We stayed here for one night prior to a cruise out of San Juan. I have stayed in various Radisson hotels on business over the years, but this one really does not fully measure up to their usual standards.

We arrived quite late on a flight from Atlanta, together with about 25 others. It took well over an hour to get checked in. Despite knowing that they had a lot of late-evening arrivals (they acknowledged this), there was only one person plus a junior/trainee on reception. There were however plenty staff in the casino - maybe this says something about their priorities.

The rooms and public areas are fine, if a little jaded and careworn. Service was generally poor - there were not nearly enough staff covering breakfast so tables were not being cleared to make way for new arrivals - who had either to stand and wait, or start clearing tables themselves . But the real kicker was that they completely ran out of clean cutlery and started handing out sets of cheap plastic cutlery!! This is not the Radisson standard that I am used to.

In summary - fine for one night if you have to, but at this price you could do a lot better - there is no excuse for inadequate service at this level of hotel.

I stayed here for six nights in February '08. I booked my reservation directly with the hotel and had a suite on a concierge floor. Part of the attraction was that the package included complimentary continental breakfast, and also an honor bar/happy hour.

When I arrived for check-in, I was told I that because I had an Ambassador Club reservation, I should check in upstairs in the club, located on the penthouse level. Unfortunately, I wasn't directed to the proper elevator bank, so it took me a while to find the right place. There a woman was waiting with the key to my room. I'd been told downstairs that she would explain all of the amenities due to me, but she had little to say, and only answered my questions with as short a reply as she could muster. Not my best first impression. Also, it seemed counter-productive to send me up to the penthouse to check in, only to have to go back downstairs to my room, all the while toting my luggage.

I stayed in a mini-suite on the 7th floor. The living room had a TV, desk and chair, two arm chairs with an ottoman, a fridge and wet bar with a complimentary bottle of water. The front room had no windows and was rather dark, but the bedroom was bright and sunny, with ocean views off the balcony, another TV, a loveseat, a king-sized sleep number bed, and plenty of storage space. I found the decor rather staid, though, brown tweeds and greens, not the brighter, more tropical color scheme I would have expected. Nevertheless, everything was clean and seemed to be in working order, and I loved sitting on the balcony in the evenings listening to the sound of the coqui.

It was convenient having plenty of cabs lined up outside the hotel whenever I needed to go anywhere. There are plenty of restaurants of a nice variety within walking distance, and Ashford Avenue is sort of the main drag in Condado for restaurants. However, if you're looking for souvenir shops this is not the place to be. The beach is only about a block and a half away, but there were high surf warning signs posted, and I saw only a few people on the sand. Also, the winds were so strong it was almost unpleasant to be down there.

I tried the happy hour the first night. You fill out your own bill, which then gets added to your room charge. The bar is moderately stocked, and it's all do-it-yourself. Mixed drinks were somewhere around $4.25, but I paid $2.25 just for a small bottle of ginger ale. The hors d'oeuvre were nothing to write home about: some cheese cubes with crackers, crudites, and one hot dish of sliced sausages with onions. The continental breakfast the next morning was slightly better appointed, with fruit, hot & cold cereals, yogurt, breads and pastries. However, I didn't take advantage of either service after the first time.

When I wanted a heartier breakfast I ate in the Ambassador Grill, which is only reached by going all the way downstairs and crossing over to a separate elevator that only takes you there. They have a pretty comprehensive breakfast buffet for something like $12.95. I went to happy hour at the grill once as well. It's 2-for-1, and on Thursdays it's ladies' night at the lobby bar, where ladies drink free. We tried to go there, but the live entertainment was so loudly horrendous that we retreated to the calmer environs of the restaurant. I wasn't impressed with any of the live entertainment I saw during my stay there, although the small lobby lounge was always full. A better choice is to go to the Marriott in Condado. On Saturday nights they have live salsa and merengue bands in the Lobby Lounge, and huge bar area as soon as you enter the property. Drinks and entertainment were much better than at the Radisson, and it's only about a 5-10 minute walk away.

I found the staff friendly enough and very responsive the couple of times I called upon them, other than the woman working in the Ambassador Club. I also had turndown service in the evenings. My only complaints were that the elevators really did not work well. The one in the restaurant refused to go down one day when I was on it. When I went back to the hostess station to report it, she didn't seem surprised at all, and directed me out through a back way. Also, the single elevator that served the tower in which I was staying would often balk before it would finally go downstairs. Also, while my friend on the 8th floor said she couldn't hear a thing in her regular room, there was this annoying noise coming from either upstairs or next door to my room the entire time I was there, at all hours. So that, combined with the fact that I couldn't seem to identify my "sleep number", led to some restless nights.

I would recommed this hotel, but not overly enthusiastically. I am already planning another trip back, but this time plan to stay in Old San Juan. That's where I ended up taking cabs to most of the time, and at $12 a pop I figure I might as well stay down there next time.

This hotel is fine for a stay of a night or two (we stayed there one night before our cruise), but if you're planning an extended stay in San Juan there are much better choices.

The hotel is in the heart of the city so there is no view of the ocean or easy beach access, but there is a roof top pool if you want to swim or enjoy the sun. The casino on the first floor appears to be popular wih the locals.

The lobby is small and a bit gloomy, and the staff at the desk is not particularly friendly. A little more smiling and a few pleasantries would go a long way towards improving the welcome. I imagine they must get a lot of people pre/post cruise because the attitude of the staff is to get you processed without fanfare and get your luggage out of the small lobby.

We arrived in the early afternoon and were given what must be the most undesirable room in the hotel (or at least I hope there are none worse). The entire view from our balcony was the equipment for the hotel's cooling system and the roar of the compressors was very loud (our balcony was virtually unusable because of the roar). There was also a large spotlight mounted on the wall outside our balcony which made it very bright at night. I suspect the hotel would have given us a discount if we had complained but since we were only there for one night we didn't bother. (I recommend you request a room away from the AC equipment when you make your reservations--the noise is quite loud and a light sleeper would not have a restful night).

The room was a bit dark but nicely decorated and was comfortable. When we first arrived in our room we found the carpets covered with a sticky powder of some sort, but in all fairness after we called housekeeping a lady quickly appeared with a vacuum cleaner and the carpets looked fine afterwards. Otherwise, the room was clean and well maintained and the bathroom was very basic but spotlessly clean.

This hotel is an okay choice if you need a convenient place to stay before your cruise (the cruise docks are about 5 minutes away by taxi) and it is within walking distance of several dining spots and shops. There is a terrific place for breakfast just block away which will serve you a delicious full breakfast and a killer cup of cafe con leche for about $7.

All in all, we would probably stay there again but I would make double, triple sure to get a room away from the mechanical equipment.

We stayed one night pre cruise. Fine hotel for one night, but no more. Front desk staff rude. I had a regular room reserved and wanted to see about upgrading to their club level. All I got out of my mouth was any chance to get a room on the club level. I couldn't even finish saying I would pay to upgrade. He must have thought I wanted to get the upgrade for free. Immediately he spit out NO. They were not sold out, had plenty of rooms open as a met someone later that night that book a room off the street on the club level. They advertise sleep number beds in all rooms. That is a lie. Only the suites have them. Our room faced the burger king and we could here the drive through window orders while sitting on the balcony. Only one elevator worked. Drinks in casino bar were expensive. I don't mind paying, but not $8.50 per drink in a plastic cup with hardly any booze in it. Starbucks is close by and a few restaurants. Beach is a block away, however not very good. Only about 10 minuted ride to old san juan. Plenty of Cabs waiting outside.