Hotel El Convento

The hotel felt like an oasis, and I’m glad we splurged. Our planned Airbnb was falsely advertised and a total disaster, so this place saved us. It cost more than we’d intended to spend, but we got two good nights of sleep in a beautiful, unique hotel with excellent service. After a long day walking around Old San Juan, we made use of the hot tub. The morning coffee was excellent, and the hot milk was a nice touch. Music from weddings downstairs carried on until 11:30 pm, and quiet hours start quite late. That worked for us since we didn’t have early morning plans. Our room was beside the elevator shaft, but the elevator was broken and, with the holiday weekend, nobody could fix it until the day we left. That turned out well for us. I think otherwise it would have been too loud for a light sleeper.

It’s a beautiful hotel in a great location, and it has a lot of potential. But the service was horrible and rude, which ruined it for me. We booked a sea-view room and had no sea view. When we asked, they said some rooms have one and some don’t, so there was nothing they could do. My credit card company arranged an upgrade, but the front desk first refused and denied it, then offered another room in two hours. It was already 5:30, so we didn’t want to wait until 7:30 to finally get a room. We’d also asked for early check-in; they said they’d prepare the room and let us know, but never did, even after the normal check-in time. At the pool, our requested towels never arrived. There was no TV remote in the room, and when the maintenance worker came, he entered without asking and searched around for it. We had a bottle of wine and the hostess said they could help open it. I took it downstairs, but the bartender said there’d be a $25 corking fee. When I explained what we’d been told, he stormed off to yell at the hostess, then begrudgingly opened it while lecturing me about the fee. I said I didn’t need a lecture, I just wanted to enjoy our wine. It’s sad to see such a promising hotel let down by rude staff and poor customer service.

The wine and cheese reception was a nice touch, and the hotel’s historic character is striking. It’s truly unique, with stunning public areas that feel like stepping into another era, and the location can’t be beat. We were there with kids, but staff weren’t very accommodating for them, despite the property’s association with fine hotels and resorts. Our room was small, and weddings meant we couldn’t get an upgrade. Even so, the staff couldn’t help with a basic request for a small tub for the kids in the bathroom. Breakfast service was very slow, too.

We had a lot of questions and changes to deal with during the Caribbean travel debacle after Venezuela in Jan'26, and the staff were especially considerate and helpful. Andrea and another person at the front desk were particularly good to us. The rooms were clean, quiet, and fresh, while the hotel felt charming and luxurious without losing its quaint historic character. The restaurant and bar in the inner courtyard were a great place to relax, plan, and spend time together, away from all the American tourists wandering the streets. A great spot in Old San Juan. I’d like to return.