BumbleB6

So, we're trying to decide where to go for next spring break in late March 2014. We've never been to the Caribbean and what we've read of Old San Juan and El Yunque rainforest intrigues us, so I've spent this past week researching things to do and places to stay.

I always go on tripadvisor and booking.com first and read hotel reviews.. Wow! I have NEVER, ever, seen so many negative reviews for every. single. hotel. on. the. island! Every single one! (Well, wait, I think El Convento gets consistently good reviews, but I think that's the only one!)
What is up with that?
It's making me crazy finding a place I'd consider booking (that and the exorbitant prices for what you get high season - if we do go, it may be off-season sometime and not spring break - especially with those reviews!)

Just curious - for those of you who've been - are the hotels all that bad?!
Amazingly enough, the better hotels, like Hiltons and Marriotts, usually get the worst reviews. Even the positive reviews have caveats like - Well, yes the service is slow and the place is worn and dated, but it's really pretty....

KVR

I have been looking at PR for awhile. I agree with your comments. I was getting disheartened every time I read how expensive the food and drinks are and the hotels needing work. We had planned to go in November for this year's trip. We had chosen the Marriott Stellaris. We eventually decided not to go. The price for air, hotel, food and drinks was just too expensive. We are used to AI resorts in Mexico where we can get really nice lux resorts that are adult only and include good food and drinks for 1/2 of what it was going to cost us for PR. We might pull the trigger someday and go to PR, but not now.

We have done a few non-AI trips in the Caribbean, but we really prefer not to. For us, they cost way more and we are constantly having to watch our spending. We save that for US vacations instead since we don't have a choice.

BumbleB6

Wow, KVR, expensive in November too?! I thought that was off-season.

We're typically not beach and pool people. I like walking on the beach in the morning and sunset, and if it's hot out and there's a pool, I'll use it, but that's only after sightseeing for the day.
The only other time we did a trip to a beach/pool resort was to Clearwater Beach, Florida when my daughter was a toddler. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort and it was very nice, not too expensive and lots of family things to do in Clearwater Beach and around the area. We really enjoyed that trip, although we prefer cities or camping/hiking trips. However, my husband and daughter said they want to go somewhere "relaxing" this year and they both mentioned the Carribean and "rainforest".

Before I started looking into PR I was thinking of going somewhere in Europe but thought it would actually be cheaper to go to PR. It's not! It's actually cheaper to go to many places in Europe for a week than PR, as it's off-season in Europe. We may just do that now. Or I'll check out Costa Rica, which I've been told has cheaper lodging and more options.

As for food, I don't mind paying money if the food is really good. But apparently the food everywhere is expensive too!
Egads!

I'm really curious why the hotels seem to be so lacking overall in cleanliness and service. This is something that many would overlook, btw, if the price were right. But when something's expensive AND not sub-par... At first, I thought, well, some people are just picky. But then I noticed every single hotel across the island, save for a small few b and bs and El Convento (which is way more than I want to spend, and I don't want to stay in OSJ the whole time) had a bad review for every good one, and many have mostly bad... At that point, something's really going on, I think. Maybe it's just paying high prices for mediocre to sub-standard product. ??

BumbleB6

I meant - "and sub=par" (not "and not sub-par"). Sorry, didn't catch that on editing..

Odin

I've been to PR twice, the hotel we stayed in was very nice indeed, but we did not like it outside the hotel, El Yunque was a disappointment and so was Luquillo.

schmerl

I must be the only one who REALLY likes PR. We have been there several times and did not find it more expensive than other places in the Caribbean.
We found the people to be wonderful, food great and not expensive (In our opinion). We also loved El Yunque and Luquillo. There is a lot of beauty in PR but you have to leave the "resort" area and explore to see it.

Callaloo

I've been to PR many times, and stayed at a variety of hotels (Water Club, Ritz Carlton, Marriott Stellaris, El Conquistador, Horned Dorset Primavera), and have never had an experience that was disappointing. But I'd be curious to know what the TA reviewers' experience level of the Caribbean is. The Caribbean is different. My personal expectations of PR are tempered by several dozen trips to the islands -- there is simply a different pace of life there, and if you are coming with big-city US expectations and attitude, you might be disappointed.

Yes, the service is more leisurely, even at a US-flagged chain like RC. But if you come with the right mindset, service is also gracious, generous and friendly. The rooms I've stayed in -- every last one -- have been clean and well-appointed; the hotel amenities have been appropriate for the price of the stay (having stayed at high season, and at the last minute because of a missed flight, and via Priceline).

My best experiences have been at strictly local properties, and sticking to local food. As you've indicated, those seem to get the best reviews as well. It might either have to do with the sort of traveler who stays at those places (i.e. more experienced), or with differing expectations because the property isn't sporting a "Marriott" badge.

My first exposure to PR was on a layover at SJU on my first-ever Caribbean trip. I was not favorably impressed, but I also lacked context. I'm glad it wasn't my last trip, because once I gave the island a chance, I came to be very fond of it. And I'm going back, yet again, later this year.

BumbleB6

"My best experiences have been at strictly local properties, and sticking to local food. As you've indicated, those seem to get the best reviews as well. It might either have to do with the sort of traveler who stays at those places (i.e. more experienced), or with differing expectations because the property isn't sporting a "Marriott" badge."

I was wondering, as well, if maybe folks who go to the Caribbean are expecting something "luxurious" and upscale - but are not used to "island time". Cultural difference.
However, many complained about stained sheets, cigarette butts under furniture, etc.
Many more, though, are about long lines to check in, and lackadaisical attitudes toward what the hotel client obviously sees as a crisis during their stay...

Having never actually been there, I can only guess. I just found it a curious phenomenon.

I'm still intrigued by the descriptions and pictures of Old San Juan, and considering it's historical significance, I'd still like to go there someday.
I may even go there this coming March, but I doubt it, esp. if I can go in low-season sometime and get cheaper rates.

coqui_07

My 2 cents

I lived here in PR and have only stayed at the San Juan Marriott and had a great time and would stay there again

as for the TA reviews - there will always be someone who complains about their hotel - what you are happy with, someone else might hate. Same with any country / hotel chain / attractions.

If you look at the TA listing for hotels http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g1...co-Hotels.html

Places like La Concha get overall 4.5 stars, San Juan Marriott 4 stars etc

Yes, they will have negative reviews - but I'm sure the same can be said for most cities even in the States

In my opinion if you want to make the most out of a trip to Puerto Rico, don't stay in your resort / hotel / San Juan - get out and about around the island. There is so much to see and do for all tastes

Callaloo

Stained sheets, cigarette butts, etc. -- those are legitimate complaints, and you can't dispute tangible evidence of a lapse in service. If that's a repeated complaint about a property, you have to think hard about whether you want to stay. If it's isolated, well, what would you think if it were in the U.S.? All I can say is that I've never had any experiences like that in PR, and only a handful of times anywhere.

The rest, however, is up to interpretation.

If you are intrigued by Old San Juan, by all means, give it a try. It is truly special. If you're nervous about committing to an overnight trip, you might do what I did my first time out of the airport: I had a loooong layover en route to Grenada, so I used the time to explore El Morro and walk the streets of Old San Juan. It was totally worth it, and drew me back for return visits.

eastenderusvi

Maybe El Convento gets consistently good reviews because it is consistently good! It is a wonderful property with great staff and convenient to all that Old San Juan has to offer.

You say you have never been to the Caribbean- what activities are you looking for?

BumbleB6

We are actually more intrigued with Old San Juan itself - as well as wanting to take a kayak tour of the bio-luminescent bay and hike one day in El Yunque, probably with a tour guide.

As for the Caribbean in general, I'm also interested in the history of the islands, and seeing historical zones and sights, in addition to getting some sunshine and heat in early spring (where, here in Chicago, where we live, it's often still snowy and definitely still cold!)

The Caribbean is looking less and less appealing to us though - for a week trip, and in late March.
I would still like to go one day, but we (my family) have all talked about it, and agree maybe we should go for a long weekend in fall or winter first, to see how we like it.
Probably not this winter, as that would be too short notice for me, and we also still to travel somewhere for spring break.

I'm not ruling out Puerto Rico, either. Old San Juan and the bio-luminiscnetbays still look like they're worth seeing. And it 's not that far of a flight for us.

BellaClaire

I've stayed at The El Conquistador many years ago. That was the nicest. Also stayed at the Raddison- it was okay. I just find the hotels to be outdated. I went to El Yunque, it was cool. Old San Juan is narrow streets with shops & restaurants & the fort. I would use SJU as a stopover 2days & then go somewhere awesome. There are plenty of beautiful places to see!

tom42

I have been to Puerto Rico many times and have stayed at a number of properties and have never experiences anything like what some TA advisor reviews claim. The hotels are expensive in high season but you can get pretty good deals off season. For instance, we went to San Juan in early August and stayed at el San Juan hotel for 7 nights. It was 900 per person with airfare from buffalo included.

BumbleB6

Well, my teen daughter still wants to go - and I can't decide where else to go in March - so we made a reservation at Caribe Hilton. It seemed to have the best location for us - close to Old San Juan, yet still have the beach and pool.

Been keeping up with the TA reviews, and they seem to be getting better. If I expect the worst, it won't be that bad, right?!
I have to say, going back through some, a lot of the reviews for Caribe sound like first-world whining. Although with the mold, how hard is it to take some bleach occasionally to the bathroom?
We'll see. I can cancel the res. up until the day of, so...
But for now, we're booked in San Juan for one week.