We are staying at Carib last weekend in Jan 05. Read LOTS of comments regarding the rooms in the hotel. Can someone be specific (like caribgirl)about HOW to be sure to ge a GOOD room, not one with mildrew, old, loud...

Executive Floor Rooms only as we are staying there.
Do we check in on the 9th floor directly???
How easy is it to get to the beach? Towels?? chairs?? Early?? Is there waiter service on the beach?? Pool???
We are planning on doing NOTHING. NO traveling just relaxing.
Shopping info?? What is good to buy?
Thanks-

If you want to shop, take a taxi, or better yet, the bus, to Old San Juan. Plenty of shopping there and good food too.

The Carib Hilton has a nice pool with towel service & plenty of deck chairs. The pool also has a small bar in the water. There is a tiny beach next to the hotel. I can't comment on the rooms, we snuck into the hotel to use their pool and take advantage of the tour leaving from the hotel to El Yunque National Park and Loquillo Beach.

If you're staying in San Juan, take some time to walk around Old San Juan. It is very historic and picturesque.

I'm going to assume you mean me when you said caribgirl.
Well I booked via Priceline so it was understandable that I'd get the least desirable room.
So if you're booking the traditional way, I'm sure you'll get a nice room (my in-laws did).
I don't know if they're still construction going. Just call them and ask, if yes then ask that you're not in the tower nearby.
The beach area is past the open air lobby, to the left of the pools (all very easy to get to). Lounge chairs are by the pool and on the beach. There's a cabana by the beach where you can get towels. The pools are really nice (there's a swim-up bar too).
I don't remember seeing waiter service on the beach, but there's a bar/restaurant right by the pools.
Didn't do any shopping but walked around Old San Juan which is just lovely to do.

Thank you. I did mean you! Walking around San Juan is just the pace we are looking for. Thanks for your help.

I stayed at Caribe Hilton for 5 days last April and it was a nice time. we went into old san juan for a few hours, other then that, spent the day on the beach doing nothing but reading our books!
A few words of advice...
-dont drink the bottle of water they put in your room. unless you read the fine print, they charge $7 to your room for the bottle!
-the beach area is great, though get up early to ensure a chair and an umbrella. the sun gets hot!
-the pool area is filled more with kids
-the food is good, but expensive.
-old san juan is beatiful to walk around, though make sure you speak some spanish. we had a driver that didnt know the area very well and we got a bit lost!
we stayed on the 7th floor and our room was nice. although it partially overlooked the construction, the water view was beatiful!
other then that, have a great time!