Puerto Rico: Hilton El San Juan (July 2009)

As other reviewers have said, the Garden Lanai rooms need some serious renovations. I had hoped the room wouldn’t be as bad as the reviews said, but it was! There was a huge iron burn in the middle or our carpet, and there were more things wrong with this room than in any other we’ve ever stayed in--not just burnt out light bulbs, not enough face cloths, and one bar of soap in a large bathroom where the shower was nowhere near the sink, but our door lock and deadbolt had to be replaced along with a light socket. What’s really sad is that the room had potential--the poolside location was excellent, along with the lanai itself, particularly if you’re a smoker since there’s nowhere else to smoke in this hotel (I heard that Puerto Rico outlawed public smoking--even outdoors--in January of 2009). The room was a good size, but dark and gloomy. It had an empty mini-fridge, which was it’s saving grace--it was VERY difficult to get any drink service poolside, so we could just pop back to our room and bring back our own (cheaper, too!). The bathroom could have been interesting, with an unusual big skylight over the sunken double shower. But it needed some serious paint, cleaning, and TLC. On our last night there, the toilet started making these ridiculous loud noises that could only be quelled by one of us getting up to flush it periodically every few hours. We weren’t about to change rooms at 1:00 am, knowing that we would be at the pool early the next morning and then checking out that afternoon.We were also told that the hotel was sold out (it was the Fourth of July weekend), so moving didn’t seem like an option anyway. Beach towel usage was restricted that weekend because of the capacity crowds, which was a little annoying. More annoying yet was the fact that some people around the pool weren’t even hotel overnight guests, but instead cruise ship passengers who paid to use the facilities for the day after disembarking from their cruise and their evening flight. So I, as a paying overnight guest, couldn’t be assured of either a lounge chair by the pool or more than one towel! That’s just not right. The public spaces of the hotel are lovely--the bars, restaurants, lobby, pool. The service in La Piccola Fontana and KOCO, as well as the Italian trattoria/pizza place in the Galleria, was excellent. It was almost as if the restaurants were run by another organization than the one providing the food and beverage service at the pool. We were not pleased with the fact that in order to participate in the lobby entertainment at night, long pants were required for men. It would be nice for guests to be told this before leaving home, so that they could pack accordingly. While my husband did have pants to wear, it was a shame that other guests could not see the evening hoopla in the lobby because they hadn’t packed appropriately. I’m all for dress codes and decorum, but guests need to know that when booking their room--otherwise, it’s not fair. They are being charged the 14% resort fee for things they can’t necessarily use. Choosing not to use the pool or the health club (which I did not see) is one’s prerogative, but being told that you had to leave your seat in the lobby at night when you’re being charged for something is another matter. The hotel is over-run with locals in the evenings who come to dance in the lobby to the live music and attend the clubs. I think this is great--most other islands don’t have local wealth to allow that--but all the good tables and seats in the lobby and club are reserved for the well-dressed and well-connected local regulars, which isn’t fair to the paying overnight guests. The beach area is fine--the water isn’t a brilliant blue like on some islands, and the beaches are public so there’s a lot of local interaction and interesting things to see. The pools are pretty, but one is reserved for the beachfront lanai rooms, although it’s not really in a private area and there’s no signage to that effect. The cool double sun “beds” with the removable canopies are quickly reserved in the mornings, along with the umbrellas and other unique seating--so get up early. But there always seemed to be chairs on the beach, so you could always seem to find a spot somewhere. It is necessary to wear a wristband at the pool and beach during the day, which I found annoying and unexpected since this wasn’t an all-inclusive property. There are three luxe cabanas at the pool which can be rented for $800 per day--they are lovely, but that’s a little pricey in my opinion, unless you can share the cost with another couple or family. Internet use was $14.95 per day, I believe, which is also steep in my opinion. Even though my husband is a Hilton Hhonors member with a long stay history, it wasn’t included as it sometimes is as Hilton properties. We did not receive any of the amenities Hhonors provides at Waldorf-Astoria properties. The hotel provided absolutely NO information regarding what was available on the property--not a list of restaurants, opening/closing times, spa information, on-site shopping info, internet usage. It was as if they did NOT want to make as much money as they could have. I’m just glad that I did extensive research before leaving home, because there was none there for the unprepared. Staff was willing to answer your questions, but you had to know what to ask.It cost us $12 to get tot the hotel on arrival, and $18 to get back on departure (less than a 10-minute drive). Taxis to/from Old San Juan were $20 each way (less than a 20-minute drive). There’s a doorman to hail taxis, but they sit at the bottom of the parking lot and you can also do so yourself. There are a few things within walking distance--the Intercontinental is literally right next door, as is a local restaurant called Lupi’s. Walgreens and the Pueblo supermarket are a short walk, and we stocked up on supplies at both of those. There’s a Chili’s (chain) restaurant right across the street, if you’re not feeling adventurous, as well as many other fast-food chains also within walking distance. The Water Club (and Tangerine restaurant) are also an easy walk, as is Metropol restaurant, and Drums sports bar. I liked the location, although it was close enough to the airport to hear the occasional planes overhead. We were only there for a short 3 nights, so we didn’t waste a lot of time getting to/from the hotel. The casino was a nice size (Caribbean-speaking, not Vegas-wise), with slots and table games (even craps). We didn’t play, but people seemed to be enjoying themselves. There is a car rental desk (I think it was Enterprise) and a tour desk off the lobby near the pool entrance. Overall, the hotel has some kinks to work out, which the manager assured us they were working on as they transition to a Hilton property. Would I stay here again? No, I would probably try the Ritz or the Intercontinental nearby, or the El Convento in Old San Juan, which had some real charm.