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Ordinary Traveler / Blog / Caribbean / Where to Stay in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Where to Stay in San Juan, Puerto Rico

By Christy Woodrow, Last Modified: January 24, 2017

I was excited to visit Puerto Rico, not just for the delicious food and colorful buildings, but also because I had the opportunity to stay at one of the best resorts on the island — conveniently located right along the beach and in the heart of Condado.

My red-eye flight from the west coast and frustrating delay on the runway left me a little grumpy. That all melted away as soon as I was greeted at the reception desk of the San Juan Marriott with a complimentary and tasty rum punch. It was a nice touch and, honestly, more hotels should take note.

San Juan Marriott Beach
San Juan Marriott Beach

 

Where to Stay in San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

San Juan Marriott Rooms and Ocean View

With my second rum punch in hand, I made my way to my room and soaked up this view. From that point on, I was completely sold. The room was spacious with a sliding glass door which led to my own private balcony where I could eat breakfast (or sip on an afternoon drink!) while watching the waves crash.

 

San Juan Marriott Restaurants

Upon arrival to the resort, I was famished. The casual La Isla Beach Bar — just downstairs — offered a few healthy salads, appetizers and burgers, but the coconut shrimp was calling my name.

I brought my meal back to my room and enjoyed it on my balcony and afterward, I collapsed onto my comfy bed for a well-deserved nap.

On our second evening in Puerto Rico, we dined at La Vista Latin Grill, on the bottom floor of the hotel. With unique Puerto Rican-inspired cuisine on the menu, it was by far one of my favorite meals of the trip.

 

The Nightlife

One of the coolest things about the San Juan Marriott is the Red Coral Lounge. I found it fascinating that 95% of the bar’s revenue comes from the locals. Puerto Ricans dance the night away to live music and (not surprisingly) many of them know how to dance! If you want to see true Puerto Rican culture, come here.

The Stellaris Casino is located on the bottom floor of the hotel, near the Red Coral Lounge. This was the first time I have ever enjoyed a game of Blackjack and that is a result of actually learning how to play! The casino offers complimentary Blackjack lessons to their guests. We had the best time learning the strategy of this game and I finally had the option to ask the dealer all the questions I held myself back from asking in a real game.

Afterwards, you can take this valuable knowledge and play for real money at one of the tables. The best part? You can order complimentary burgers and drinks from your server. Not too shabby.

San Juan Marriott Pool
San Juan Marriott Pool

 

San Juan Marriott Location

Beach or pool? This is always a tough decision for me, but luckily I didn’t have to choose this time. The pools are located just steps away from a breathtaking beach.

The San Juan Marriott is located in Condado, a popular area of San Juan with beautiful beaches and a variety of restaurants, bars and shops. If you want to explore the other restaurant options besides La Vista Latin Grill, you can easily walk to many fine dining and casual restaurants.

To learn about our favorite restaurant picks in the area, see our post with 5 Restaurants to Try in San Juan.

 

The Sunsets

Just in case I didn’t give you enough reasons to love the San Juan Marriott, I’ll leave you with this vision…

San Juan Marriott Sunset
Sunset at San Juan Marriott

san juan marriott sunset

 

Plan Your Trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico

After traveling consistently for over 10 years, we’ve come to trust and rely on a few websites to help us find the best deals on flights and accommodation.

Flights:

  • Momondo is the first place we check when searching for cheap flights. It searches hundreds of sites for the best fare and includes both standard and budget airlines.

Accommodation: 

  • Booking.com offers savings on hotels, apartments, and villas in 80,000 destinations worldwide. Their prices are very competitive and I recommend checking their site before booking your stay at the San Juan Marriott.

 

About Christy Woodrow

Christy Woodrow is a travel photographer and professional blogger based in San Diego. She has been traveling around the world with her partner, Scott, since 2006. Join them in their quest to find off-the-beaten-path destinations by signing up for weekly emails. You can read more about her on our about page.

Filed Under: Caribbean, Puerto Rico

Previous Post: « 5 Restaurants to Try in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Next Post: Oxnard, California Travel Guide »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Escape Hunter says

    Puerto Rico is becoming a trendy travel bloggers’ destination…
    Nice photos!

    Reply
  2. Sonya says

    Stunning photos! I would like to be lying on the beach there right now.

    Reply
  3. Dean Wickham says

    Beautiful shots! There’s no better place for a sunset photo than the beach

    Reply
  4. Derek4Real says

    Impressive photos, love the color contrast 🙂

    Reply
  5. Catherine Sweeney says

    Looks very nice. I’ve stayed at a couple of resorts in Puerto Rico, but I think they were probably more remote than this. It would be nice to be closer to San Juan itself & the Marriott seems to have great views, beach and amenities. Pretty pics.

    Reply
  6. Hogga says

    gorgeous!

    Reply

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