Alma San Juan

The plunge pool was a bit too cold for me, even in the hot sun, so some temperature control would have been nice. That’s a small thing, though, and I still enjoyed the experience. The rooftop pool has a fantastic 180 degree view of Old San Juan and the Castillo. We stayed one night after the SanSe celebration, and the staff were kind and welcoming even after the season’s biggest rush. Our double Queen room was immaculately clean and well ventilated, with Molton Brown toiletries. After a quick walk through OSJ, we returned to find guava cookies and water waiting on the nightstand/bed. Krystal and Claudio helped us check out and looked after our bags while we enjoyed our last bit of San Juan before heading to the airport. Krystal even helped with my friend’s bags when an Uber got rerouted around the small road in front of the hotel and my friend had to run outside. The attached cafe has a nice selection of breakfast pastries and coffee. The hotel really pays attention to the details and hospitality.

The hot water was the one real problem during our otherwise good stay. Even with the shower turned all the way hot, it often took 15-20 minutes to warm up, and on some days it stayed lukewarm. We reported it to the front desk, and they sent maintenance, but nothing changed. For the cost, that was pretty frustrating and took away from the experience. The room was clean, housekeeping was fantastic, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The location is great, and everything else was what you’d expect. We stayed at Alma San Juan Hotel in Old San Juan.

Review as of 5/25/27 Room 511 has no windows at all. I felt shut away in solitary confinement the whole time. If you book, avoid that room. The room was tiny, with barely enough floor space for two suitcases, and the musty humidity smell hit me right away and never cleared. The building is new and looks updated, but that doesn’t mean it’s clean. The rooftop and restaurant close early, so neither is an option late at night. This doesn’t feel like a 4-star hotel to me, maybe 3 or 3.5 on a generous day. The advertised rating doesn’t match the experience.

We had a lovely balcony room overlooking iconic Plaza Colon, and it was an easy walk to the Old San Juan sights and restaurants. Dinner at the rooftop Mar y Rosa was excellent, both the food and service. They were wonderfully accommodating about my many food allergies. We hope to come back soon and enjoy those incredible views from the rooftop plunge pool again.