Need hotel recommendations in San Juan!

Hello everyone,

My husband and I have been to San Juan, PR before, but only as a brief stop during a cruise. We loved San Juan, and are traveling in June 2005 on the Adventure of the Seas, RCCL out of Puerto Rico. We plan to do a post-cruise stay in San Juan, and were looking for suggestions on hotels.

We loved Old San Juan, for it's shopping and historic beauty. But we also thought the beaches were beautiful too. It's a tough decision...so please help.

Any suggestions would be very helpful!

Thanks so much,

-Jennifer

If you are looking for a beautiful beach then either the Intercontinental or the Old El San Juan Hotels in Isla Verde are the ones you want. If you want more entertainment and restaurants that are close by, you would be better off in Condado where the Marriott is.

I'd recommend the Intercontinental, but didn't stay there. We were staying at the Ritz Carlton (which is beautiful!) but toured several other hotels while we were there in Isla Verde for future stays. Hotel Intercontinental was the place we decided on for our next trip.

We also love Old San Juan. Have stayed a few times at the Wyndham Old San Juan, now a Sheraton. But once we tried the Marriott & Stellaris Casino hotel on Ashford Avenue, we keep going back there. It has a very lively lobby bar and lounge with live entertainment. It can get hopping and has a great atmosphere. The restaurant has good food - excellent roast beef buffet on Saturday nights; gorgeous swimming pool on the beach. Also, many good restaurants in walking distance.

Hope you try it.

SeaBaby

We just returned and did our pre-cruise at the Marriott Resort - great location and amenities!

We stayed 3 nights pre-cruise 1st week of December at the Caribe Hilton. It is on a private beach, has beautiful gardens and grounds. Stay in the original main building (not the tower). I've read reviews that weren't very good from people that stayed in the tower building. We were in the main building and had a small balcony with a view of the ocean. All hotel staff were very friendly and accomodating. There were always plenty of lounge chairs on the beach or by the lovely pool. It's about a 35 minute walk to OSJ or Condado. There isn't much within a shorter walking distance though, just a small mini-mart, and a authentic Puerto Rican restaurant down the block and around the corner.

we have stayed at both the Sheraton Old San Juan and the Marriott. Didn't really have much time during the day to enjoy the beach at the Marriott, so I prefer staying in Old San Juan. Lots of night life in the area.

In 1996 we stayed at the Condado Plaza. We loved it. They had (if I remember correctly) 3 pools 1 of which was a salt water pool. They had a small water slide, swim up bar, and a beach area with NO waves. There are many restaurants that are on that strip, and the food is sooooo good. The breakfast they have at the Condado was also very good.

We loved our stay there and had plans to go again in 1999 (unfortunately I got sick).

We were treated so well and highly recommend it!!!!

Last year we stayed at the Intercontinental. Very nice hotel, spa and pools. We booked it thru hotwire and ended up in a room facing the street (you could hear the planes approaching the airport). Make sure you get a garden or ocean view room.

We are on the Radisson Diamond 02/15/05 and are flying in the night before and staying at the Comfort Inn.

We decided on the Comfort Inn because of price, but also because in PR they have a couple of tax issues.

1. Tax is 8% on rooms

2. If you are staying at a "resort" there is an additional tax of 10%

3. If you staying at a hotel or resort that has a "casino" attached there is an additional 8% tax.

We figure for one night that 18% extra tax was not worth it.

We are also spending a couple of pre-cruise nexts in San Juan in June and have made reservations at the Comfort Inn, because it looked like the best price and it had pretty good reviews on the tripadvisor site, so it seemed like a safe bet.

Jim, thanks for the PR tax info, I had no idea and from what you're saying it could really add up over a few nights. Have you stayed at the Comfort Inn before?

We have used the Comfort Inn a few time and it is nice, ask for a room with a balcony, this is nice to sit on and watch the people, Also there is a great resturant on Ashford. Go to the end of the block the Inn is on and turn left. cross the street and go about a block, there is a resturant with seating with a beach view, can not remember the name. good for breakfast and dinner

pholter, we stayed at The Intercontinental last year and loved it. We were thinking about the Ritz this year just to try something else. What is it about the Ritz that would have you stay at the Intercontinental instead? I'm just wondering before I make our reservations. Perhaps I should just stay with the Intercontinental. Please share your thoughts. Thanks!

hersh.

No this will be our first time at San Juan Comfort Inn.

On another web site were some reports about it.

Almost all of them said that it was nothing to look at from the street, but once inside they were pleasantly surprised how nice it was for a Comfort Inn.

vlnovak

Would you please recommend what our group should do about Breakfast?

Our flights get in very late on Monday evening (like around 11:30 pm), and we have a tour lined up at 9:30 am Tuesday morning. Will the breakfast work ok in the hotel lobby?

The Sheraton Old San Juan isn't very nice?? I was there when it was the Wyndam...briefly, lobby only...and it looked really nice???

We have booked this hotel for one night in May...thanks!

There is a free breakfast by the pool, it is cereal and light things like that along with juice and coffee. if you want more go to the resturant on Ashford, turn left from the hotel and cross the street, about a block or two on the ocean side.

I thank you for the info!!

I vote for the San Juan Marriott. . .loved it for our 2 day precruise stay Dec 17-19

pholter, we stayed at The Intercontinental last year and loved it. We were thinking about the Ritz this year just to try something else. What is it about the Ritz that would have you stay at the Intercontinental instead? I'm just wondering before I make our reservations. Perhaps I should just stay with the Intercontinental. Please share your thoughts. Thanks!

The Casino paid off big time for us at the Ritz- over $700 total.... Other than that, it's just really stuffy feeling, prices are too high ($14 for a drink, $20+ for breakfast). There just wasn't anything fun going on. When we toured the Intercontinental after dinner at Tangerine, it just felt "fun" to us inside and out by the pool.

We highly recommend the Intercontinental Hotel in Isla Verde. Absolutely beautiful grounds, a wonderful pool, beautiful beach.

Has anyone stayed at the SanJuan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. We booked for Jan. got a great rate $159.00 +tax. Its a Senior rate and Marriott rewards member.

Maureen909

click on this Web Site www.puertoricoexcursions.com is all about tours and also links at botom of website of hotels and small inns

I think we'll stay with the Intercontinental, if it's not broken, don't fix it. We had a great time there last year, with a wonderful room. I thought The Ritz might be kind of an experience, but the more I read and think about it, we'll go with the sure thing. Now to wait for prices to come down for the summer months! Last year we got our room for $148/night which was to have been a pool view room, and they upgraded us to an ocean view upon check in! :)

Just back from our Diamond Cruise.

Comfort Inn Hotel was ok for one night.

As someone had said before. It is not much to look at, and the lobby is questionable but the rooms are ok. You could see where they are doing some touch ups. We had 4 rooms and all had new bathrooms.

Not bad for an overnight. Holiday Inn is across the street.

We had to go there for breakfast as the Comfort Inn was currently not doing one. No big deal. Did find out that the same person owns both so that is why they were doing it this way.