Inexpensive Hotels in San Juan

[vancom]

We are cruising out of San Juan in October 2005. We plan on arriving night before cruise leaves, and staying day after cruise arrives back at port to avoid the airport crowds.

 

Any suggestions for an affordable hotel within a reasonable taxi ride of the pier area? Wanted to stay at Coral Princess but seems they are booked already for the night before our cruise and probably the night after. We have been to San Juan on vacation before and we are not interested in siteseeing--just a safe, clean place to lay our heads pre and post cruise.

 

Any suggestions? Trying to stay within $100-125 per night. TIA.

 

Vanessa

[plyman69]

HAHAHAHAHAHA

 

just kidding...

 

Try priceline.. you will find something decent.. i know i got the wyndham for like$75 before.

 

Tom

[yarcraftman]

Good luck with that rate unless you book thru hotwire/priceline and gamble where to go. San Juan is really dumpy and is really overpriced. I am trying the Radisson this year for $175 per night. I stayed the Marriot last year and its a real dump for $235 per night. Good luck.

[Sea Island Lady]

We booked our room on Priceline for $75 a night. Nice, large clean room and huge bath. Beautiful grounds! A very short ride to the pier.

 

http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=SJNHITW

[raerae]

We're staying at the Holiday Inn Express next Saturday night (the 27th) for $96. I'll let you know when we return how it was.

 

Cindy ;)

[lschrage]

I just booked via Priceline and won the Radisson Ambassador for $75/night. It's not the Caribe Hilton, but it will do. That was the cheapest I could find for the beginning of December. I still can't believe how much hotel rooms are there.

[chrismxn]

I'm staying at the Comfort Inn San Juan for $98 an night in January. Loke you I just wanted something cheap for the night before the cruise.

[vancom]

I know that San Juan is sooo expensive which is why I'd rather not have to stay there, but the stress of flying in and out (and connecting through dreaded delay-prone Atlanta) makes it a must for us.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions--it looks like I may have to use Priceline closer in time to our trip--or does it permit bids on room reservations this far in advance? Do I find out what hotel I am "gambling" on before I bid? I used Priceline once several years ago for a flight and cannot remember how it worked!

 

raerae--thanks for offering to let us know how your room is--have a great trip!

 

sea island lady--I'm in Nashville--where are you in TN?

[Sea Island Lady]

Johnson City

 

Go ahead and try Priceline now. You can always try it later. The Caribe will not accept a bid lower than $75.

[howard6933]

Since your cruise isn't until Oct 2005, it seems to me that this is a

bit early to book a hotel. Also, (I may be mistaken about this) october

is not the high season in PR and you could probably do a lot better

waiting awhile to book. Priceline may also be a good way to go, but

go to http://www.biddingfortravel.com and see what is doing there. Your idea

of going a day early and staying a day after is very sensible. The

San Juan airport is murder on normal days........on cruise days it's a

veritable zoo. We were in SJ for a cruise in Oct 2003 and got the

Wyndham Condado Plaza for $65 through Priceline. If you're a

gambler, give it a shot.;)

[megr1125]

i agree about the SJU airport, but we were in and out on different days than cruise days....the hampton inn looked decent...didn't stay there but they were nice enough to let me do a load of laundry pre-cruise. the place looked clean and the rooms i peeked into looked comfy.

[Jeepers385]

We signed up w/Wyndham with their Wyndham By Request (WBR) and get email specials from them and once in awhile they send out a 72 hour sale w/really good rates. Last February we booked on a 72 hr sale and got 3 nights at the Wyndham Condado for $99/night. Might be worth signing up. You also get some little perks w/the WBR like early check in and late check out. We really liked the Condado area and hotel.

 

Debbie

[howard6933]

I agree with you Debbie about the Condado Area. Some people say that it's kind of run down and perhaps it is. But we enjoyed our stay at the

Condado Plaza and what was nice was that restaurants are close by and

we went to Tony Roma's right in the hotel. We also went to the Los

Plazas de America (is that spelling right?) the HUGE shopping mall

which was only a short taxi ride away. And Old San Juan isn't too far

either, so we thought it was a good place to stay. I'd reccomend the

Condado Plaza to anybody.:)

[raerae]

I too joined the Wyndham by Request. I have to say I waited for the 72 hour sale and as it got closer to the cruise we went ahead and booked the Holiday Inn since no sale was announced. The $96.00 rate had a no cancellation clause. I booked in late September. Just a few weeks ago the Wyndham had a sale and I couldn't justify losing the $96. and paying for the Wyndham. Since you have so much time till your cruise I agree with joining WBR and watching for the sales. Good luck!

 

Cindy ;)

[lmmn]

October is low season, so you should be able to get a very nice hotel at a great price on Priceline. I would book a cancellable....like the Comfort Inn, then try to get a nicer hotel though Priceline for the same price or less. It's seems to be tougher to get the great deals through Priceline recently. In San Juan you may need to be patient, as they seem to open up inventory only a week or two prior to date of stay.

[vancom]

I looked at the bidding for travel website and felt a little overwhelmed. Some of the comments from the owner made him/her sound a little like Seinfeld's "soup nazi" only a travel nazi instead! Not sure I am up to all that.

 

I signed up for Wyndam's WBR program--sounds like a good deal since I have so much time before next October anyway. <sigh>

 

Now, I need to get crackin' on the research for the Alaska cruise we intend to book for June 2006 while we are on board AOS in October 2005!

 

Anyone want to comment on the Alaska itinerary--best ship, whether better north or south or the glacier route??

 

Vanessa

[Jeepers385]

Vanessa, which date are you sailing? I'm going to be booking the 10/2 sailing and will be staying either 1 or 2 days before sailing and 1 after. I'll definitely be looking at the Wyndham Condado or Old San Juan.

 

Debbie

[vancom]

<<Vanessa, which date are you sailing? I'm going to be booking the 10/2 sailing and will be staying either 1 or 2 days before sailing and 1 after. I'll definitely be looking at the Wyndham Condado or Old San Juan>>

 

We are cruising October 9...

 

Vanessa