Ignite FB Tracking PixelI live in Puerto Rico and have stayed in San Juan's most beautiful hotels. Here are my top 10, from beachfront resorts to quirky inns. - Ricky Díaz

I live in Puerto Rico and have stayed in San Juan's most beautiful hotels. Here are my top 10, from beachfront resorts to quirky inns.

by Ricky Díaz 08/31/2022

San Juan Puerto Rico travel guide The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel in San Juan, P.R., on August 18, 2022. For the San Juan travel guide. (Erika P. Rodriguez for Insider)

The Condado Vanderbilt Hotel has a spacious terrace steps from the beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 
Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider
  • I'm a Puerto Rico local who plans staycations to the island's capital whenever I find a good deal.
  • Here are the 10 best places where I recommend staying during your trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

I wouldn't describe San Juan as a budget-friendly city: A room at a hostel can run you over $100 a night in peak season, and you won't find all-inclusive beachfront properties like you would in the Dominican Republic or in Jamaica. That said, you'll be hard-pressed to find more variety when it comes to lodging, from massive hotels by the world's biggest brands to quirky inns owned by charismatic hoteliers.

As a resident of Puerto Rico living in the Humacao area — about an hour's drive from the capital — I plan staycations in San Juan whenever I find a good deal; usually on weekdays or during hurricane season. I often use a local site called Gustazos that's comparable to Groupon and offers hotel packages at a discounted rate.

Peak hotel season is December through April, and I recommend coming on the earlier end to avoid spring-break crowds. These are my top picks on where to stay in the San Juan metro area.

La Concha Resort

San Juan Puerto Rico travel guide La Concha Resort Marena, adults only pool, at La Concha Resort in San Juan, P.R., on August 16, 2022. For the San Juan travel guide. (Erika P. Rodriguez for Insider)
The adults only pool at La Concha Resort in San Juan. 
Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider

Visitors might instantly recognize La Concha Resort, located right on Condado Beach, from its iconic seashell structure. Named "Perla," meaning "pearl," it's a stunning architectural structure that served as a wedding venue during the pandemic and will soon return to being a restaurant.

The hotel is a Marriott Bonvoy property and has three pools on-site, including an adults-only pool. There's also a lively bar in the lobby with a casino attached for those seeking a vibrant nightlife. I recommend opting for an ocean-view room — leave your balcony door ajar and sleep to the sound of lapping waves.

Book La Concha Resort

 

Caribe Hilton

The Caribe Hilton hotel San Juan Puerto Rico travel guide
A bathroom suite with an oceanfront view at The Caribe Hilton. 
Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider

The Caribe Hilton is one of two places that claim to have invented the piña colada, the other being Barrachina, a restaurant in Old San Juan. The only way to know for sure is to taste both for yourself.

While you have a drink in hand, head to the Caribe Hilton's secluded, buoy-enclosed stretch of beach, complete with cabana rentals and a floating platform. The hotel offers a variety of brightly lit rooms and suites, many with balconies and ocean views, and it's easy to book a room here with Hilton Honors points.

Book the Caribe Hilton

 

O:LV Fifty Five

San Juan Puerto Rico travel guide O:LV Fifty Five hotel in San Juan, P.R., Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider
The rooftop at O:LV Fifty Five hotel in San Juan. 
Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider

Located in Condado and overlooking the lagoon, the O:LV Fifty Five is a luxury, modern hotel with one of the most Instagrammable rooftops in the city. It has a two-tiered pool and jacuzzi, and the guest rooms feature sleek marble bathrooms with rain showers.

As an adults-only property, they offer customized experiences from romantic dinners in private suites to floating champagne decks on the lagoon. Dining options include ARYA, a posh eatery and bar with a Rolls Royce transformed into a DJ Booth, and Raya, a Caribbean-Asian restaurant with a menu that Mario Pagán, a renowned local chef, personally customized. Reservations are a must.

Book O:LV Fifty Five

 

CasaBlanca Hotel

Located on Calle Fortaleza in Old San Juan, CasaBlanca Hotel is in the center of the action. You won't need to rent a car if you choose to stay here because of the area's small size and the hotel's central location.

It has Moroccan-inspired decor, with suites featuring tall ceilings, spacious showers, and restored antique furniture. They have hot tubs on the roof overlooking the city and a panoramic elevator, a modification that was no small feat in an old historical building.

Book the CasaBlanca Hotel

 

DREAMCATCHER by DW

San Juan Puerto Rico travel guide The DREAMCATCHER by DW hotel in San Juan Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider
The DREAMCATCHER by DW offers vegan dining options and on-site perks like yoga class. 
Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider

Adorned with dreamcatchers throughout, this award-winning hotel has strong Bohemian vibes. Located a block away from the ocean and enmeshed in lush greenery, the DREAMCATCHER by DW is a tranquil oasis in the middle of a busy city. They have yoga on the beach or under the stars, and select rooms have outdoor showers.

As a vegan hotel, they serve plant-based breakfast and brunch with organic and locally sourced ingredients. They also have a communal pescetarian kitchen and a fridge in every room for those who want to prepare their own meals.

 

Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino

Located in Distrito T-Mobile, San Juan's newest dining-and-entertainment complex, this Marriott Bonvoy hotel is a convenient accommodation for visitors attending conferences and events. It's adjacent to the convention center and has a pool overlooking Distrito T-Mobile and the Coca-Cola Music Hall, where the New Year's Rockin' Eve ball drop occurs.

Featuring renovated rooms, live entertainment at The District Lounge & Sushi Bar on the first floor, and a casino, it's a great spot for happy hour or post-event mingling. 

Book the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino

 

Condado Vanderbilt

San Juan Puerto Rico travel guide Condado Vanderbilt Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider
Oceanfront lounge chairs at the Condado Vanderbilt hotel. 
Erika P. Rodríguez for Insider

A celebrity favorite, the Condado Vanderbilt is a five-star, high-end hotel that's been a staple in San Juan for over 100 years. It's located on the oceanfront and has stylish suites with luxurious touches, from personal ice-maker machines to 300-thread count sheets.

The hotel is home to 1919, an exclusive restaurant by Juan José Cuevas, a Michelin-starred chef, that's one of Puerto Rico's most coveted fine-dining experiences — it requires you to be in formal wear. They also have a more casual Mexican eatery called Tacos & Tequila, launched in partnership with Tequila Patrón.

Book the Condado Vanderbilt

 

Fairmont El San Juan Hotel

Located just minutes from SJU, the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel is on Isla Verde Beach. They offer luxury-cabana rentals, activities like group paddleboard-fitness classes, and a spa called Well & Being with CBD treatments and sound therapy. This is where you'll find Club Brava, one of the most popular nightclubs on the island.

Brava hosts an annual Halloween bash with so many costumed partygoers in line that the bigger party often ends up in the hotel lobby. If you're there on a weekend, have a drink at Chico Cabaret, the hotel's speakeasy that often features live entertainment, music, and dancers.

Book the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel

 

Hotel Palacio Provincial

Hotel Palacio Provincial San Juan Puerto Rico travel guide, courtesy of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’
The rooftop pool at San Juan's Hotel Palacio Provincial. 
Preferred Hotels & Resorts

Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the same hotel group that runs El Convento, a convent-turned-famously-romantic hotel in Old San Juan, opened the adults-only Hotel Palacio Provincial around the corner in January 2021. Featuring Juliette balconies, courtyards, and a glass-enclosed library, this hotel blends old-world charm with modern sophistication.

The rooms feature intriguing architectural details like wooden beams, and there's a rooftop pool. As the first new hotel to open in Old San Juan in decades, it marks a new, upward direction for travel and tourism on the island.

 

About the Author
Author

Ricky Díaz

Aventura, Florida and Dorado, Puerto Rico

Hollywood Real Estate Investments LLC founded in Florida in 2004.

Commercial real estate broker in New York City for 6 years.

Financial Advisor - 15 years (1989 - 2004) Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney.

Education- BA- University of Georgia -MBA- Inter- American University of Puerto Rico-Metropolitan Campus.  

Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.

Florida Broker Lic. # 3052738 & Puerto Rico Broker Lic # C-22707 

*Fully Bilingual - Spanish/English*

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