my husband and i loved our stay at the acacia. it was the perfect, relaxing, quiet get away. the hotel was adorable--very clean, wonderfully decorated and designed, and RIGHT on the beach!! the hot tub was amazing and overlooks the ocean--incredible. the staff was amazing, palmira is the sweetest and SO incredibly helpful. the hotel is close to everything that san juan and the neighboring areas have to offer, yet its located in a quiet residential area for a relaxing get away. we loved our stay here and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see the best that san juan has to offer without having to sacrifice a comforting and serene atmosphere. if you are considering staying here--think about it no more and just book it!!

We did a lot of research before traveling to San Juan, and the Acacia turned out to be a great value. The rooms are nicely appointed, the proximity to the beach is great, the staff is friendly and attentive, the common areas are cool, and the hot tub is just gorgeous. We really liked staying so close to Ocean Park, as we got to hang out on the "local" beach, away from the noise and tourist traps on the strip.

Only downside are the food options...the breakfast buffet at the Wind Chimes is not worth $11.95, when you can walk down the street to Pinky's or Kasalta for a great, inexpensive meal. We also tried the on-site restaurant, Niche, and while the space was beautifully designed, we were unimpressed with the bar, the service was distracted (surprising given that there were only two parties in the restaurant the night we were there), and the food was inconsistent (one excellent entree, one just middling). Walk down the beach to Pamela's if you're looking for a splurge meal.

I just came back from 3 nights at the Acacia Seaside Inn. Over the last two years, I've stayed at pretty much every single guesthouse in Ocean Park and Condado, but this was my first time staying at the Acacia (Numero Uno was booked, and so was At Wind Chimes Inn - they in turn referred me to the Acacia). Overall, the rooms and common areas at the Acacia are by far the nicest. The owners clearly take great pride in their property, and this is evident in the general upkeep and cleanliness of the Inn, and the friendliness of the staff. The rooms are comfortable, with nice touches such as plasma TVs, the bathrooms are large and well-appointed, and the proximity to the beach is second only to Numero Uno. In terms of price/quality, I'd be hard-pressed to come up with better value.

What could have been a great stay, however, was ruined by the incessant noise that came every single night from the spa/pool area. Part of the problem is that the spa, while officially closed after 11:00pm, is accessible at all hours of the day and night. One night, I was awoken at 4:30am by a group of drunken guests who kept partying in the hot tub until 6:00am. Part of the problem is also because the Inn is not staffed after 11:00pm, so there is no one on site to keep things calm. Calls to the front desk of At Wind Chimes Inn, the sister property down the street, resulted in sympahetic apologies, but nothing more was done about it.

The biggest problem, however, seems to be that the Acacia hasn't quite figured out what it wants to be. By tolerating loud drunken behavior (and since I'm not the first reviewer to write about it, it points to the fact that it's an ongoing issue), management is implicitly condoning it. If they want to be a "party-type" hotel and rent rooms to large groups, so be it. That said, they can't be all things to all people, and they need to realize that this choice comes at the expense of guests who like me, are just looking to relax in peace and quiet. It' a shame, really, and I hope they do something about it.

I know, I know: coolness and charm seem incompatible, yet the Acacia pulls it off. I hesitate raving about the Acacia for fear Staters will inundate the place, expecting Wifi, slick tv's throughout and a concierge who kisses your Chihuahua in three different languages. But I owe a debt to Trip Advisor for the reviews I had read about both this hotel and its sister hotel and want to thank the entire staff of these inns for their warmth.

I too had booked a room in At Wind Chimes, Acacia's sister hotel a half-block away. Instead, I was given a room at the Acacia. Wind Chimes would have been fine and, in fact, I spent a good amount of time in their tropical bar and the pool (small but wonderful atmosphere). I didn't see any of Wind Chimes's rooms but the rest of the hotel was wonderful. Like Acacia, there were plenty of little places to escape with a book or with someone else. Everyone on the staff was extremely welcoming. Allen and Mario at the Wind Chimes outdoor bar were beyond wonderful, attentive without being obsequious and just plain a lot of fun to hang around.

And so was the staff at Acacia: Felix and the great women behind the desk as well as the terrific waitress at Niche, the hotel restaurant, were as accommodating as could be. The restaurant, as we say in Boston, was wicked awesome. It's so hard to describe the ambience but think the coolest boutique hotel restaurant, with granite walls and mood lighting from floor (actually under the floor) to ceiling. The ceviche was tremendous beyond words. But the place is beautifully small so do reserve a table; it probably seats less than 25 people, including the bar.

Actually, one of the best meals I had in the Condado was at a local, family restaurant about 3 1/2 blocks away from the ocean, a left off of Taft Street and a few doors on the other side of the Esso. It doesn't sound glamourous and it's not, but its bright local color and fresh fish are not to be missed. Sorry, the name escapes me.

Calling the Acacia's hot tub a tub is like calling the Atlantic Ocean a pond. It's as big as the pool at Wind Chimes, more like a giant, meandering spa. Check out the photos someone else has included in their review on this site. At night the "tub" glistens and you float into heaven, buoyed by the salt water and tranquilizing minerals.

My room was fanatastic. I didn't go to Puerto Rico to watch tv, play with my Blackerry or demand that people treat me like an entitled American. And I don't mind not hanging my clothes up for a week. If you miss a closet, you're packing too many clothes. It's very hot in PR. The sea breeze betrays a scorching sun. I lay in the shade under a palm tree at the end of Taft street for about 45 minutes and got a hell of a burn. Keep the summer sweaters in your closet at home; you'd feel overdressed in the Condado.

When I was there the surf was especially high and pretty violent. I'm a strong swimmer and I had a tough time with the undertow. The locals respect the beach in this part of the island and there's a reason very few people go in the ocean here, and never stray out too far. It's just too dangerous, definitely not a place for children. But the sound of that surf, frenzied by the night winds, with palm tress licking at the moon, is incredibly seductive--nature's tango.

I could go on and on. This is just my kind of place, but I concede it is not for everyone. The Acacia is still undergoing renovations and you cannot make or receive long distance calls in your room, my room anyway. If you're accustomed to the conveniences of the States and like the predictability of Starbucks, TGI Fridays and Marriot, if you are intolerant of anyone that doesn't speak American, you'll find a reason to be inconvenienced. You know who you are and don't stay here. As a matter of fact, just stay in Disney where no doubt the closets are ample. Save nirvana for the rest of us.