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A full service resort located 10-minutes from the International Airport and adjacent to the convention center.While the surrounding area within walking distance doesn’t offer much, it is a convenient 10-minute taxi ride to old San Juan and Condado Beach and 5-minutes from the Panamerican Cruise Terminal.
The lobby is chic with lots of ochre- colored marble and soft lighting that changes hues in the evening. A large bar/café extends from the check-in area and serves as an entry way into the casino.
Check-in is efficient, except on cruise departure days, when large numbers of cruise passengers checking in and out at the same time, seem to overwhelm the housekeeping staff. This was what happened in our case, when we had to wait 2 hours past the 3:00 PM check-in time to get our deluxe king room that had a balcony. Since we arrived at noon, this was a large inconvenience. What made matters worse, was that the room still wasn’t properly cleaned when we checked in, and had to call housekeeping staff back to finish the job. However, the next day there were no ships in port and when several of our friends checked in, they received early check-in
and spotless superior king rooms with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the pool, changing light dancing fountains of the convention center, and bay. In my opinion, these rooms had much better views than our more expensive room with balcony, that overlooked rusted beams from a closed down construction site with the bay view behind that. Until this eyesore is cleaned up, the deluxe balcony rooms are not worth the extra price.
The rooms were comfortable at just over 300 sq. ft. with the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed, a desk with ergonomic chair and reading lamp and a sofa chair. There also was a 40 inch flat panel TV with several English speaking channels and pay per view movies and an i-pod clock/radio and complimentary wi-fi that worked well. The bathrooms were standard with a tub/shower combination and single sink.
The roof top club lounge was nicely appointed with both indoor and balcony seating. A limited complimentary continental breakfast and afternoon snack service were provided, along with a pay bar. For this reason, a club lounge room is a much better value than the regular deluxe balcony room.
The infinity edge pool was long
and narrow, but provided a lovely view of the harbor. A second pool area with hot tubs and waterfall was tastefully designed. Towel Service was self-serve. A nice pool bar served tropical drinks, beer and other liquors along with burgers, sandwiches and salads. Service was spotty and a bit laid back but friendly. Drinks were of good quality and the food tasty.
The casino and lobby bar have a nightly happy hour that make the normally over-priced drinks more affordable. The casino has both slots and table games with live music nightly starting at 9:00 PM and the lobby bar is converted into a techno dance club at 10:00 PM on weekends.
Choices is the main hotel restaurant that serves a daily breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner a la carte with a variety of meat, chicken and fish dishes. There is also a Brazilian Churrascarria around the corner and a nice little Mexican Restaurant on the plaza between the hotel and convention center. The Mexican Restaurant also has live music on weekend evenings. This was the most reasonably priced of all the restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Food and service were good value for the money.
Overall, this is a good value property especially for those doing pre- and post- cruise stays, and for convention attendees. Just be prepared for long check-in lines and a wait for a clean room on cruise embarkation days. Those looking for a beach escape would be better suited at either the Condado or Isla Verde areas or for shopping at the Sheraton Old San Juan.
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