When traveling to a medical facility away from home patients look for three qualities – ease of travel, value and high quality of services, and a safe leisure tourism haven. Puerto Rico offers all three. Puerto Rico is the United States territory in the Caribbean and as such there is no language barrier, no passport or visa requirements, no immigration or customs to clear, no need for currency exchange, and medical facilities must comply with the U.S. infrastructure standards and be staffed by board certified physicians. The Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, in the capital city of San Juan is only hours away from the U.S. mainland, offering around 400 weekly flights to major cities. The island is also the main travel hub in the Caribbean with over 600 weekly flights, in addition to over 25 weekly flights to six international destinations.
Puerto Rico’s hospitals and medical facilities are required to comply with high standards of excellence, equivalent to the ones of U.S. institutions. At present there are over 70 hospital facilities, some that have partnerships with hotels such as the Howard Johnson Hotel at the Cardio Vascular Hospital of the Puerto Rico Medical Center and the San Miguel Plaza Hotel right by the HIMA- San Pablo at Bayamón city.
Many other facilities like the Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital and the Pavía Hospital are located in or close by the hotel district in the San Juan Metro area. There are also six approved projects that integrate hotel and hospital facilities.
As a world-class leisure tourism destination Puerto Rico offers patients the option of combining their medical trip with pleasure. Among the wide range of amenities found all over the island are its historic Spanish and Caribbean culture, tropical and natural attractions, relaxing beaches, culinary variety, spas, shopping variety, theater functions, casinos, and nightlife and musical activities.
Whether visitors are looking for a relaxing island location amidst tropical rainforests or a getaway rich in history and culture, the island of Puerto Rico offers all these experiences and more. Medical care in Puerto Rico is also 40 to 70 percent more affordable than in most locations on the U.S. mainland.
In an effort to provide a comprehensive, one-stop location for booking travel to Puerto Rico and educate consumers about the travel experience, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) has launched an on-line reservation system offering in-depth information for lodging and flight options specifically for the island.
Accessible on PRTC’s official website, www.seepuertorico.com visitors will enjoy detailed knowledge and real-time confirmations, information and service not usually available on web sites of third-party resellers.
The system provides:
- Real-time rates and availability for properties in the system; no waiting to confirm availability or a reservation
- Hotel overview, rate descriptions, and images from the properties directly, so consumers can avoid inflated rates and added service fees
- A simple and user-friendly format allowing travelers to spend less time booking their trip and more time enjoying their visit
The online reservation system and information included on the www.seepuertorico.com website, provides travelers the opportunity to discover interesting and inviting sites beyond what surrounds San Juan’s well-known attractions.
They introduce visitors to the diverse geography and wealth of activities, accommodations and restaurants throughout the Island. The site also includes sections on travel tips, key facts about the island, upcoming events, a toll free number 1-800- 866-7827, and it gives users the option to chat with an agent about travel plan options for their stay in Puerto Rico.
