Review: Sheraton San Juan Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino

@ Ben -- "how much you value a modern hotel vs. having to take a taxi a few times a day". I find this to be a much bigger issue in San Juan than other places, because the taxis there suck. And, the buses, well, good luck getting one without waiting an hour. San Juan could really use uber...

@ Gene -- EXACTLY. Other places I'd gladly take a 10 minute taxi ride, but in San Juan they do suck so much that I'd rather choose an inferior hotel if it means I can walk...

I stayed here a couple weeks ago and booked my reservation through priceline for $100. When I asked about an upgrade they said no but thanks to my Diamond status with Delta they put me in the King Superior Room anyway. Like you said, I found the pool to be a little below average and the hotel far away from everything but I definitely didn't have any qualms with the quality of the room for the price.

What is the issue with San Juan taxis? I will be staying at the Sheraton Old Town in December, and had visited it once earlier in this year. But, I never had to take a taxi so I don't quite get that reference about taxis being a pain.

@ Cory -- They basically have a taxi mafia. There's no meter and the price is basically whatever they want it to be. All taxis seem to be eight passenger vans, so don't be surprised if they take along other passengers as well and make stops. It's kind of like Super Shuttle, minus the predictable pricing.

We almost always use this hotel as a base when in San Juan for the very reason that it's away from OSJ, unless that's all you want to see I think this is a better location provided you have a car as 2 highways are within 2 blocks of the hotel to take you almost any direction you want to go on the island. There's street parking nearby and some good restaurants just 2-3 min. drive away. We also always have a rental car because the taxi system is a disaster.

It doesn't really seem as though "we're oversold and going to have to walk people" is a reason for upgrades to be unavailable. Were they oversold in the suite category? If not, it would seem all the more reason why they'd need to fill all the suites with Plats so they would have enough regular rooms for everybody else.

Thanks for the review! We will be staying at this hotel for one night next May. Conveniently there is a car rental facility at the hotel which we will be using since we can pick up from the hotel and drop off at the SJU airport to save $20 taxi fee.

@lucky Did you walk to the taxi booth at SJU? I live here, so I rarely take a taxi- but last month I had to. I walked to the taxi booth, told them where I was going, and they gave a paper with the taxi fares to different places (looks like it's online at http://www.cabspr.com/). It was late, and I was the only one in one of those big shuttle taxis.

Public transportation around here is almost non existent unfortunately, so you'll need a car (or several taxi rides) if you want to do something and are outside the Old San Juan/Condado area.

Let me know if you need a translator next time you are around! 🙂

You were so Lucky to get the best room attendant in Puerto Rico.

As a current cruise ship nerd, I've been on the two ship in the forefront of your pics. (Jewel of the Seas and Celebrity Summit) Reviews/pics to follow. 😉

Best practice in San Juan is to negotiate your taxi rate up front.

Quite a comprehensive review. Thanks!

I agree with what Peter said. We asked the hotel we stayed at about taking taxis and they always said ask what the rate is before you get in and for a couple of our destinations they gave us an amount that it should be so we knew what to expect. They are expensive for what you get though.

Do not even attempt to take the bus. They are actually fairly nice buses but never on schedule and it's difficult to find route information. We got lucky the first time we waited for the bus and every time we tried after that we gave up waiting and took a taxi.

Interesting, Ben. I have generally found that hotels in San Juan are sub-par, and am constant search of a new one. I have found the loud DJ/music issue at many hotels there, too, and it is VERY annoying. I noticed it at the Conrad, and was very disappointing. What should have been a relaxing day at the beach was turned into Puerto Rico's greatest hits -- no thanks.

I've found that rental cars are super cheap in Puerto Rico, and as long as you're getting free parking, they are a better deal than the taxis, generally. I should note that I've never had an issue with the taxis in Puerto Rico, but perhaps that is because I speak Spanish. If you do rent a car, Puerto Rico's roads - and drivers - are pretty unsafe, so certainly something to watch out for. I'm interested in trying out the Starwood properties. I'll tell you that I generally have been disappointed with Hilton's properties.

Lucky,
Thanks for this review. Now, I know of a decent hotel near the cruiseport! Does this hotel offer free pickup at the airport? More importantly, does the hotel offer pickup or drop-off at cruiseport?

@ JohnB -- I don't believe they offer complimentary transport to the airport or cruiseport.

How was the service at the hotel?

Have stayed at this hotel many times since it opened and have visited PR upwards of 40 times in my life. This is a great hotel option but you need to rent a car. Rental cars are generally inexpensive and there is tons of free street parking right outside the hotel. It's nice to be (slightly) away from Condado and Isla Verde...but, still close by. Drivers in PR are a disaster so be careful. Just remember that the left lane is the slow lane. There are plenty of great restaurants in Old San Juan and it's a beautiful place. The hotel itself is nice and the staff is friendly, though for the most part incompetent. The gym looks nice in the pictures but it is small and mostly cardio-focused. There is one rack of dumbbells and two benches. If you have questions, please ask.