The Condado Plaza Hotel

The ocean view is the one redeeming part of this hotel, if you happen to get one of the overpriced rooms facing the water. At $300-$400 a night, the condition of our room didn’t come close to matching the price or Hilton standards. We expected much better from a Hilton property. We arrived at 6 PM, an hour after check-in began, but the room we’d chosen in the Hilton app still wasn’t ready. Lilliana at the front desk seemed dismissive and unconcerned. We eventually got a room on a lower floor, but the whole exchange made us feel like a bother for asking about our reservation. We’re Diamond members of Hilton Honors and travel often, so we know things can go wrong. Poor service on top of a poorly maintained room was harder to accept. There were stains and wear on the carpet, scuffed and damaged walls, cracked ceiling drywall, and visible damage by the desk. The bathroom mirror was badly mounted, with adhesive showing, and cables under the desk were loose and exposed. The curtains by the balcony were dirty or stained. If you need help at the front desk, you may feel more like a nuisance than a guest.

The DJ was great, and the beso boriqua was my favorite drink! The hotel’s in a fantastic location, and service was decent during the six days I stayed with a friend over winter break. They did close the pool during peak hours on two days, though there was also a beach, another pool, and a hot tub. The elevators were odd: the floor light didn’t show, and they went up and down a lot, but eventually we got where we needed to go.

The views from the ocean view rooms are phenomenal, and they’re very quiet. The staff were friendly and hardworking, and made our stay very nice. It’s clean and safe, though it could use some general maintenance and sprucing up. A lot of reviews seem extreme in either direction, but to me this is a decent older hotel. The pool setup is great: one big activity pool with a swim-up bar and DJ, plus a smaller, quiet saltwater pool. The chairs at the saltwater pool are older and need repairs, while the ones by the activity pool are nice. As other reviews mention, one elevator is out, but you can take the staff elevator or the one by the laundry.

If you’re traveling with kids, the pools and little beach may make this a good option. The beach is tiny, but sits in a cove where you can swim safely. The area is touristy, though it’s easy to get to old san juan by Uber. Our room was clean, but old and in need of an upgrade. I’m not a snob, but at this price I expected it to be better maintained. Most of the staff were lovely. The gift shop prices are ridiculous: a large bottle of water costs $9, while a 10-minute walk gets you a larger bottle of fancy water for $3.50. The food is expensive too, though that seems to be true everywhere.