San Juan Hotels

[pholter]

We are staying a day before and a day after our Southern Caribbean Cruise in October in San Juan. Can anyone give me any scoop on either of the Hyatt's that are there?? We are using mileage points to pay for the rooms, so want to limit our decision to Hyatt properties only. Radisson is also a possibility, but for the same points, it seems like Hyatt's are a better choice.

How far away from the Cruise Terminal are they?
How close to the airport are they?
Free breakfast?

Are there any restaurants in San Juan that aren't to be missed while we're there?

Thanks so much!

Hoping for Windjammer of the ABC Islands in'04
Carnival Destiny 10/04 (Southern Caribbean)
Carnival Victory 10/02 (Eastern Caribbean)
Celebrity Mercury 9/98 (Alaska)
Carnival Destiny 9/97 (Western Caribbean)

[hstrybuf]

I can't help you on the Hyatt chain as we haven't used them in San Juan. However, The Parrot Club in Old San Juan was great! At the time of our last visit, they didn't open until 6 p.m. and people were lining up to get in before that. We really enjoyed the food, service and ambiance. If you do decide to go, ask for a table upstairs.

[img]http://www.bensleyraceteam.com/Ani_Gif_Images/bookworm2.gif[/img]

Navigator OTS 10/04
Legend 04/04
Grand Princess 09/03
Dawn Princess 01/03
Enchantment OTS 10/02
Destiny 01/02
Sensation 08/99

[CruiseVirginfromBrooklyn]

I could be wrong, but, I believe there is only one Hyatt hotel in PR and that is located in Dorado - which is like a 45 minute drive from the airport. Not sure how close to the cruise terminal the location is...it's been a while since I've stayed in PR for a pre or post cruise. Hopefully I helped a little bit.

Vinnie from NY

Grand Princess - December, 2001

Carnival Destiny - February, 2002

Crystal Harmony - July, 2002

Carnival Triumph - September, 2002

Dawn Princess - December, 2002

Grand Princess - March, 2003

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2003

Crystal Symphony - December, 2003

Celebrity Constellation - February, 2004

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2004

And always open for suggestions and recommendations!!

[Fontaid]

I lived in Puerto Rico for 3 1/2 years about 15 yrs ago and spent 8 months there on business last year. There used to be 2 Hyatt hotels there - the Cerromar and Dorado Beach (about a mile apart). I stayed at both of them last year. But, the Cerromar closed down in July 2003. There was talk about converting it to a timeshare (there's one adjacent to it), but I haven't heard anything lately on it.

Dorado Beach is still open... I would stay there again in a heart beat. BUT, you need to know several things. First, you're much better off if you have a car. There's NO place that you can walk to from Dorado Beach. Dorado Beach is just west of the town of Dorado. Driving time to the airport is about 40 minutes (much longer if in weekday morning rush hour). It's about 5 minutes shorter to the cruise terminals.

If you don't have a rental car, you either eat at the hotel or take a cab into Dorado. There are a couple of nice places to eat there... nothing spectacular, but certainly cheaper than eating at the hotel.

Regarding breakfast, I was on a "corporate" rate, which included free continental breakfast (I think it was $8-9 if you paid for it). The full breakfast buffet was about $16 - 18 (I don't remember exactly).

The hotel is a series of 2 story bungalows... most of which face the ocean. The 2nd floor typically has a king size bed and a balcony. The first floor typically has 2 double beds and is a bigger room. The room opens onto a patio facing the ocean. They also have a few rooms by the pool (3 or 4 floors here... I don't remember... didn't stay in any of them).

Overall, the hotel is very quiet and laid back. If you're looking to just relax, this is perfect. The entire hotel area is very tropical with lots of tropical vegetation and shade... hammocks hung between palm trees by the beach... a gorgeous beach and not very crowded. At night there are the coquis... little frogs that "sing". But, if you're looking for action, look somewhere else.

Note: The casino and the "River Pool" at the Cerromar are still open for guests of Dorado Beach. Also, they have 4 golf courses (Cerromar's were being remodeled last year, but should be ready by now).

Rental car option: Get transportation to the Hyatt from the airport (contact Dorado Beach ahead of time for info). Rent a car at Dorado Beach. I think Avis used to be at Cerromar, but obviously would not be anymore. Check to see if they are at Dorado Beach. You can then get transportation to the ship or the airport when you're ready to leave.

Taxis to/from San Juan airport or the terminal can be very expensive - $50+ (I'm not sure how much).

I did not stay at the Radisson on Avenida Ashford last year, but did stay at the Marriott and the Caribe Hilton, which are not too far away. I walked through the Radisson and found its casino to be much busier than the Marriott. I don't know why, but it was. There are many more restaurants (from fast food to nice restaurants) in this area (Condado) than out in Dorado... although Dorado has its share of fast food places.

Enjoy your cruise...and enjoy Puerto Rico.
Dave [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

[pholter]

Thanks for all the great information. We may be rethinking our hotel choice to the Radisson the day before since we won't arrive till 10pm and the Marriott San Juan Resort the day after.
The Marriott is very close to the Airport and we'd like the resort and beach to hangout at and catch our breath before returning.

Hoping for Windjammer of the ABC Islands in'04
Carnival Destiny 10/04 (Southern Caribbean)
Carnival Victory 10/02 (Eastern Caribbean)
Celebrity Mercury 9/98 (Alaska)
Carnival Destiny 9/97 (Western Caribbean)

[Fontaid]

Sounds like a good idea. If you arrive in San Juan at 10 pm, it'll be 10:30 before you get your luggage and 11 pm before you check in at the Radisson or the Marriott. It's a 10 - 15 minute ride by taxi to either the Radisson or the Marriott. I have not seen the beach at the Radisson, but the beach at the Marriott is nice... and the 2 hotels are 1 - 2 blocks apart, so the Radisson should be fine as well. From either hotel it shouldn't take more than about 5 - 10 minutes to get to/from the cruise ship terminals.

One thing I like about the Marriott is the bar in the lobby... It's big and typically has live music (behind the bar) in the evening... there is seating just outside the bar, so you don't have to buy a drink if you just want to listen to the music.

About 5 years ago I took my family on a cruise out of San Juan. We came in 3 days early and stayed at the Cerromar, then flew home the same day that our cruise returned. We liked that scenario because we got to board around noon... long before most passengers arrive from the States. We had a rental car, so I dropped my wife and son at the terminal with the luggage.... They did all the check in stuff while I drove to the airport and dropped the rental car off. I had purchased a transfer for one person (me), so I just hopped on the first bus headed to the pier... worked out great!!!

Enjoy [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]
Dave