Condado Palm Inn San Juan, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

Francisco was great at check-in and let us leave our bags after checkout so we could see the city before our flight. The service was excellent. The location is fantastic too, just a minute's walk from the best beach, with a Walgreens across the street and a great cafe in the hotel.

The restaurants attached to the hotel were excellent. I'd happily eat at Rope Vieja Grill every night, and the dessert we had at Chocobar Cortes was amazing. The staff were also friendly and helpful, and you're only a few blocks from the beach. Still, the nonstop street noise in the early hours of Saturday night and Sunday morning made our stay unpleasant. I wouldn't come back. It could suit someone looking for nightlife, but there's no peace and quiet here.

The room had a working safe, and housekeeping reliably brought fresh towels. Those were about the only bright spots. I paid nearly $500 a night for four nights, February 12-16, at Condado Palm Inn by Hilton. I've had good stays at Hilton properties in Kyoto, Munich, and Prague, so this one was especially disappointing. The soundproofing was awful. We could clearly hear loud moaning and intimate activity from the next room. I called the front desk, but nothing changed and it kept going. Construction on our floor started around 8 each morning, with banging, drilling, and yelling. No one warned us about the renovations or offered compensation. The bathroom was in bad shape, with cracked and broken tiles, a loose faucet, buildup around the edges, and very weak water pressure. The shower temperature kept changing, and once the water went completely cold for several minutes even though I had it set to maximum warmth. A hairdryer was listed in the room, but there wasn't one. After I asked, they said it would come “right away.” I waited 20 minutes, called again, and it arrived about 10 minutes later. Just two elevators serve all 18 floors, and staff share them. They were loud and often dirty, and staff didn't give guests priority. The lobby by the elevators regularly smelled like vomit. The main driveway also serves as a loading dock, which often made getting a taxi awkward. I have photos of several maintenance problems. This stay fell far short of what I expect from a Hilton-branded hotel.

I've traveled for 30 years and never written a review before, but this place was that bad. Check-in was at 4, and the room wasn't ready for over an hour. Fine. I showed my reservation but they wouldn't give me the room I'd booked. Fine. Once I finally got in, it was dirty, with stained sheets and pillowcases, no hand soap or face towels, and no trash can. The phone didn't work, so I had to go downstairs to contact the desk. I tried to stay positive and enjoy the warm weather. Then at night I found the shower body wash was empty. They never refilled it during our stay, despite several requests. The walls were paper-thin, so we heard everything in the hall and street, even from the top floor. The next morning, there was a clear mix-up on their end about the hours for the continental breakfast included with my stay. Who shuts breakfast at 8:00 am for people on vacation? After the terrible first night, I finally asked the desk to do something for my daughter and me. Instead of offering a coffee, juice, and two muffins, Emmanuel at the front desk said he and his team don't make mistakes and blamed me. The place is expensive, loud, beat up, and dirty. In his reply, he still says they don't make mistakes. Stay somewhere else.