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Where lively urban vibes and peaceful ocean views meet, you will find Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. Located at the award-winning Isla Verde Beach, minutes away from downtown San Juan, Puerto Rico, the hotel artfully blends the best elements of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Venture inside and find an ode to traditions, old and new. If these walls could talk, they would share stories of 1960s society headliners crooning in the nightclub and generations of locals celebrating life's greatest milestones in the ballrooms. A timeless Puerto Rican icon and one of the Caribbean's most desired destinations, Fairmont El San Juan Hotel offers guests genuine Puerto Rican hospitality and a luxury lifestyle experience complete with a luxe full-service spa, world class fitness center, retail shops, lively entertainment and non-stop gaming action at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Accor Hotels.
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The Fairmont El San Juan Hotel boasts a vibrant atmosphere that comes alive with music and entertainment, which, while adored by many for its energy, has been found to be loud by some guests. Its prime location, close to beaches and entertainment, is frequently praised, though the rooms often disappoint, described as outdated and sometimes unclean.
Despite the overall cleanliness of the property and appealing amenities like beach access, reviewers have criticized the high costs and additional fees, suggesting the value doesn't always match the price paid. Additionally, service quality appears to fluctuate, with some guests encountering exceptional staff while others faced frustration.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Run-down
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Noise level
Noisy
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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We arrived on a Wednesday when the resort was fairly quiet, though it became livelier as the weekend approached.
Location: The hotel’s location is exceptional—just a quick 10-minute drive from the airport, yet you don’t hear planes flying overhead, making it both convenient and peaceful.
Check-In Experience: Check-in was smooth and efficient. The staff accommodated our request for an upgrade and even allowed us early access to our room, which was much appreciated.
Room: Our room was spacious, clean, and situated in a quiet corner of the hotel. It featured comfortable beds, plush pillows, and effective blackout shades for a restful sleep. The towels were soft and plentiful, and the provided hair care products were high-quality, paired with a reliable hair dryer. However, the bathroom lighting was too dim, and we would recommend adding brighter lights and a magnifying mirror for convenience.
Amenities: The resort provides complimentary reusable water bottles, which we loved, as there are filtered water stations throughout the property—an eco-friendly touch that avoids single-use plastics.
Dining and Entertainment: • The resort has numerous dining options, including a small mall area with additional restaurants. • The grab-and-go Bistro in the lobby served some of the best coffee we’ve had—perfect for mornings. • The lobby came alive each evening with live bands, DJs, and a vibrant atmosphere. There were plenty of seating options, making it ideal for relaxing, enjoying a cocktail, people-watching, or even dancing. Food was also available at the bars. • A small casino was attached to the property, which was fun to explore. • While we didn’t visit the nightclub, it seemed to attract a lively crowd.
Pools and Beach: • The pool area was clean, well-maintained, and equipped with comfortable loungers, all of which had padded cushions. The attentive staff went above and beyond to ensure comfort and provide essentials like sunscreen and after-sun care. • The poolside food options were varied and enjoyable, with good music and occasional DJ performances. • The beach was the highlight for us. The warm, clean waters were perfect for swimming, with minimal seaweed. The beach was expansive, walkable, and dotted with small shells. Jet ski rentals were available, and we never had trouble finding chairs. Staff were happy to set up umbrellas and towels, though beachside food and drink service was slower during off-peak times.
Fitness Facilities: The gym spanned three floors and was equipped with everything you might need for a workout.
Transportation: We recommend using Uber for trips to Old San Juan, as taxis charged more than double the price.
Overall Experience: The Fairmont El San Juan is a perfect resort for sun and fun in Puerto Rico. The staff was exceptional, consistently enhancing our experience with their friendliness and efficiency. While there is a $60/day resort fee (typical of similar properties), the amenities and service justify the cost.
Bottom Line: We would gladly return for a quick, hassle-free getaway from the U.S. without the need for a passport!
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 14 Jan 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed and thoughtful review. We’re delighted to hear that you had a pleasant stay with us and appreciated the resort’s location, amenities, and our team’s service. It’s wonderful to know that our efforts to provide a peaceful and convenient experience made a positive impression on your visit. We’re glad you enjoyed the comfort of your room and the convenience of an early check-in. Your feedback regarding the bathroom lighting and magnifying mirror is greatly appreciated, and we’ll share it with our team to explore improvements. It’s also great to hear that you enjoyed the variety of dining options and entertainment available throughout the resort. Our team takes pride in creating vibrant experiences for our guests, and we’re pleased to know it added to your overall enjoyment. The pool and beach areas are always a highlight for our guests, and we’re thrilled that you found the warm waters and attentive service to your liking. Your mention of the fitness facilities and transportation tips will surely be helpful for future travelers, and we appreciate you recommending Uber as a convenient option for exploring Old San Juan. We truly appreciate your kind words about our staff’s friendliness and efficiency. Our team is dedicated to providing exceptional service, and we’re so happy to know they made a lasting impact on your experience. We look forward to welcoming you back for another quick, hassle-free getaway. Thank you once again for choosing to stay with us.
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I wanted to give this hotel a one-star review as soon as I checked in. When I made the reservation, I called and asked about connecting rooms. The hotel said if I reserved the room and included the connecting room fee, I would get connecting rooms. This caused my family and I to choose this hotel over other hotels in the area and we made our reservation over the phone with a hotel representative. However, when we arrived and were given our rooms, the rooms were not connecting. When we asked the woman checking us in, she shrugged, said they were 100% booked, and then moved us along. We didn’t receive as much as an apology or an admission that they messed up. Finally on text message, the hotel said they would try to rectify the situation, but we didn’t hear anything back from them afterward. We made the best of the situation, but this left a really bad first impression. We packed as if we were having connecting rooms and having to go back and forth between rooms, making sure we carried two room keys each time, was incredibly annoying.
However, the rest of the staff was friendly, including housekeeping, the wait staff at the restaurants, the bellhops, and the beach staff.
The beach at Isla Verde was great. Although they had a yellow flag up the entire time, I personally thought the water was calm enough for my kids. Although it is a public beach, I rarely felt haggled by vendors walking by. We had no issues getting chairs or umbrellas set up, although we did arrive by 10AM every day. It did seem busier on the weekends, and it looked like some people did not have umbrellas or chairs available if you arrived in the afternoon.
The hotel gives you a reusable water bottle to fill up with filtered water throughout the hotel. I thought that was a nice touch, so I didn’t have to buy a ton of bottled water. The restaurants were ok for lunch, and I liked that there is a Starbucks downstairs.
The hotel does cater to a crowd without kids however, with loud music being played by the pool, a casino, and a club. That tended to be the type of guests that were staying at the hotel, and I wouldn’t necessarily suggest this hotel if you are coming with kids.
Overall, I probably would have liked the Fairmont better if it wasn’t for the initial experience and the lack of response from management afterward. I know mistakes happen, but the front desk and management should be better trained to deal with situations when they are the ones who mess up.
Other: Grocery store up the street is a 5 minute walk away. Much of it was shaded, so it was not a bad walk even with the heat.
We used Uber to get around. Parking seems tough in San Juan so unless you are doing your own excursions, there is no need to rent one.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 11 Jul 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback with us. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced with the connecting rooms and for the initial impression this left. It is concerning to hear about the lack of proper communication and response from our front desk and management. Please rest assured that we are addressing this internally to ensure such situations are handled more effectively in the future. We are glad to know that despite this setback, you found the rest of our staff to be friendly and that you enjoyed the beach and amenities. Your comments about the reusable water bottles and the setup at Isla Verde beach are much appreciated. We understand your concerns regarding the suitability of the hotel for families with children and the overall atmosphere. We strive to cater to a diverse range of guests and will take your feedback into consideration as we continue to improve our services. Thank you for highlighting the local conveniences such as the grocery store and Uber services, which can be helpful for future guests. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back and provide a better experience.
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We come to Puerto Rico almost every year for the last 20 years, usually in January, but this was our first time to the El. We've always wanted to stay here, but after seeing negative reviews, we were a bit concerned.
Our first night was terrible because of noise from the room next door. Horrible, drunken women partying in the room next to us, with an adjoining door. We finally called security after asking them to keep it down, and that took care of it, until they came back even more drunk and obnoxious later that night. Needless to say, we didn't get a good night's sleep, and seriously considered leaving if things didn't change. I was afraid what i had read online might be true.
Luckily these guests from hell checked out the next morning, and when we mentioned our ordeal to Frances at the front desk, she gave us a few comps to make up for it. From there on out, our stay was absolutely wonderful and everything we wanted it to be.
We loved the multiple pools (don't miss the girl serving refreshing, free ice pops at midday!) and the beach, although there was some seaweed and the ocean was rough. The hotel doesn't control that, of course. The gym here is terrific and I got good workouts in daily.
We had a great dinner at Caña, and our waiter made terrific recommendations that pleased us tremendously. We enjoyed breakfast there one morning, too. I had the buffet and my spouse ordered off the menu: you can't make a bad choice. The fresh juices and homemade jams are amazing: look for the pineapple one! If you don't want to eat on the premises every night (we didn't), grab a sandwich, salad, or soup across the street at Sobao. That place is nice; we went twice! Or grab an Uber to Panaderia España (if you know, you go!)
Most days for breakfast though, we opted to use all the Starbucks gift cards we got for Christmas at the Starbucks in the hotel. That was such a bonus having that there. We were also very happy with the food and drinks served at the pools. Portions were large, so we often split something and felt satisfied.
We found the staff friendly and caring. Everyone seemed very focused on making guests happy and their property shine. We also enjoyed meeting some of our fellow guests, who we enjoyed talking to. Yes, there are some small maintenance issues, but it's Puerto Rico and they've had a tough go. Give them a little break, relax, and enjoy the beautiful weather and surroundings!
All we wanted was a relaxing couples week by the pool and ocean, and we got that and more. We would return.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Get a room on an upper floor away from the noisy, polular club.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 24 Jan 2025
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback about your recent stay with us. We are delighted that you chose to stay at Fairmont El San Juan for the first time, and we greatly appreciate your thoughtful review. We sincerely apologize for the disturbance you experienced on your first night. We are glad that our team was able to address the issue promptly and provide a resolution to ensure the rest of your stay was enjoyable. It’s wonderful to hear that you loved the pools, beach, gym facilities, and the refreshing ice pops! We’re also thrilled that Frances at the front desk, as well as the waitstaff at Caña, made your experience even better with their recommendations and attentive service. Your kind words about the staff and the relaxing atmosphere mean so much to us. We’ll be sure to share your comments with the team to encourage their continued dedication to guest satisfaction. We are so glad that you found the relaxing couples’ week you were looking for, and we hope to welcome you back for another wonderful stay in the future!
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Stayed for a week in January 2025 at this gorgeous, warm and welcoming property, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the rooms, the views, the service, the amenities, and all of the staff. There is a Starbucks in the lobby which held up to the quality of stateside Starbucks, there are shops where you can find exactly what you need for any occasion (I wanted a small wallet purse to hang around my neck), the lobby also becomes a happening club at night and there are restaurants and bars all over the property with friendly bartenders who will tell you stories about Puerto Rico if you strike up a convo. The elevators are fast and all 3 were working during the entire week. Fresh water is plentiful on each floor with reusable bottles that are included with your room. The hot tubs are hot, and the beach is ideal - sandy and easy to access. At night you will be asked for your room key while out walking the property and I liked this since it means they are keeping it exclusive for guests. Can't wait to come back for a non-work trip and relax and enjoy this exact location again.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 18 Jan 2025
Thank you for your glowing review! We are thrilled to hear you had such a fantastic experience at our property and that you enjoyed the views, amenities, and service from our team. It’s great to know that the Starbucks in our lobby met your expectations and that you found our shopping and dining options convenient and enjoyable. We are especially pleased that you appreciated the small touches, like the reusable bottles and the exclusivity of the property for our guests. Our team takes pride in creating a relaxing and welcoming environment, and we’re delighted that your stay reflected this effort. We look forward to welcoming you back for your next visit, whether for work or leisure, so you can once again enjoy all that we have to offer.
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The Fairmont is a beautiful hotel but our stay there was extremely disappointing. Also I'd encourage guests to read some of the 5-star reviews this property is getting. While we were at the pool, our waiter asked that we leave a 5-star review on Tripadvisor/Google with his name on it, stating that if he gets enough good reviews, he'd get promoted to bartender. I think this an exceptionally deceiving/predatory practice to boost 5 star reviews the property gets. Of course we want to do what's best for the friendly wait staff, but that doesn't encompass the actual experience at the property. MANY of the 5-star reviews mention specific waiters/bartenders/pool staff by name. That's because the reviewers were ASKED to mention their names by the staff for the sake of their own career ambitions/performance reviews. As a result, this place has a ton of 5-star reviews that were essentially teed up by management at the property by having their employees ask for those reviews.
1. For a 4-star property, they definitely missed the mark in a number of areas. Luxury is about the little details, and they miss a ton of the time. For example, multiple mornings when we came out to the pool the side tables/lounge chairs still had food debris/dirt on them from the day prior. Staff friendliness/helpfulness is very hit or miss. Room was ok....bathroom had a barn door on it, and if you closed the door it exposed some damaged dry wall with a poor paint job covering it up. Also their site makes it seems like they have multiple bars/experiences on premises, but inside the lobby there are just 3 different bars within a few yards of each other, all with different names, but essentially just all the same lobby bar.
2. Food is abysmal. We ate at the main restaurant Caña on Christmas night since we were worried about other restaurants in San Juan not being open on Christmas. Paid $100/pp for a very poorly paced, cold meal while the restaurant barely had any people in it. Service was also very bad. No explanation of what we were getting, they just dropped the food in front of us. Highlights included a lobster bisque with no pieces of actual lobster in it, and gnocchi accompanying an overcooked tenderloin that was super gummy and covered in a gross/gloopy sauce. Also the wine selection is super disappointing. High prices for bottles you'd normally find at a Walgreens.
3. SOOOO much of the real estate by their main pool is reserved day beds/cabanas that require a cost to rent and then a F&B minimum. If you don't get out to the pool on a busy day by 9AM to grab a spot you'll be out of luck as they allow guests to start throwing towels down on chairs to save them at 8:30AM, but those chairs just sit unattended most of the day.
4. Not a lot directly around the resort other than the airport. This used to be the "it" area back in the day, but I think you'd be better off staying near Condado or in Old San Juan.
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Date of stay: December 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 24 Jan 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your recent stay with us. We are deeply sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. Your comments are invaluable as we strive to continually improve and provide the exceptional experiences our guests deserve. We appreciate you highlighting your concerns regarding staff interactions and review requests. While we encourage guests to share their feedback, it is never our intention for this to detract from your experience. We will review this internally to ensure that all practices align with our commitment to authentic and exceptional service. Additionally, we regret the inconveniences you faced regarding the food, room details, and pool setup. These areas should have exceeded your expectations, and we sincerely apologize that they did not. Your feedback regarding the dining options, quality, and service is being shared with our culinary and restaurant teams for immediate improvement. It is also disappointing to hear that certain aspects of the property, such as furniture maintenance and cabana arrangements, fell short of your expectations. Please know that your comments have been shared with our leadership team to address these concerns. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention. Should you wish to discuss your experience further, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to hear from you directly and ensure your concerns are addressed. We hope you will consider giving us another opportunity to provide the luxurious and exceptional experience that so many of our guests enjoy.
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Current room we are staying in has significant water damage with soaking wet carpets. Unable to walk on carpet without socks and feet getting wet. The room clearly has previous water damage. Reported to front desk staff. Issue not resolved that day plus the next day, security latch to the door broke so we were locked out of the room for 45 minutes. Again reported the water issue to the front desk and ask to speak with a manager. Front desk spoke with the manager who I guessed authorized a resort fee refund for just 2 days but the manager themself did not speak with us. Housekeeping could not gain access to the room during the day.because of the door latch issue so I specifically asked the front desk to have house keeping service the room especially since we used all our towels wiping up the water leaking from the shower. Came back from diner 4 hours later and the room has not been serviced so no towels for tomorrow. While the staff are polite and professional, they have not been proactive to make it right which is unfortunate when you are spending hundreds of dollars a night on a hotel room. I would have thought with the soaking wet carpet they would have at least offered a different room and provide some compensation for the time we spent locked out of our room, reporting the issue multiple times and having to walk on a soaking wet carpet everytime we want to leave the room or use the bathroom.
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 3 weeks ago
Dear Gabriel P, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences you encountered during your stay, particularly regarding the water damage and the issues with the door latch. We understand how uncomfortable and frustrating this situation must have been for you. While we strive to address all concerns promptly, it is clear that we fell short in this instance, especially with housekeeping not being able to service your room as requested. Your feedback regarding communication and proactive measures from our team has been noted, and we take this matter seriously. We regret that you did not have the opportunity to speak directly with a manager, as we value direct communication with our guests. We appreciate your understanding of our staff's professionalism, and we will continue to work on improving our services to ensure a better experience in the future. Thank you for your feedback, and we hope to have the chance to welcome you back for a more enjoyable stay.
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We enjoyed one night at the hotel and would consider the property again but be more careful with my booking.
The common areas are the main attractions for this property. The casino, bars, restaurants, pools and beach offer a little something for everyone. However, we found the prices very high for the quality of the offerings but understand it takes a lot to maintain such a property.
We chose to go off property for dinner to Casita Miramar and were very pleased with the restaurant. I reviewed it separately.
One mistake I made was not paying enough attention to my booking. I booked accessible rooms that made the bathrooms less desirable for our stay. This was entirely my fault but feel it is important enough to mention. Accessible bathrooms are obviously designed for the safety and convenience of guests who need the features. Unfortunately, these design features may increase risks for those not needing the features. This particular design offered no water barrier to the entire bathroom floor. We needed to make a barrier with towels to keep the entire floor from getting wet and slippery. Once again, I booked these rooms and I am not disappointed in any way with the hotel. The intent is to simply create awareness for others.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 29 Nov 2024
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent stay at El San Juan. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed our common areas, including the casino, bars, restaurants, pools, and beach, as they are indeed some of the key attractions we take pride in offering our guests. We understand your concerns regarding the accessible room design. While these features are essential for accommodating guests with specific needs, we appreciate your perspective on how they may impact others. Your insights are valuable, and we will take them into consideration as we continue to enhance the comfort and usability of our rooms. We’re also glad to hear you had a wonderful dining experience at Casita Miramar and found it to be a highlight of your visit. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future, and please feel free to reach out to us directly if you have specific preferences for your next stay—we’d be more than happy to assist with your booking. Thank you again for your thoughtful review.
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We we were here recently for four nights and considering we paid nearly $800 on average a night I was expecting an upscale resort. While the lobby bar, restaurants and casino are nice, that’s where it ends. The hotel rooms and hallways are very dated and run down. We complained twice about our room door which had a large gape in the bottom that not only made us feel unsafe it meant we heard everything at night in the hallway. After complaining twice and again at checkout nothing was ever done and the staff was rude as if it wasn’t their problem. The bathroom was dingy and not clean. The toilet barely flushed and there was stuff all around the toilet that proved they had not cleaned it in some time. There is also no divider for the shower so the entire floor gets wet and there is no ventilation at all in the bathroom which meant mold was prevalent. The bathroom door was breaking off and wood chips laying on the floor. On several occasions in our room and in the lobby the lights went completely out. We even heard a woman screaming in the elevator when the power went out. The pool and beach area are nice and the location is great for walking but I will never stay at this resort again as there are far better places that are cheaper in the area without all the issues. This hotel needs serious renovations and better service staff at the front desk who can deal with issues better.
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 6 Feb 2025
Dear Lauren B, Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your recent stay at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. We sincerely apologize for the inconveniences you encountered, particularly regarding the condition of your room and the service you received. Your concerns about the door and bathroom cleanliness are being noted, as we strive to maintain our facilities to the highest standards. We appreciate your comments about the pool, beach area, and our location. However, it is disappointing to hear that your overall experience did not meet your expectations. We value your input and will address these issues with our team to enhance our services and facilities. Thank you once again for your feedback. We hope you will reconsider and allow us the opportunity to provide you with a more enjoyable experience in the future.
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What didn’t go wrong is a shorter list than what did go wrong. We arrived the first night to a room that did not fit the website description and wasn’t very clean. It looked like there was zero effort to vacuum the carpet and dust/wipe down the surfaces. In addition, the room felt like a cell. The website said floor to ceiling windows yet our room only had about a two feet of windows from the ceiling down, the rest being a cement wall. We arrived late and just wanted to go to sleep and figured we would talk to the hotel about the room in the morning. Little did we know sleep was not in our future. The hotel is a club, both in the lobby and at the pool, so there was music blasting from every direction which kept us up all night. After speaking to the hotel in the morning, they gave us a new room. In the process of switching rooms, the elevator broke down on us. While the hotel was helpful and timely in getting us out of the stuck elevator, it was not ideal. We spent the day at the beach and only spent time in the new room before going to dinner. In this time, the room next to us was blasting music which wasn’t an issue given it was not late but was a sign for what was to come later. In getting ready for dinner, we called for extra towels because one had a large stain on it. An hour and a half later and four phone calls with housekeeping (including one where they called to tell us towels were already sent even though we still had not received any) we finally received towels, making us late for dinner. While getting ready, we also noticed mold in the bathroom which was just another thing to add to the list of issues/dirt throughout the hotel. We arrived back from dinner ready to sleep after the sleepless night we had before only to be greeted by blasting music once again. At this point we decided our vacation would be better spent elsewhere given the previous 24 hours of problems so we booked a new hotel and left. The hotel staff was apologetic and made the exception to give us a refund for the nights we did not stay even though it was non-refundable. We confirmed the refund with them twice, in which both times they made it seem like a simple phone call from our credit card company to release the funds and we would receive the refund. Well based on all the other issues we should have known it wouldn’t be this easy. To no surprise, the credit card company had a hard time with getting the refund finalized. We spent many hours on the phone and even needed to return back to the hotel to work with the managers to get the refund process going, meaning more time of our vacation was spent around the issues with the hotel rather than moving on to enjoy ourselves elsewhere.
Moral of the story, do not stay here unless you are looking to party and stay up all night and don’t care about the cleanliness of where you are staying. We will never understand how this is considered a five start hotel and received multiple awards.
It is important to note that through all of this, the managers Gabriel and Stephanie were helpful and kind and did what they could to make the various situations better. It ultimately was not the experience we were looking for on our vacation but they deserve to be recognized for their efforts.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 23 Nov 2024
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback with us. We deeply regret that your experience did not meet your expectations and that your stay was impacted by multiple issues. It is disappointing to hear that your room, the noise levels, and the overall cleanliness fell short of the high standards we aim to provide. We understand how these challenges could affect the comfort and enjoyment of your stay, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. Rest assured, we take these concerns seriously and will review each issue carefully with the respective departments to ensure they are addressed promptly. We appreciate your acknowledgment of our managers Gabriel and Stephanie for their efforts in assisting you. Their dedication to turning around difficult situations is something we strive for, even when the overall experience may not meet expectations. While we recognize that this visit left you disappointed, we hope you might consider giving us another opportunity to provide you with the exceptional service and experience we are known for. Should you choose to return, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly so we can ensure your next stay is more enjoyable and reflective of our standards.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
My experience at El San Juan was pretty average with several disappointments. First off, the walls are very thin and starting early in the morning you’ll hear the maids talking and laughing very loudly with no regard for those sleeping in their rooms. The first night we were there we had a bottle of champagne sent up to our room for my birthday. We drank half the bottle and saved it for the next night. When we came back to our room the next day, the maids had trashed our champagne. I called the front desk to explain what had happened, she transferred me to the kitchen, showing she clearly didn’t want to deal with me. I explained again to the woman in the kitchen who said she could send another bottle to my room for $75. I told her that was absurd that we’d need to pay again because of the maids negligence and she said “I don’t have any proof of that.” So apparently I’m a liar! The next day I found that my medication was missing. We turned the whole room upside down and couldn’t find it anywhere. We got a text asking about our stay so far and I told them what had happened and that this is a big concern for my health and quite frankly so terrible as it seemed my belongings were not safe in my room. Their response was “sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.” The hotel clearly is not equipped to be at max capacity (week before Christmas). Every morning we would come down for breakfast and wait 30-45 mins to be seated and to enjoy cold, picked over food for the price of $45 per person. Our mattress was most likely 15-20 years old as it was broken in many places, lumpy and hard. The check out process took 30 minutes of standing in line with others who were also checking out or in with two people working, again the week before Christmas. It’s a beautiful hotel and the pool and restaurant staff are very polite but it truly was a s*** show and some updates need to be made.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Ramos, Guest Services / Front Office at Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
Responded 24 Dec 2024
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback with us. We deeply regret that your experience did not meet your expectations, and we sincerely apologize for the multiple inconveniences you encountered during your stay. Your concerns about noise levels, the handling of your champagne, and the response to your inquiries about missing medication are taken very seriously. This is not the level of service or care we aim to provide, and we will review these incidents with our housekeeping and front desk teams to ensure they are addressed appropriately. Regarding your experience with breakfast and wait times, we apologize for any delays you faced during the busy holiday season. We strive to provide a smooth dining experience even during peak times, and your feedback will help us improve. Please know that we are committed to addressing the issues you’ve outlined and making the necessary updates to enhance the guest experience. We truly value your comments, and while we deeply regret that your stay was less than satisfactory, we hope you might give us another chance in the future to demonstrate the exceptional hospitality we are known for.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
It’s always better to get up early and procure chairs especially if it’s a busy holiday. Pool staff are very attentive and it’s always good to tip them. They will remember who does. The pool bar is very expensive. Bring your own drinks.
Does the music get very loud at night? I want to travel with my baby but I want to be able to sleep at night and not be woken up by loud music from the club?
There are more places to choose from in the Isla Verde area.
PRICE RANGE
$815 - $1,288 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
el san juan hotel isla verde, el san juan resort and casino, el san juan hotel casino, the waldorf astoria collection carolina, el san juan hotel puerto rico
LOCATION
CaribbeanPuerto RicoCarolinaIsla Verde
NUMBER OF ROOMS
83
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Are there any historical sites close to Fairmont El San Juan Hotel?
Many travellers enjoy visiting La Placita de Santurce (5.6 km), Fortín de San Jerónimo del Boquerón (7.3 km), and La Plaza Del Mercado Santurce (5.6 km).
