Frommer's Review
This hotel is no longer the dazzler it once was. The Ritz-Carlton has taken the truly elite business, and The Water Club is even more sophisticated. Nonetheless, El San Juan Hotel is still a good choice for (well-to-do) families, with lots of activities for children. The beachfront hotel is surrounded by 350 palms, century-old banyans, and gardens. Its 700-yard (640m) long sandy beach is the finest in the San Juan area. The hotel's river pool, with currents, cascades, and lagoons, evokes a jungle stream, and the lobby is the most opulent and memorable in the Caribbean. Entirely sheathed in red marble and hand-carved mahogany paneling, the public rooms stretch on almost endlessly.
The large, well-decorated rooms have intriguing touches of high-tech; each contains three phones and a VCR. Bedrooms are imbued with honey-hued woods and rattans and king-size or double beds. Bathrooms have all the amenities and tub-and-shower combos; a few feature Jacuzzis. About 150 of the units, designed as comfortable bungalows, are in the outer reaches of the garden. Known as casitas, they include Roman tubs, atrium showers, and access to the fern-lined paths of a tropical jungle a few steps away. A 17-story, $60 million wing with 120 suites, all oceanfront, was completed in 1998. The ultra-luxury tower features 103 one- or two-bedroom units, 8 garden suites, 5 governor's suites, and 4 presidential suites.
No other hotel in the Caribbean offers such a rich diversity of dining options and such high-quality food. Japanese, Italian, Mexican, and 24-hour American/Caribbean restaurants are just a few of the options. See chapter 5 for reviews of The Palm , La Piccola Fontana , Yamato , and The Ranch .
Note: In recent years, readers have occasionally complained about maintenance in some of the bedrooms. If possible, ask to see your room before you check in.
Facilities: 8 restaurants; 15 bars; 2 outdoor pools; tennis court; health club; spa; sauna and steam room; business center; watersports equipment/rentals; children's programs; 24-hr. room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; rooms for those w/limited mobility; casino.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
