Which of these Hilton Properties pre-cruise

[luv2trvlnow]

We can get the Caribe Hilton, the Condado Plaza Hilton, or the Embassy Suites in Isla Verde for the same number of points. We will be there for 2 nights pre-cruise. I know we get a free cooked to order breakfast at the ES, but since I am Gold with Hilton, we get free continental breakfast at the Hiltons. So I don't think that makes that much of difference.

Which would you choose and why? Are there places to walk to for dinner near all of these?

Sharon

[MDSue]

I've only stayed at the Conrad Condado Hilton and I love it there. I can't compare it to the other two. The Conrad Condado is very close to the cruise port. It is right across a bridge. You can see the ships in the distance.

You can stay on the bay side and have a water (lagoon) and a view of the city, or stay on the ocean-side and have either a "city-view" room or oceanview, or ocean-front. The city-view rooms are a bit noisy because they are right by the main road, but I like them because you can sit on the balcony and watch the ships in the distance.

About 45 minutes after the ships depart, I like to head over to the ocean-side to watch them sail by.

The grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. They have mulitiple pools, including a salt-water pool and a swim-up bar.

The ocean-front area is rocky, but there is a small protected, sandy beach right next to the hotel that is nice and calm and good for swimming.

There a numerous restaurants and a nice casino on the premises and many other restaurants and shops within easy walking distance.

Cabs are waiting out front for easy transportation or you can grab a bus for a little over a $1. to head into Old San Juan.

Isla Verde is closest to the airport and further from the port. It has the nicer beaches, though.

In my Caribbean Princess review linked to my signature, I have pictures posted of the resort.

Enjoy!

Susan

[luv2trvlnow]

I've only stayed at the Conrad Condado Hilton and I love it there. I can't compare it to the other two. The Conrad Condado is very close to the cruise port. It is right across a bridge. You can see the ships in the distance.

You can stay on the bay side and have a water (lagoon) and a view of the city, or stay on the ocean-side and have either a "city-view" room or oceanview, or ocean-front. The city-view rooms are a bit noisy because they are right by the main road, but I like them because you can sit on the balcony and watch the ships in the distance.

About 45 minutes after the ships depart, I like to head over to the ocean-side to watch them sail by.

The grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. They have mulitiple pools, including a salt-water pool and a swim-up bar.

The ocean-front area is rocky, but there is a small protected, sandy beach right next to the hotel that is nice and calm and good for swimming.

There a numerous restaurants and a nice casino on the premises and many other restaurants and shops within easy walking distance.

Cabs are waiting out front for easy transportation or you can grab a bus for a little over a $1. to head into Old San Juan.

Isla Verde is closest to the airport and further from the port. It has the nicer beaches, though.

In my Caribbean Princess review linked to my signature, I have pictures posted of the resort.

Enjoy!

Susan

I really liked your pictures of the hotel area and Old San Juan. Thank you. It gives me a good idea what the Conrad Condado Hilton is like. I have never been to San Juan before so I am excited to get there.

Sharon

[Ron_L]

We stayed at the Hilton Condado Plaza (Used to be the Conrad, they changed the name a few months ago) and enjoyed it. The hotel and grounds are beautiful and there is a casino on the property. It is also within walking distance of many restaurants and bars in the Condado area.

[MDSue]

Thanks, Sharon. After I stayed there once, I never had any desire to stay anywhere else and keep going back. I think the only thing it is lacking that some of the other resorts offer is a sandy oceanfront beach, but I like the location, so that doesn't matter too much to me.

[Quixotic]

We're staying at the Condado Hilton before our cruise. We leave for PR next Friday. :) We were going to do the Caribe, but the price was much higher than the Condado at the time of booking. I figured both would be fine, so we went with the lower price.

[slidergirl]

Just so people don't get confused:

The Conrad Condado Plaza is now just Hilton Condado Plaza. It couldn't keep up to the Conrad standard, so it was re-branded a standard Hilton…. So, there really isn't 2 different hotels, we're talking about the same one...

[MDSue]

Just so people don't get confused:

The Conrad Condado Plaza is now just Hilton Condado Plaza. It couldn't keep up to the Conrad standard, so it was re-branded a standard Hilton…. So, there really isn't 2 different hotels, we're talking about the same one...

 

That's good to know about the Conrad. The OP was asking about 3 different hotels. I could only review one. Seem like many others have stayed there too.

 

Does the hotel still have the word Conrad on the side of the building? That might be confusing to some, but I'm sure that if someone mentions the Conrad, the taxi drivers and such will know the correct hotel

[slidergirl]

That's good to know about the Conrad. The OP was asking about 3 different hotels. I could only review one. Seem like many others have stayed there too.

 

Does the hotel still have the word Conrad on the side of the building? That might be confusing to some, but I'm sure that if someone mentions the Conrad, the taxi drivers and such will know the correct hotel

 

I don't know if it still says "Conrad."

 

Hilton had the same kind of issue with the El San Juan. They had it branded as part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection, but couldn't keep up to the standard. It was re-branded as just "A Hilton Hotel." They still have El Conquistador as a W=A hotel...

[OttoCal]

Depends on what you want-

 

Hilton Condado Plaza is in a great location on Ashford Ave, with best walking distance to largest variety of restaurants. Small beach on the calm lagoon side, good access to rough (not for sane people swimming) Condado beach. Has a casino.

 

Embassy suites is very close to the airport, so you may notice more plane noise. Very close to supermarket, Outback on site etc. Not on beach/water, but walking distance to nice Isla Verde Beach. Also has a casino.

 

Caribe Hilton is the most like a private resort, in that it is in a funny location. There are several nice restaurants on site,(Check out the Morton's Bar Happy Hour- great deals on food/drinks) you can walk across the bridge to Condado (healthy walk) or take a taxi for about 10-15$ very easily to Old San Juan or Condado. I like the man-made reef here for very safe swimming, tropical garden with birds, great pool area. No casino. Crapshoot on rooms though- the renovated tower ones are very nice with great views especially on higher floors, but there are 3 buildings.

[luv2trvlnow]

Depends on what you want-

 

Hilton Condado Plaza is in a great location on Ashford Ave, with best walking distance to largest variety of restaurants. Small beach on the calm lagoon side, good access to rough (not for sane people swimming) Condado beach. Has a casino.

 

Embassy suites is very close to the airport, so you may notice more plane noise. Very close to supermarket, Outback on site etc. Not on beach/water, but walking distance to nice Isla Verde Beach. Also has a casino.

 

Caribe Hilton is the most like a private resort, in that it is in a funny location. There are several nice restaurants on site,(Check out the Morton's Bar Happy Hour- great deals on food/drinks) you can walk across the bridge to Condado (healthy walk) or take a taxi for about 10-15$ very easily to Old San Juan or Condado. I like the man-made reef here for very safe swimming, tropical garden with birds, great pool area. No casino. Crapshoot on rooms though- the renovated tower ones are very nice with great views especially on higher floors, but there are 3 buildings.

Thank you for the comparisons. We aren't sure what we want right now. I am traveling with my son and have to consider what he might like. And one thing he does like is the beach. So that might put the Hilton Condado Plaza in last place. We are also going to be staying for 3 nights instead of 2 because our flight will not be getting in until 11PM. So that first night isn't much of a night.

 

Sharon

[OttoCal]

I don't know how old your son is, but the Condado Plaza has the best access to the lagoon for Stand Up Paddleboard/kayak rentals. You do this in the lagoon, not out on the ocean :eek:, if watersports is an attraction.

[siestakeys04]

DH and I are looking at the Hilton Condado also for our pre-cruise stay, we will only be there for one night. How much are taxis to the port?

[keishashadow]

OP I was surprised to see the condado available for low honors points + approx. 1/4 of typical rate. Wasn't available last week when I checked, snagged it for my date:D

 

now need to find out where the nearby restaurants are located.

 

we've only stayed @ the Sheraton OSJ in the past but from everything I've read isla verde appears has a better beach if it's available. did you try the Hilton there?

Edited February 7, 2014 by keishashadow

[luv2trvlnow]

I don't know how old your son is, but the Condado Plaza has the best access to the lagoon for Stand Up Paddleboard/kayak rentals. You do this in the lagoon, not out on the ocean :eek:, if watersports is an attraction.

He's not s child. In fact he will be 36 by the time we cruise. I know he had tried the Stand Up Paddleboard before but I'm not sure he liked it. Maybe he would like to kayak. I'll have to check with him to see if this would be something he would be interested in.

Thank you very much for the information.

Sharon

[luv2trvlnow]

OP I was surprised to see the condado available for low honors points + approx. 1/4 of typical rate. Wasn't available last week when I checked, snagged it for my date:D

 

now need to find out where the nearby restaurants are located.

 

we've only stayed @ the Sheraton OSJ in the past but from everything I've read isla verde appears has a better beach if it's available. did you try the Hilton there?

Yes. I saw that points + cash offer. But it is no longer available there but is available for the Embassy Suites in Isla Verde. It seems to be moving around. Also it is great to use this offer because it is a reward booking and therefore is not subject to the 16-18% resort fee.

 

Sharon

Edited February 7, 2014 by luv2trvlnow

[keishashadow]

Yes. I saw that points + cash offer. But it is no longer available there but is available for the Embassy Suites in Isla Verde. It seems to be moving around. Also it is great to use this offer because it is a reward booking and therefore is not subject to the 16-18% resort fee.

 

Sharon

 

I was told I have to pay the 18% on the cash portion of the reservation but far less than paying strictly cash.:)

 

We're new to Hilton Honors program, had no idea they sometimes offered cash + points.

 

good luck, maybe it'll open up for your dates. I would prefer the Isla Verde property that wasn't offered. I do plan on checking back - often;) to see if it opens up closer to my date.

[luv2trvlnow]

I was told I have to pay the 18% on the cash portion of the reservation but far less than paying strictly cash.:)

 

We're new to Hilton Honors program, had no idea they sometimes offered cash + points.

 

good luck, maybe it'll open up for your dates. I would prefer the Isla Verde property that wasn't offered. I do plan on checking back - often;) to see if it opens up closer to my date.

When I called the Hilton HHonors telephone number they told me that we wouldn't have to pay the 18%. When I called another time the woman told me we would. That everyone had to pay the resort fee. Then she put me on hold for about 5 minutes and came back and said that I was correct, no 18% resort fee for any reward redemption. Some of the representatives don't know this and give out the wrong information.

 

When I checked the different rates at the Embassy Suites, I click on the rate details and for every one that isn't a reward redemption they show the added fee. But they don't show it for the points + cash. It just shows the tax on the $65.

 

Sharon

[keishashadow]

hard to believe the reps are hit or miss on this, you think the question would come up often lol. thanks, every little bit of savings helps the bar tab.;)

Edited February 8, 2014 by keishashadow

[Ron_L]

OP I was surprised to see the condado available for low honors points + approx. 1/4 of typical rate. Wasn't available last week when I checked, snagged it for my date:D

 

now need to find out where the nearby restaurants are located.

 

 

If you walk east on Ashford you'll find a lot of restaurants and bars. We had the best meal of our trip at the Ropa Vieja Grill, about a five minute walk from the hotel, same side of the street. Fantastic mofongo. Also, Casa Lola, a couple of minutes further walk, opposite side of the street, was excellent.