The five-acre complex, complete with a concert hall, various gastronomic concepts and more, is set to revolutionize the entertainment industry in the Caribbean region
During an immersive event for VIP guests, the multisensory complex DISTRITO T-Mobile celebrated its official opening with new tech-first concepts unveiled, which promises to innovate the entertainment industry in Puerto Rico and beyond. While DISTRITO T-Mobile had seen a staggered opening for various offerings within, the complex is now open in its entirety, with twelve gastronomic concepts and five additional standout experiences in entertainment and lodging, available for the enjoyment of Puerto Ricans and visiting guests.
“In celebrating the opening of DISTRITO T-Mobile, we share with the world our goal of revolutionizing the experience of how people enjoy and purse new experiences in Puerto Rico, while maintaining the authenticity that makes our Island special. We’ve created a stunning entertainment complex that naturally injects the flavor and essence of local culture, traditions, and talent, for a global audience” said Federico Stubbe Jr., CEO of PRISA Group, developer and principal investor of DISTRITO T-Mobile.
In February 2020, DISTRITO T-Mobile began a phased pre-opening process, inaugurating various concepts prior to the grand opening which took place on Saturday, August 14 such as gastronomical offerings, entertainment venues and lodging. Beyond the grand opening event, local developer PRISA Group will continue to innovate and integrate new ideas into the entertainment center. In addition, visitors can enjoy the plethora of artistic elements such as murals and installations custom created for the space by local talent.
“Throughout conceptualization and development, authenticity to honor this great Island has been our goal. Together with our collaborators, we created unique experiences that reflect our people’s vibe, spark, and energy in a fresh, innovative way that elevates the destination in the region. What you see here has been carefully curated so that when combined, the unique magic of this space comes to life, to create a space where people can connect in real time and space,” Stubbe added.
“At the Convention District Authority, we are proud to have a place with the most advanced technology as the ideal setting for the events and the entertainment industry. DISTRITO T-Mobile will be a successful platform for the presentation of local and international artists, while providing an additional and unique place for entertainment and enjoyment. It brings together Puerto Rican families as well as visitors looking to enjoy world-class attractions,” added Mariela Vallines, executive director of the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority.
“We have given ourselves the task of getting ready, and this launch represents what Puerto Rico is capable of doing. All concepts announced individually are part of the total experience we are now launching to the world” said Gabriel de Cárdenas, General Manager of DISTRITO T-Mobile.
The official opening ceremony took place in Popular Plaza, the heart of the project, with a presentation of the new audiovisual content on impressive 14,500 square feet of state of the art LED screens highlighting Puerto Rican talent and art in all its senses. “In this ‘Powering up Ceremony’ we exalt all the values of DISTRITO T-Mobile: passion, strength, rhythm, flavor, energy, heritage through an audiovisual, interactive and 360 games,” added De Cárdenas about the opening ceremony.
The 500,000 square-foot entertainment complex features the following entertainment and hospitality concepts:
- Aloft San Juan:
- Opening date: February 2020
- Offering: The first Aloft Hotel in the Caribbean is pet-friendly and has 177 loft-type rooms, bars, a swimming pool, and outdoor terraces that integrate the latest and innovative technology.
- TOROVERDE Urban Park:
- Opening date: July 2021
- Offering: Includes the urban ziplines Blazing Bull and Sky Bull, the maze of games and challenging Bull Maze, climbing wall Pico del Toro, and an Arcade with video games from classics to virtual reality experiences.
- Caribbean Cinemas VIP:
- Opening date: July 2021
- Offering: Offering: Eight cinemas equipped with comfortable reclining seats and access to a food and drink menu. One is CXC, and another one offers the new Screen X format that allows viewers to enjoy a 270-degree panoramic visual experience by adding two side screens that feel like they are in the middle of the action.
- Coca-Cola Music Hall:
- Opening date: August 2021
- Offering: Mixed-use showroom for up to 5,000 spectators, depending on the format. This hall will be home to a wide range of events, including concerts, banquets, fashion shows, festivals, awards ceremonies, corporate events, concerts, circuses, school and college graduations, and many others.
- Popular Plaza:
- Opening date: August 2021
- Offering: Futuristic, multisensory 50,000-square-foot plaza with digitized stage system comprised of more than 14,000 square feet of LED displays representing the heart of the complex.
In addition, they have the following gastronomic concepts:
- Barullo Taberna Española:
- Opening date: November 2020
- Concept/Design: Food Hall type market pays tribute to our heritage and Spanish roots.
- Gastronomic Offer: It has five culinary stations: La Barra, La Arrocería, La Jamonería, Cafecito, and Tasca del Grifo.
- Lupe Reyes:
- Opening date: April 2021
- Concept/Design: Homage to the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon, a traditional Mexican festival. It has several art pieces such as a mural of Mayahuel, goddess of agave, by Dominican artist Evaristo Angurria; three vintage televisions projecting the evolution of Mexican television, an installation by the multifaceted artist Alexis Bousquet; and a mural created by the Moriviví Collective representing the new elements of the menu.
- Gastronomic Offer: Authentic Mexican cuisine, starring tacos al pastor using the largest spin in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
- Sazón Cocina Criolla:
- Opening date: May 2021
- Concept/design: A modern representation of the essence of Puerto Rican flavor. They have several art pieces such as: “Todo Bien” painting, by Puerto Rican artist Jorge Zeno; several paintings by Puerto Rican artist Camila Buxeda, who captures with classic watercolor elements of Puerto Rican culture; and an impressive structure of a mechanical 15-fool long snapper on the bar, created by the artist Mark Rivera.
- Gastronomic offer: Focus on typical Puerto Rican food, giving prominence to fresh fish and seafood.
- La Burguesía:
- Opening date: May 2021
- Concept/design: The restaurant is a satire of bourgeois society with an irreverent tone. Its operators claim that they took a versatile dish and elevated it in terms of quality.
- Gastronomic offer: The burgers with black Angus meat and the brioche bun are the protagonists of the concept. As for the drinks, it offers smoothies called crazy shakes of various flavors decorated with cake and other ingredients on top.
- La Central by Mario Pagán:
- Opening date: May 2021
- Concept/design: Inspired by the sugar mills, the distillation towers, the aging barrels, and the cultivation of cane, coffee, and tobacco, of the early last century.
- Gastronomic offer: Renowned Puerto Rican Chef Mario Pagán highlights the authentic flavors of Puerto Rico, with elements such as grilled cuisine with marinades and sauces with a fusion of rum and sugar cane.
- Dulcinea Ice Cream & Churros:
- Opening date: June 2021
- Concept/design: With a colorful and modern approach, Dulcinea represents the love of a young Puerto Rican couple for churros and ice cream, merging both elements into a creative dessert.
- Gastronomic Offer: Combine crispy churro with creamy vanilla ice cream and non-traditional toppings. It offers eight signature desserts.
- Pudge’s Pizza:
- Opening date: July 2021
- Concept/design: Concept/design: The restaurant of Puerto Rican catcher Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez offers a modern and familiar atmosphere that highlights the adrenaline of the sport.
- Gastronomic offer: It offers fans a varied menu of pizzas created by the “Pudge” himself with names alluding to his roots and history, combined with the characteristic Icees.
- Arena Medalla:
- Opening date: August 2021
- Concept/design: Lovers of sport and entertainment can now celebrate the triumphs of our local athletes and favorite teams in ‘La Casa del Triunfo Boricua.’ The Medalla Arena offers the best experience of watching sports, video games and arcade areas, three karaoke rooms, among other attractions.
- Gastronomic offer: Beer is the star of the offer, and pairings include spicy wings, grilled burgers, seafood, cuts of meat, and ribs.
- Denko Asian Eatery:
- Opening date: August 2021
- Concept/design: Modern and Zen-style space. It has an autonomous belt-like system that extends from the kitchen to deliver food to each diner. It presents several figurative elements of Asian culture, such as Daruma Dolls, made by Puerto Rican craftsman Enrique Rafael Cabrera.
- Gastronomic offer: Asian fusion of Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese dishes. One of its main attractions is the Hot Pots, installed at each table where diners add to a pot all the ingredients of the recipe they want to create in real-time.
Other offerings include: 10) La Barrita del Lado, welcoming visitors; 11) Lupita, the Grab &Go version of Mexican restaurant Lupe Reyes and 12) Verbena, a gastronomic concept integrated into TOROVERDE Urban Park with four kiosks of Creole food. In addition, DISTRITO T-Mobile has various Grab & Go offerings integrated into its different concepts. Each restaurant that connects with Popular Plaza has an outdoor bar to serve consumers who enjoy the multisensory square.
“Completing this complex project has required the joint effort of hundreds of companies and thousands of people who have persevered throughout many challenges alongside us. We are very proud of the great collaboration we have achieved in this project between private companies and governments of multiple administrations. This has and will contribute to an economic ecosystem, helping thousands of families and creating over 1,700 direct jobs in various industries: such as construction, entertainment, hospitality, gastronomy, and services, among others,” said Federico Stubbe about the development of the project. “We thank the Government of Puerto Rico, the Convention District Authority, McConnel Valdés Consulting, Caribe Hospitality, ASM Global, Banco Popular, Oriental Bank, Banco de Desarrollo Económico, T-Mobile, JetBlue, Visa and all the operators and collaborators who trusted us. A lot of young and local talent put all their passion and effort into making it possible. Thank you,” Stubbe concluded.
DISTRITO T-Mobile will operate on a fixed schedule daily from 12:00 pm to 12:00 am. Guests can park in the Magenta Lot, the main parking lot of the complex, or use the Valet Parking available at the north entrance of DISTRITO T-Mobile. For more information about DISTRITO T-Mobile, its activities and updates visit its Facebook and Instagram account as a @distritotmobile or access its website https://distritot-mobile.com/.
About DISTRITO T-Mobile:
DISTRITO T-Mobile is a complex that provides unique experiences by combining dining, art, entertainment, music, technology, and hospitality experiences. Located in the heart of San Juan, DISTRITO T-Mobile was conceptualized to create happy moments through authentic, innovative, and extraordinary experiences, highlighting the best of Puerto Rican culture and talent. It is currently in a gradual pre-opening process focused on attracting Puerto Ricans and then launching it internationally. DISTRITO T-Mobile will be the most innovative and leading entertainment center in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Aligned to this process, the following concepts are now operating: Aloft Hotel, Caribbean Cinemas VIP Theaters, TORO VERDE Urban Park and the restaurants Barullo Taberna Española, Lupe Reyes, Sazón Cocina Criolla, La Burguesía, La Central by Mario Pagán, Dulcinea Ice Cream & Churros, and Pudge’s Pizza. Its facilities and various food, drinks, and entertainment concepts converge in the heart of the project, the Popular Plaza.
