Condado Beach Question

[ckornuta]

Is Condado Beach a nice sandy beach or is it rocky? Is the water really blue? Is there alot to do in this area? I am thinking of booking this Marriot.

[joseywales]

we just got back from san juan where we spent an extra day after our cruise on the serenade. we also spent a day in san juan before the cruise. we stayed at the marriott stellaris one night after the cruise. it was great. ive attached a picture of the beach. you cant get your room until 3 or 4 but thats no problem, because you can hang out at the beach or the pool. remember to keep your beach stuff apart from your luggage which you can give to the bellman and check until you get your room. the garden rooms have a view of the palm trees which is no biggie. we werent in the room hardly at all. theres several excellent restaurants just down the street including one small local fish place which i dont remember the name of, but its on the opposite side of the street several blocks down and theres 5-6 steps up to the door with lots of windows. they have the fish you are going to eat on ice at the door when you walk in. the man who runs it is very funny and friendly. we had a grilled hogfish which was a first for me, but delicious. the beach at the marriott is nice. but nothing like st thomas or the other places you may have visited. its sandy in front of the marriott, and they have plenty of beach chairs. it is a public beach though, but that was no problem. the water was warm, but pretty rough, so i just waded. there were some brave guys boogyboarding. if you are staying the night before a cruise, i probably wouldnt stay there since you really wont have the time to enjoy it. the night before, we stayed at the best western hotel pierre which was perfect. check out our review of that on tripadvisor.com

[joseywales]

heres another picture looking east along the beach at the marriott stellaris on the condado

[ckornuta]

Josiewales, Thank you for your fast response. we will be staying 2 nights before our cruise, so this hotel might be the one, but the water looks awful rough. Is this how it usally is or was it bad weather when you were there? How is the pool area?

[joseywales]

they told me that the water was unusually rough. the hotel had it red flagged, but they really cant actually stop you from swimming since its a public beach. my understanding is that all the beaches in puerto rico are considered "public". 2 nights would be enough to really enjoy the hotel. the pool was excellent but a little cold for my tastes. (but i was stationed on guam for 2 years so anything less than 85 degrees is frigid to me)i did a lot of research before i booked, and the marriott stellaris looked like the best place for the money. also, not a lot of children there so it was pretty quiet. the staff there was extremely friendly, and the bar was really nice. my wife and i had a drink there before we went out to dinner at the fish place i cant remember the name of!

[funforsun]

I stay at the Marriott and the Ritz Carlton (Isla Verde) on business every month. The beach at the Ritz is way better, and so is the hotel. If you are looking for a beach to use, the Ritz is better.

[joseywales]

It should be! The Ritz is $329 vs the Marriott for $208 on expedia...

 

The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Spa & CasinoLowest avg rate $329.00Availability request: 1 roomExpedia Special RateFri Jun-23-2006 to Sat Jun-24-2006var ecrt="Expedia Corporate Rates";var ecrb="Expedia Corporate Rate rooms provide flexibility and value for business travelers. The $25 cancellation fee is waived for these rooms. In addition, these rooms are eligible for loyalty points and may include amenities such as broadband and continental breakfast.";Room typeFridocument.write(szARL); Avg rate (per night) Standard room $329 $329.00 Book it San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris CasinoLowest avg rate $208.00San Juan, Puerto Rico Virtual Tour AvailableBeach resort with casino in fashionable Condado