I just got back from a week long stay at the Radisson San Juan. I had read some bad reviews here and was slightly nervous about my pick but overall the hotel was just what I expected it to be!

The taxi from the airport was $16. We checked in at the lower lobby without a problem. We had read that we could check in upstairs at the Ambassador Club but it wasn’t busy so we didn’t have to worry about that.

We had a one bedroom suite in the Ambassador Club. The living room had a seating area, desk, TV, sink, and small fridge. The bedroom had a sleep number bed and another TV. The bathroom was a decent size. We never had turn down service with chocolates or the robes that are advertised but I didn’t bother asking for these services. From our balcony we could see the ocean in a couple spots and actually could see the ocean from our bed. The décor was not fancy at all but all I was looking for was a somewhat roomy place to stay in close to Old San Juan with a refrigerator. The hotel was pretty clean.

The nightly happy hour is from 5:30-8:30 with some appetizers – cheese, veggies, small sandwiches and a hot breaded ham and cheese something. The drinks are on an honor system so you pour them yourselves and record what you drink. The manager’s special is on Thursday from 5-8pm (the book in the room says it’s on Wednesday). Free drinks and about twice as much food including a pasta dish and salmon pieces. This was the one time we saw the Ambassador Club crowded! We just came back from the beach and were the most down dressed people there!

The continental breakfast in the Ambassador Club included cold cereal, fresh fruit, cooked oatmeal, bagels, and muffins. There’s a coffee machine with good cappuccinos and lattes! The deal I booked on Radisson’s website included two eggs cooked any way and choice of breakfast meat. The two desk clerks I talked to didn’t know what I was talking about. I probably could have talked to a manager but instead I called my travel agent and she straightened everything out for us. Somehow it got us access to the full buffet (which cost $13) in the Grill which was pretty good. It annoyed me that the deal that was advertised was difficult to get. Remember to PRINT out a copy for your records – and to prove to the hotel workers what you are supposed to get!

The pool at the roof level was pretty cool! We took towels from the pool area with us to the beach multiple days. The lounge bar had people in it most every night. There was live entertainment every evening. Apparently this is where locals come for a casino and entertainment.

There isn’t a concierge in the hotel which disappointed me. The operator, Mannie, was helpful with restaurant ideas and provided a map with many restaurants and other businesses listed on it. There was also a tour desk which was manned by a Sunshine tour representative. We booked a tour through the rep to the BioBay in Fajardo. We were transported to Fajardo in a 15 person van and kayaked thru mangroves to a lagoon. Here the little critters in the water glow when disturbed! Very cool!

The thing I liked the best about this hotel was it’s LOCATION!!! The Condado area was a great place to be for a week. We tried three different beaches within walking distance of this hotel and each one was better than the next. The small beach which is the closest was the first one we hit. Pretty rocky and very small. The next beach we went to was about a mile walk away on Ashford Ave, the Condado Bridge Beach. There were rocks blocking the waves from the beach and made the beach very calm. There was a bit of seaweed farther into the bay but a great beach with plenty of water to play in. We rented beach chairs for $4 each and had a great afternoon here. The last beach we went to was by the Marriott. We accessed the beach on the street just past the Marriott. It was a nice long beach with fun waves. Rented beach chairs here for $3 each. This was the best beach of the three we went to.

The restaurants in Condado were also great! We went to Yerba Buena (good mojitos), and Mmmo’s Argentinan Grill (try the combo that includes eight types of meats – and the sangria was great!), and Danny’s International Café (good pizza). We also went to Bangkok Bombay (a Thai & Indian place), and Ikakos (great seafood). My favorite restaurant was Bebo’s. It’s a place where the locals go and looks like a big cafeteria. The Mofongo here was awesome! Mofongo is mashed plantain with seafood or chicken mixed in. All these restaurants were no more than a 10 minute walk away from the Radisson. There is also a Burger King, Subway and Starbucks close by for those that want familiar food. We couldn’t find too much nightlife in this area but Old San Juan is only a $12 cab ride away and it sounded like there was tons of nightlife there.

Condado is a mostly residential location. There are more condos than hotel rooms in this area. It was great eating outside a restaurant and seeing people walking their dogs, going for a run (lots of runners), or taking the baby for a walk. There were only a couple of panhandlers and they weren’t bothersome at all. I felt very safe walking along Ashford Ave all day and night.

I am most definitely going back to San Juan and plan to stay in the Condado area. I might stay in the Radisson if a good deal is being offered.

All in all the Radisson is a decent, basic hotel. It was clean, the people working were nice enough, the hotel bar had entertainment every night, the breakfast was OK and the pool was cool. The Radisson is NOT a resort! Do NOT expect bend over backwards treatment. Do NOT expect fancy rooms. If your expectations are a basic hotel room in a great area with close access to the beach then you’ll be fine here!

Me and my friends were visiting Puerto Rico for the Fisrt time. We were going for a three day concert Of Olga Tanon. The Hotel was ncie, since we had an ambasaddors room we had to check in the Penthouse upstairs. That was not an issue , the receptionists did not greet us with a smile nothing, seemed like she was bored of her job. But it was ok checking in, like 5 minutes. our room was in the 6 floor. when the elveator open it was a beautiful grand entrance, i liked the room very much, it had a small fridge too. The balcony was nice but i wished the view was to the beach its not but the great thing about it around the corner two blocks away is access to a beautiful beach. room serice came everyday, we had towels , water, and chocolates everyday. on the street were the hotel is ashford avenue tehre is alot of restaurants and nightlife there. Really nice. I had no problems throughout my stay.The pool upstaris is nice and there are chairs and free towels, also the business center is very accesible. teh view form the top is great...I would recommend

My husband and I stayed here before a flight to Dominica earlier this year. The location was outstanding but the hotel itself left room for much improvement. Based on the physical structure of the building we assumed it was not constructed to be a Radisson. It has an overall feeling of “disjointedness”. The taxi dropped us at the entrance to the hotel which is actually on the side of the building. There was no one to greet us and help with luggage. This would present a problem for older guests or people with disabilities. The lobby entrance is dark, thick with cigarette smoke and generally feels dreary.

We paid for Ambassador’s Club level services and it was a waste of money. The room itself was average and the bathroom was tiny. However, on the plus side, the Sleep Number bed was outstanding. We were supposed to have complimentary bathrobes and had to call for them. Another service we paid for was nightly turndown service which we never received. The room safe did not work properly so we requested service. The “expert” came and whatever he did left the safe still not working. Hot breakfast was supposedly included with the cost of the room; it was not.

The hotel is constructed in such a way that many things simply do not “flow” physically. One selling point for the Ambassador’s Club is private check-in and check-out but this is done on the top floor of a separate tower. The swimming pool and billiards room are also located in a separate tower. We expected that at the very least they would provide a written explanation of where things were located on the property but that didn’t happen. This made for a frustrating stay to say the least.

Overall, we felt we paid far too much money for what we received. We’ve stayed at much cheaper hotels with nicer accommodations and better service. Checkout was a zoo and the clerk was not the least bit concerned that we were dissatisfied. We were scheduled to stay at the Radisson on our way back from Dominica but changed our hotel.

Completely separate from the Radisson, the location is outstanding. There are several stores and some great restaurants within walking distance – be sure to check out Yerba and the Asian Fusion restaurant down the street. The local bus (Number 21) costs only 75 cents and goes to Old San Juan. If you feel like walking about an hour, you can walk to Old San Juan. The beach is a couple of blocks from the hotel.

We strolled along the main street at night and never felt threatened in terms of safety. There were always tourists and joggers out and about. We do not recommend the Radisson but do highly recommend this area of San Juan.

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.