The Gallery Inn

We had a great time at the Gallery Inn and would happily return. The ocean view and location were just what we wanted, with people strolling between San Cristobal Castle and Castillo San Felipe del Morro. There’s live music at the restaurant and a rooftop bar, plus plenty of things to look at, including four big parrots in the lobby. A fun, historic hotel.

The building has a lot of historic character, but it was in such poor condition that we were glad to leave and won’t come back. Broken stairs around the hotel felt dangerous, the bathroom was filthy and moldy, and trash sat outside the entrance for days. Our room was dirty too, with a broken bathroom and front door that made us feel unsafe. It seemed like the owner had let a place with real potential decline badly. Being old doesn’t excuse that. We’ve stayed in much older European buildings that were beautiful and well cared for, and this one should be maintained properly given its historic importance. Noise was another problem. Our room was below the rooftop bar, where pop music blared all night. Getting there was frustrating too. We called about check-in because we had a rental car and luggage, and were told to park near the “Fort,” several blocks away. We hauled everything through the streets and up stairs in 88-degree heat, only to find we could have dropped the bags by the desk. The next morning, staff said there was no coffee. We went out to find some, then returned an hour later and noticed a garage-style door under our room in the dirty driveway serving coffee. We paid $4 each for two cold cups that weren’t even what we ordered. Staff seemed unsure what they were doing, and this place shouldn’t be open in its current state. It may have been a cool place to stay years ago, but that’s not how it felt to us.

A charming little boutique hotel, with rooms overlooking the water and a location high on the hill in Old Puerto Rico. There’s live music most nights, plus bars by the lobby and up on the roof. Such a treat.

We liked the building’s funky, artsy history and enjoyed the music each night. The air conditioning worked well, and the staff were friendly enough, though not especially warm. The man who handled our luggage was fantastic. Our room, however, needed repairs, probably because of the building’s age, and its condition left us disappointed.