san juan pre cruise/ best hotel beach?

[brockmom]

Hello...will be staying 2 nights pre cruise in San Juan. All we wish is to pick a hotel on a nice beach....be near affordable restaurants...and near stores to pick up last minute cruise items. Any suggestions??/ I have been looking at the Marriott Resort and Stellaris and Intercontinenal San Juan. Would either of these fit the bill??/ Or any other suggestions??/

thanks very much

Brockmom

[Bholling]

Hey Brockmom -

 

I have heard good things about the Courtyard by Marriott in San Juan and there are also several others with good feedback. I would check out the Ports of Call section of this site for more details...

 

Happy Cruising!

[tiffnco]

The InterCon is located in Isla Verde, which is very close to the airport and within walking distance of plenty of shops. It's about 20 minutes from Old Town...which is where the pier is located. Now, the beach isn't the best...but it's not awful. They get a lot of traffic (beach is public) and has sea grass. They do have a great pool area too. Rooms are comfortable and service levels are nice.

 

I can't speak to the Marriott though.

 

Next door to the InterCon is the El San Juan...which is THE place to go at night. A lot of the locals go to dance - very lively and fun. The room product is much more contemporary - but the views are mostly of dirty roof tops.

 

For really nice beaches, you'd have to venture further out.

 

You can also check out the Ritz which is also in Isla Verde.

 

Hope this helps!

[rothjer]

El Convento in Old San Juan, not on the beach but is rated #1 my trip advisor in all Puerto Rico. It also a "leading small hotel of the world". Beautiful hotel to stay in, right in the middle of the safest and most international area of San Juan. Lots of nice restaurants, beautiful old european city charm. Although not a beach resort, like others in San Juan are. I would suggest Mariott Stellaris on Condado Beach if you want a beach resort although in terms of the hotel aside from beachside location, pales in comparison to El Convento.

[montrealerinnyc]

Unfortunately beach and cruise ship piers in San Juan are not convenient. Beaches are most accessible in Condado (the Marriott) and Isla Verde (Intercontinental). Condado is closer to Old San Juan (where the piers are), and although it has been a little seedy in years past, it is coming back into fashion. This area is full of stores and restaurants, including major U.S. chain drugstores, and is very easy to navigate. The beach is not that nice. The main drag is busy and noisy, and can keep light sleepers up at night if your room faces that way.

 

Isla Verde is right by the airport, so it's very convenient when arriving by air, and about 20-30 minutes by cab from the port when traffic is clear. This is where San Juan's most expensive hotels are (Ritz-Carlton, El San Juan, Interc.) and has a much nicer beach than Condado. There are shops here but less accessible on foot, and it is not a good neighborhood for last-minute shopping. But the Intercontinental is a beautiful hotel, and the El San Juan next door is one of the most hopping properties on the island, with the local beautiful people coming and going all night on weekends.

 

So it's really about your priorities - more luxurious stay and properties, nicer beach, less to do outside the hotels/casinos - Isla Verde. More shops and street activity, closer to tourist San Juan and the piers, and less of a focus on beach - Condado.

 

I would say you can't lose with either, so go by price and room type. An ocean view at any hotel is WAY nicer than a room facing the street. But be aware of two things about San Juan: 1) the beaches are on the open Atlantic and are exposed to the surf, with occasionally major breakers. Don't expect the postcard beaches and clear lagoon-type waters of some of the islands. 2) San Juan has horrendous rush hour traffic and all tourist zones are strung out from west to east in a line, so there are no shortcuts. If you have a deadline, particularly your ship's embarkation, and you are traveling near rush hours on weekdays, budget at least an hour to cross town from Isla Verde.

 

Good luck and enjoy yourselves!

[brockmom]

well lots to think about. Thank you to all....I will have to go back and re read all the suggestions. First- we have been here before several times and did the tourist stuff...enjoyed it very much...but really we want to chill at our hotel and just laze on the beach and de- stress before the cruise..if you know what I mean. If the hotel has a bit of entertainment in the evening..then wonderful.

For the restaurants- I just don't want to be stuck out in the middle of no where taxis are needed for every single thing. We stayed at the Condado last visit- had a ball...but see they changed the name/ owners and not sure what we would get this time. As well...the maids did not clean the bathroom very well...which was an issue the day we arrived. So somewhere clean near a shop or two..with a couple of restaurants...even a Starbucks for breakfast...is what we need...and of course a decent beach...and we will be all set. Thanks again everybody. Brockmom

[vagabonder1]

we stayed at the Millenium Hilton and would go back! Had a nice (small) beach area and huge pool area... along with a swim up bar. Restaurants at the hotel and free transportation from the airport and to the pier.

[kitkat9438]

well lots to think about. Thank you to all....I will have to go back and re read all the suggestions. First- we have been here before several times and did the tourist stuff...enjoyed it very much...but really we want to chill at our hotel and just laze on the beach and de- stress before the cruise..if you know what I mean. If the hotel has a bit of entertainment in the evening..then wonderful.

For the restaurants- I just don't want to be stuck out in the middle of no where taxis are needed for every single thing. We stayed at the Condado last visit- had a ball...but see they changed the name/ owners and not sure what we would get this time. As well...the maids did not clean the bathroom very well...which was an issue the day we arrived. So somewhere clean near a shop or two..with a couple of restaurants...even a Starbucks for breakfast...is what we need...and of course a decent beach...and we will be all set. Thanks again everybody. Brockmom

 

We have stayed at the Marriott Stellaris and the La Concha, both Marriott resorts and loved them both. I would probably say the LaConch was our favorite because the rooms are so huge and the bathrooms are really large also. Both hotels are within walking distance of a lot of great restaurants for breakfast and dinner and there's definitely a Starbucks nearby. There's also a Walgreens close by to get last minute items and water and also a liquor store, all within walking distance. The pools are great at both and they also have great beaches. We ate breakfast at LaHacienda and it was really good. We got both of these on priceline for around $95/night. You just have to bid San Juan, Resorts. You will probably get either the Marriott, Intercontinental or Hilton. Those hotels win the most bids. To get the LaConcha I bid San Juan, 4 stars. It's the only 4 star in the San Juan zone. Good luck!

[RVfromAZ]

We stayed at the Marriot Courtyard in Isla Verde, it is right on the beach, and was reasonably priced, very nice, would go back there in a hearbeat!

[ANNIEGOLFCAR]

We stayed at the Marriott Stellaris (won it on priceline.com for like $115 per night). It was only about 10 minutes from airport and about 10 minutes from the ship (Royal Caribbean Serenade). WE LOVED IT ALL! Laid on beach Friday & walked around Saturday before we left for the ship. Starbucks is directly across the street and Walgreens is just a block from there. Shopping is about 1/4 mile down same road (we discovered next day while exploring). We loved it so much we will stay there again this DEC when we go on the Summit.

[cherylroslyn]

we stayed at the Millenium Hilton and would go back! Had a nice (small) beach area and huge pool area... along with a swim up bar. Restaurants at the hotel and free transportation from the airport and to the pier.

Was that Caribe Hilton? I can't find Millenium Hilton in San Juan.

[cherylroslyn]

We have stayed at the Marriott Stellaris and the La Concha, both Marriott resorts and loved them both. I would probably say the LaConch was our favorite because the rooms are so huge and the bathrooms are really large also. Both hotels are within walking distance of a lot of great restaurants for breakfast and dinner and there's definitely a Starbucks nearby. There's also a Walgreens close by to get last minute items and water and also a liquor store, all within walking distance. The pools are great at both and they also have great beaches. We ate breakfast at LaHacienda and it was really good. We got both of these on priceline for around $95/night. You just have to bid San Juan, Resorts. You will probably get either the Marriott, Intercontinental or Hilton. Those hotels win the most bids. To get the LaConcha I bid San Juan, 4 stars. It's the only 4 star in the San Juan zone. Good luck!

So Kathy San Juan is the area I would pick to name my own price and then put resorts instead of stars? And San Juan section is near airport and cruise port terminal? I'm probably going to book repositioning/carribean on Summit next April from San juan to Cape Liberty. It is too early to book but I want to write this stuff down....

[Tapi]

We spent our wedding night at the Intercontinental before sailing the following day.

 

It's a nice resort style hotel. Pool area is landscaped and very enjoyable. It's located on a wide stretch of beach. It's convenient if you're flying in late (like we did). Literally a 5 minute cab ride from the airport to the hotel.

 

I've never stayed at the Marriott, but I have attended a wedding there. The property seems to be a bit better kept than the Intercontinental, and you'll be closer to the cruise ship port when it's time to go there. The beach here is comparable to the one where the Intercontinental is.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with either one. Both are in similarly busy parts of San Juan, right on the beach, and with restaurants and convenience stores just steps away.

[highgrovers]

We stayed at the Intercontinental Isle verde I hated it thought it was shabby room smelt mangy and was totally over priced,The AC kept me awake most of the night , we were with a friend who was also staying there when she checked out she had been charged for things that she hadn't had and when she asked about it at the front desk they were very very rude to her , I would never stay there again heard good things about El San Juan.

[Podie]

Both the Caribe Hilton and Marriott Stellaris are very nice properties on the beach. My sister lives in San Juan and likes the Hilton a lot more than the Marriott.

[drakes2]

We stayed at the San Juan Marriott Stellaris Resort in 2008 prior to a cruise and enjoyed it. The room was clean and spacious. The beach area could have used some clean up but we didn't hang around there too long. Pool area is nice, bar service was slow and very pricey. $10 for a watered down Mohito and $4.00 for DH's diet coke which was pretty much all ice. There is a Walgreen's across the street for last minute items, also Starbucks across the street and a great Argentinian steakhouse called Ummo's about a block or two down the road. There is also a bus just outside the hotel which will take you in to Old San Juan for under $1.00 pp.

Both the Caribe Hilton and Marriott Stellaris are very nice properties on the beach. My sister lives in San Juan and likes the Hilton a lot more than the Marriott.

[brockmom]

terrific information!! thanks so much. I think if we narrow it down to the top 3 mentioned...we will be just fine. Appreciated all your great comments. Thanks! Brockmom