooms, a vegan breakfast and a yoga class every morning in the front garden. The hotel presents itself as a vegan hideaway, and the owner, Sylvia, chose the decor and the wines herself.

The place

Ocean Park is a residential part of San Juan, and the hotel is a short walk from the beach and from local restaurants and shops. The house is set behind a garden with fountains, dining tables and lounge chairs.

The hotel's own site gives no distances, so none are quoted here.

The concept

The property grew in stages, and the rooms were built at different moments in the life of the house, so each has its own character. There are seven room types: Greenhouse, Sylvia's Suite, Botanica Suite, Garden Suite, Treehouses, Glasshouse and White Cottage.

Every room has a kitchenette, an outdoor shower, a king or queen bed, a full bathroom and a private terrace or balcony.

The decor mixes Puerto Rican contemporary art with vintage furniture. The hotel says Sylvia picked one-of-a-kind artworks and family heirloom pieces by hand, alongside furniture made by the team.

The lobby and living room hold sofas, games and a library, and a boutique shop open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. sells local crafts, jewellery and organic skincare. In-room massages are listed among the wellness services.

Dining & wellness

A vegan breakfast is included and served from 9 to 11 a.m. in the lobby and the garden. The kitchen buys produce from local farms, and many dishes draw on Caribbean cooking.

A coffee and infusion station in the lobby stays open at all hours. The coffee is infused with cinnamon and cardamom, and the herbal infusions are sweetened with dried fruit, sometimes beets or carrots. Each room's fridge holds organic vegan wines chosen by Sylvia: sparkling, red, white and rosé.

The website lists a series of dinners, without giving dates or menus.