Hilton Caribe - State of hotel? What is nearby?

We are considering booking a pre-cruise stay & transfers through RCCL in January 2017 and understand we would be staying at the Hilton Caribe. Is the hotel in good shape? Are there things to do nearby? Grocery/Sundries shopping nearby? How easy is it to tour OSJ from here?

Thanks so much for any advice!

We are considering booking a pre-cruise stay & transfers through RCCL in January 2017 and understand we would be staying at the Hilton Caribe. Is the hotel in good shape? Are there things to do nearby? Grocery/Sundries shopping nearby? How easy is it to tour OSJ from here?

 

Thanks so much for any advice!

It's an okay hotel in an okay area, with okay restaurants nearby.

If not signed up to Hilton rewards do so immediately. As the only decent updated rooms are in the member's only tower. Do let the hotel know you are a member (quote number) travelling with the RCCL booking, giving the arrival dates etc, and requesting a top floor tower room. ;)

You will then be segregated from the block booking heards, these being placed in the scruffy rooms of the old building.

It is possible to walk to OSJ and a huge CVS with a taxi on the return.

Staying there in Dec for 2 days prior to cruise - the hilton membership number will also get you some discounts

Staying there in Dec for 2 days prior to cruise - the hilton membership number will also get you some discounts

Just "having a number"? Good luck with that...... Maybe if you're Diamond, but just being a member will get you nothing.

It's an okay hotel in an okay area, with okay restaurants nearby.

If not signed up to Hilton rewards do so immediately. As the only decent updated rooms are in the member's only tower. Do let the hotel know you are a member (quote number) travelling with the RCCL booking, giving the arrival dates etc, and requesting a top floor tower room. ;)

You will then be segregated from the block booking heards, these being placed in the scruffy rooms of the old building.

It is possible to walk to OSJ and a huge CVS with a taxi on the return.

Just being a new low level Silver member of HHonors will NOT guarantee anything about room location. It may help and it may not.

We stay there on our first trip to SJ. We did the same thing and booked through RCI. One night pre cruise. We Thought the hotel was fine for a one night stay. The pool and grounds were fine. We took a taxi to Old Town. Eat at Barrachina. I surprised my wife by making reservations during a of the Flamingo dancing shows. It was touristy, but fun. Have banana daiquiri or pina coloda. The side walks are uneven so be ready with good walking shoes. Taxi do not run meters. They are a flat rate trip price. We enjoyed our short stay.

We will return 4/2/0217 Jewel cruise. If you are unsure of the hotel, find out the other RCI choices and switch. We have always had a good experience with Choice air and hotel booking with RCI.

Just being a new low level Silver member of HHonors will NOT guarantee anything about room location. It may help and it may not.

Actually Blue is the low level, Silver is the next one up. Silver will give you access to the "stay 5, 1 night free" discount. You have to be Gold to even start to get any good bennies like the better room, comp breakfast...

You will not get anything for the initial Blue membership (except a "thank you" for your loyalty ) that will help you as part of a group block of rooms. You will get complimentary standard speed wifi (faster speed is at a fee. If you are just checking email, standard is fine. Any streaming videos or game playing, you need the faster). But, since the Hilton has a resort fee, you are getting it anyway via the resort fee.

Group blocks of rooms (which is what RCCL will have) are ROH usually (run of the house). You will get whatever room is within the block negotiated by RCCL and available when you check in.

The one thing it is good for is building up points if you stay at enough Hiltons so that you can get that one free night at your next embarkation port ;-)

We stay there on our first trip to SJ. We did the same thing and booked through RCI. One night pre cruise. We Thought the hotel was fine for a one night stay. The pool and grounds were fine. We took a taxi to Old Town. Eat at Barrachina. I surprised my wife by making reservations during a of the Flamingo dancing shows. It was touristy, but fun. Have banana daiquiri or pina coloda. The side walks are uneven so be ready with good walking shoes. Taxi do not run meters. They are a flat rate trip price. We enjoyed our short stay.

We will return 4/2/0217 Jewel cruise. If you are unsure of the hotel, find out the other RCI choices and switch. We have always had a good experience with Choice air and hotel booking with RCI.

"Flamingo dancing shows" - Pink ones?