Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort

The beach and ocean at isla verde were beautiful, and the location is great. Everything else made this the worst hotel I’ve stayed in, and I’ve been to a lot of places. We were there as a family for seven days, and every day we heard people by the pool raising the same complaints. The rooms are a gamble. Some are fine, while others have broken air conditioning, mold, or doors that won’t close. If you end up in one of the bad rooms, getting anything fixed seems unlikely. The restaurant and pool staff were rude and dismissive, which I guess comes with the daily resort fee. Dinner took two hours, and our drinks arrived after we’d finished eating. Getting the late drinks taken off the bill was a hassle. The food was below average, too. Half the hotel was still under construction. I’ve seen the four and five star reviews and honestly can’t believe them. I suspect they’re fake, and I’m upset that Google or whoever doesn’t validate them. In my experience, this is a definite one or two star hotel.

We only spent one night here before renting a car and driving to Rincon, but the clean, upgraded room and comfortable beds were a welcome rest after our flight. The lobby still had some construction while they finished a beautiful renovation, so anyone staying after Dec 2025 should see the finished result. It’s an easy Uber ride from San Juan Airport (SJU), and this was probably the prettiest Courtyard we’ve stayed in, even after plenty of stays for our athletic kids’ weekend tournaments. Breakfast was decent, served in a lovely covered patio by the beach. If we come back to explore San Juan, I’d consider it as an easy, budget-friendly choice, especially if beach access matters.

The staff are really, really nice, and Sirena restaurant is fantastic. Definitely recommend it. The beach is awesome, the pool is great, and you don’t have to get up at 6 a.m. to save seats. Promise. The resort bikes are good too, so use them! The place is right on the beach and very close to the airport, but the building itself is really old. They’re renovating the lobby and restaurant, which is great. We heard they recently took the mini kitchens out of the suites. That felt like a downgrade, since we would have appreciated having one. A few things were annoying: the frosted sliding bathroom door had old drywall mud and paint on it, and the other bathroom door wouldn’t close. The drip coffee maker uses fabric pucks and is awful. Other guests’ use seems to have delaminated the countertop, too. Why not have a Nespresso machine with pods? The TV and welcome screen list Netflix, Prime, and YouTube, but none of the streaming services are available. The welcome brochure is a little misleading about non-motorized water sports being included, since there aren’t any available.

The beach area was well groomed, and the pools and hot tubs were very well maintained. The beach chair crew were ready every morning to set things up. We had a fantastic trip to Puerto Rico and will definitely come back. We had a great time at this Marriott, starting with Diego at check-in and ending with Fernando poolside. Fernando and Pedro at the poolside bar brought great energy and high vibes. John at the cabana/outside bar was excellent, and Gabriel at the inside bar was another gem. Thanks for the amazing memories!