Info on a San Juan Hotel please...

[misha1]

Got an accepted bid on Priceline for the Radisson Ambassador. Please , someone, tell me that this is an okay hotel. Thanks

[moai]

We stayed there last summer for two nights pre-cruise and had two rooms. It was perfectly fine, it is not a luxury hotel but it is clean, comfortable and even though I had read in these boards that when you book thru Priceline they don’t treat you well, we had a very good experience, the people at the front desk was very polite. There are restaurants a few blocks away, but I would recommend a Tapas style restaurant in calle San Sebastian in Old San Juan called Restaurant Baru. We celebrated our anniversary there and it was excellent. Let me know if you have any more questions. Happy cruising. :)

[misha1]

Thanks for the info and the restaurant suggestion...every little bit helps. We stayed in San Juan previously at resort hotels and booked over the phone...not with Priceline and were treated rather rudely even then, so needless to say, we are not big San Juan fans. At least not the hotel industry, but, what are you going to do when your cruise ship leaves from this fine city? Hopefully, this experience will be better. I am assuming that this hotel is not on the ocean? Is the water at least within walking distance?

[moai]

The beach is a few blocks away.

[albertiger]

i stayed there last year, the room was gigantic, nice pool on the roof, good location. mind telling what you bid? i paid $148? and thought it was a good deal.

[misha1]

I hope there are not any posting rules against this...I bid 75 dollars and it was accepted.

[moai]

Same with us last year, $ 75/ night/room. We had 2 rooms for two nights. :)

[cruise pup]

What category (e.g. ***, boutique, resort) does Priceline consider this?

[moai]

We bid a 3* and got the Radisson.

[CINDON]

Yes we stayed there for $65.00 night on Priceline.com

[Fontaid]

When paying for hotels in San Juan, you have to remember that price fluctuates significantly between the low season and high season. A room that goes for $100/nt. during the low season goes for $200/nt. during high season. So, $148 may have been a great price in the high season, but not low season.

 

I lived in Puerto Rico for 3 1/2 years a while back and two years ago, I spent 8 months down there (living in different hotels every week!!!) on business. Typically, the high season starts about mid-December and ends in early May. Low season is approx. June 1 to mid-November. Between high and low season is a "shoulder" period where prices are between high and low seasons.

During the high season I paid as much as $225/nt (business rates at the Caribe Hilton and at the Marriott on Avenida Ashford). During the low season I paid as little as $75 (business rates at Hyatt Dorado Beach).

From a weather perspective: December and at least the first half of January are usually very rainy. February through April are very dry and have the lowest humidity - very pleasant. May is very rainy. June through mid October are typically "tropical"... potential of afternoon t-storms and about every 4th day a "tropical wave" comes through with potentially heavy rains. Obviously, part of this period is also hurricane season, but I don't worry too much about hurricanes in PR. Even though they've been hit a few times lately, there's less chance of a major hit in PR than there is in Florida. Late October through late November - weather is not too bad... but if the rainy season starts early, then all bets are off.

Hope this helps...

Dave

:) :) :)

[CruiseForever]

Expensive, but the best hotel is still the El San Juan, now owned by Wyndum. We only stay there, both pre and post cruises. In fact, we will be there again in Ocober, now for 7 days pre/post cruise next march around a 5 day Silver Sea cruise.

[misha1]

So going in December...not wise? Is it rainy all the time everywhere in the Caribbean?

[Fontaid]

Misha1,

 

It doesn't rain every day in December in San Juan, but it is a rainy month. Here's the average rainfall for San Juan, PR, by month....

 

Jan. - 2.81 inches (mostly 1st half by memory)

Feb. - 2.15

Mar. - 2.35

Apr. - 3.76

May - 5.93

Jun. - 4.00

July - 4.37

Aug. - 5.32

Sep. - 5.28

Oct. - 5.71

Nov. - 5.94

Dec. - 4.72

 

Although the summer months seem to be heavy in rain, the rains tend to come every 4 days or so (tropical waves typically). The rains in November, December and May are not tropical waves. They tend to be a steady, more of an all day rain.

 

It's drier on the south coast (Ponce). They average about 30 in. per year (if I remember correctly). But, I never spent much time down there. My time was almost all on the north coast.

 

If I were making plans for vacation in the San Juan area, my preference would be for February or March. The only negative is that hotel prices are at their peak at this time too. You may get lucky going in December, but you have much better odds in Feb. and March. During the summer months, you're ok if you're going to be there several days. Just plan on one or two being rainy. Just remember... there are no guarantees... no matter when you go.

 

I'm not familiar with the weather of other islands in the Caribbean. I've visited several, but never lived on any of them. You should check on any you're interested in. One thing to remember... the more mountains on the island, the more rain. This is because the mountains lift the moisture laden air. As the air is lifted, it cools, forms clouds, and then rain. So, flat islands tend to have less rain.... Puerto Rico has mountains up to 4000 ft. If you go 50 miles east to the US Virgin Islands or the British Virgin Islands, you'll see they get much less rain... for just that reason.

 

Hope this helps!!! Enjoy the Caribbean!!! My favorite place to vacation!

Dave

:) :) :)

[albertiger]

i took the plunge and tried a bid of $75 and got the Radisson also! good deal! :D

[Fontaid]

Although I never stayed at the Radisson Ambassador Hotel on Avenida Ashford, I did walk down there from the Marriott. The Radisson appeared pretty nice (impression is from walking around the first floor only). The one thing I most remember is that the Radisson casino was much more crowded than the casino at the Marriott at the same time (I remember walking back from the Radisson to the Marriott right after and noticing this...) must have been around 7:00 pm. I don't know why. In fact the casino at the Marriott was almost empty while the Radisson was very full.

 

Dave

:) :) :)

[cottagequilter]

We stayed there for two nights after our cruise last November, and will be staying there one night this year following our cruise. Precruise will be at the San Juan. Both were on line. One Hotwire, one Priceline. Unfortunately, we are arriving Thanksgiving weekend so we are paying increased prices all around. A lesson learned, look where your dates lie when you book a cruise! The pool on the top of the hotel is nice, clean and offers a wonderful view. Our room had a small balcony, was clean and well kept. You can get to the beach by walking down toward the Marriot a block or so and taking a right. The beach is open for quite a distance, in fact, you can walk down to the Marriot. However, if you visit the Marriot-which is delightful- they will not let you on their beach...all guests wear wristbands and there are numerous guards. Back to the beach...there is a very strong undertow. Be careful. We were told about it when we asked a policeman where the beach was and it was the best advice that we received.

[katiel53]

We are staying at the Marriott Stellaris and it is quite expensive. I like the area and have stayed there previously. I would have thought they would be more expensive as we are going on the day after Thanksgiving, but maybe the construction on the front of the building has made people rethink staying there until it's completed.

 

Quilter,

Are you getting excited about our cruise yet? There haven't been any postings to our roll call lately.

 

Katie

[geoherb]

We stayed at the Radisson about five years ago for two nights after a cruise. We loved the roof-top pool. It was so relaxing to be up there. We also walked a couple of blocks to swim in the ocean. There had been a storm that washed up a lot of seaweed, so swimming there at that time wasn't the greatest.

 

I recommend eating at Ajili-Mojili, which is at 1052 Ashford Ave. We had a great meal there of traditional Puero Rican dishes.