San Juan P.R. Hotels

[Fun and Simple 1]

We have booked the Carnival VICTORY 7 day out of S.J.P.R. on Oct 16, 2011. We will fly in a day early and stay a few days post-cruise to enjoy the island. We were thinking about the Atlantic Beach Hotel for "post". Are there any other recommendations? Would there be someplace better for pre-cruise (closer to airport or cruise terminal)

Thanks for any advise forthcoming. ~ Tom

[Tomato53]

There are two port areas in San Juan; I'm not sure which Carnival uses for cruises originating in San Juan.

 

If it's the Pan American Pier, there is a new (within the last year) Sheraton at the Convention Center. Haven't stayed there but we left from that pier last year on Celebrity and heard from several people that it's nice. You can see the hotel from the pier.

 

If they use the pier in Old San Juan, there's another Sheraton almost directly across from that pier. Also in Old SJ is the El Convento which gets a lot of favorable comments (with bags, you'd need a cab for this). It's a former convent that has been converted to a hotel.

[sfgoguy]

We have booked the Carnival VICTORY 7 day out of S.J.P.R. on Oct 16, 2011. We will fly in a day early and stay a few days post-cruise to enjoy the island. We were thinking about the Atlantic Beach Hotel for "post". Are there any other recommendations? Would there be someplace better for pre-cruise (closer to airport or cruise terminal)

 

Thanks for any advise forthcoming. ~ Tom

 

Any of the hotels along the Condado are good and there's easy access to Old San Juan. The Atlantic Beach Hotel is there, I believe. Enjoy. :)

[Petert102]

There are two port areas in San Juan; I'm not sure which Carnival uses for cruises originating in San Juan.

 

If it's the Pan American Pier, there is a new (within the last year) Sheraton at the Convention Center. Haven't stayed there but we left from that pier last year on Celebrity and heard from several people that it's nice. You can see the hotel from the pier.

 

If they use the pier in Old San Juan, there's another Sheraton almost directly across from that pier. Also in Old SJ is the El Convento which gets a lot of favorable comments (with bags, you'd need a cab for this). It's a former convent that has been converted to a hotel.

The Atlantic Beach is great for "Tea", beside the ocean, very pretty, however it is a bit basic and noisy ( from the terrace below. ) I would be reluctant to stay there as it is just a tad run down ( the public johns on the terrace are very third world ). If you can pay use the Marriott Stella Solaris or La Concha, and enjoy tea at Atlantic Beach. If budget is an issue try the Holiday Inn Express or El Consulat, also both nearby but clean simple and affordable. The choice is yours .

 

Enjoy

 

Peter

[Triad3]

Hey Tom...

I lived in San Juan for 11 years... be it more than 15 years ago,,,,but we do get to travel back about every year or so and see friends there... The Atlantic Beach Hotel has always been more of a gay cruise place with rooms. There was a disco on the roof for years that had such loud music that you couldn't get away from it anywhere in the building.....a nice bar downstairs overlooking the ocean and lots of hustlers on the street right out front.. Though their website makes it look great, I would be a little concerned about staying there if you wanted a quality room in a nice neighborhood and a good night's sleep....

 

One of the best hotels in San Juan is The El San Juan, beautiful but a little pricey. It is in Isla Verde which is near the airport, but the planes don't fly over the hotels and the hotels are mostly right on the beach. ...

There is also a Ritz Carlton in Isla Verde if you want a real high end experience. The El Convento in the Old City is a wonderful choice and very convenient to the piers in the Old City, very historic, but not near the beaches... There is also the Caribe Hilton between Condado and the Old City and close to the new piers, which is a wonderful hotel, pricey and a little family oriented, but very elegant, it was the first hotel opened on the island for the outside tourist market...1958 or so...but always beeen kept modern.

We last stayed in The Intercontinental in Isla Verde, right on the beach, not real expensive and very comfortable. The distance to the piers from any hotel in the city, be it in Isla Verde, Condado, or the Old City is not that far, so the cab fare shouldn't be that much.

All of these hotels would be gay friendly, though they are large with hundreds if not thousands of rooms. Most of the small gay guest houses have closed in the city or are in neighborhoods I wouldn't suggest for a first time visitor....

If you are there on a Saturday night try Crash for a bar in Santurce...but it's a late night place...starts after midnight for sure...dance club, hot music, hot men,,, make sure you take a cab there and ask for a cab when you leave... don't walk the streets in this part of town at night...

Enjoy.... Hope this helps... any other questions just let us know..

Tim, Danny and Glenn

[ANCHOR GUY]

Taking a cruise from San Juan is great! Much better than Florida.

I have an apt in Isla Verde, opposite the El San Juan.

I would recommend a guest house on the beach in Ocean Park(section between Isla Verde and Condado) call Numero Uno.

You might even stay on there and miss the ship ;)

[Boytjie]

A few years ago we stayed in the Numero 1 guesthouse in Ocean Park. It too is right on the beach, in a quiet neighborhood and their Pamela’s is a very nice restuarant where you can have dinner under a palapa on the beach.

[Fun and Simple 1]

Just getting back to this thread on a rainy Independence Day here in Kansas! The effects of ALEX are here for a few days.

Thanks for all the good suggestions received so far. I realize that they (A.B.H.) can do anything with a website ("put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig".... That was a little too Sarah Palin for me ~ LOL) ! I do see where they have been doing renovations to the property. Also the reviews on their site seemed favorable, especially from "straight" couples who seemed to be accepting of the GLBT environment!

Regardless, we do have around 467 or so days before our cruise, so time is on our side. Right now I am working out the details of our FREEDOM cruise on Sept. 25 of this year!

Thanks again from "Dorothy Country"!:rolleyes: ~ Tom

[Triad3]

Hey Tom....

Tim here again... I was reminded today that there is yet another place to consider... It's called The Water Club...it's right on the beach in Isla Verde...a small boutique hotel on a dead end street....Think of a W Hotel, but on a much smaller scale...it does have a small restaurant and a nice roof top bar...There are always gay guys on the beach in front that are tourists staying in that hotel. They do advertise in the gay community, though it is not an exclusively a gay hotel. I don't know anything about their pricing, but do give it a look.... Happy Sailing...

[ChicagoGoodTimeGirls]

We stayed at the Marriott La Concha in Condado Beach. It was fantastic and right in the heart of a very gay friendly area. The pools wer gorgous and there was great shopping right outside the hotel. We would go back there for a long weekend getwaway...

 

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos.mi?marshaCode=sjubr&pageID=HWHOM

[4Orchard]

Hi Tom,

I agree with tomato, the El Convento is the hotel to be in, in the Old Town of San Juan. You can take a leisurely stroll to the Cruise Terminal the next day. The old town is quite lively (watch your pockets) and great atmosphere at night.

Warm Regards

Brendan - Belfast, N.I.

 

We have booked the Carnival VICTORY 7 day out of S.J.P.R. on Oct 16, 2011. We will fly in a day early and stay a few days post-cruise to enjoy the island. We were thinking about the Atlantic Beach Hotel for "post". Are there any other recommendations? Would there be someplace better for pre-cruise (closer to airport or cruise terminal)

 

Thanks for any advise forthcoming. ~ Tom