Fairmont El San Juan Hotel

Our June trip to Puerto Rico may be over, but I couldn't let more time pass without recognizing the incredible team that keeps bringing us back. There are countless beautiful beach destinations to choose from, but we return to this resort because of its people. We've now visited five times since our very first stay in 2020, and every visit feels less like checking into a resort and more like coming home to family. *The Heart of the Resort: Martin at Banyan Tree Grill. Martin is, without question, the heart of this resort. We typically take a red eye flight and arrive just as Carmen is starting her shift. This time I arrived with some friends in the evening, a few days ahead of my partner and didn't really get to sit at the Banyon Tree Grill Bar for a few days. When my partner joined me for this stay, Martin recognized him immediately and was genuinely excited to see us. He greeted us with a heartfelt excitement that instantly warmed our hearts. One of my fondest memories of Martin is from two years ago when we visited for my partner's 50th birthday. We usually visit in December, for my birthday, and he remembered that my partner loves coquito. My partner jokingly pleaded for a batch, although it was off-season. The next day, Martin had a special batch just for him. Those thoughtful gestures simply can't be taught. My partner and I can be particular, yet Martin somehow exceeds our expectations every single visit. He's warm, funny, genuine, and has an incredible ability to make every guest feel like they're his only guest. During this trip we wanted dishes from the Cana menu while dining at Banyan Tree Grill, and he made it happen...not once, not twice, but three times. Hospitality is more than great service - it's the seemingly effortless art of making people feel seen. Martin has mastered that. If I could nominate anyone for Heartist of the Year, my vote would go to him without hesitation. *Carmen at Banyan Tree Grill holds an incredibly special place in our hearts because she was the very first person we met during our very first stay in 2020 when we celebrated my 40th birthday. She made such an impression that she's become one of the biggest reasons we continue returning year after year. To this day, Banyan Tree Grill is always our first stop after checking in because we can't wait to see her. She greets us like long-lost family, remembers us no matter how much time has passed, and somehow makes every visit feel like a reunion rather than a vacation. And, of course, no trip is complete without one of her incredible frozen mango margaritas. They're still the best. People often remember resorts for their beaches or pools. We'll always remember ours because of Carmen. While Carmen and Martin consistently steal the show, I would also like to take a moment to recognize a few more shining stars on your team. *Thank you to Tara and Axel in Sales and Catering for their assistance prior to arrival, and for setting the stage for another spectacular trip. *Sarah at Front Desk, the Manager on Duty during check-in, helped arrange a room move midway through our stay so I could enjoy a poolside villa with my friends before moving to an ocean-view room when my partner arrived. It was the perfect solution and made our vacation even more special. *Derek at Front Desk gave us a warm welcome that immediately reminded us why we love coming back. *Malanie at Front Desk assisted us a few times during our stay and checked us out on departure day. She and Derek were such rays of sunshine, which came as no surprise after meeting Sarah and experiencing her warmth and upbeat personality. *Gabriel at Cana somehow remembered me from two years ago and anticipated our needs before we even had to ask. *Javi at the pool always found us the best sunny chairs (he remembers how much I love soaking up the sun!) and greeted us each day with the warmest welcome back. *Sheila remembered us from our trip celebrating my partner's 50th birthday two years ago. She is endlessly kind, always smiling, and truly makes the pool feel welcoming. *Ephrain at the swim-up bar was a wonderful surprise this trip. We usually spend our time at Banyan Tree Grill with Carmen, getting out of the pool to refill our tumblers with her. On her days off this trip, we discovered the swim-up bar. Before long, he knew exactly what we'd be ordering - and I have to admit, his cocktails gave Carmen's a serious run for her money. We were sorry that we didn't get a chance to thank him for his hospitality in person before we left, as it was his day off. *Jose Luis at the Chandelier Bar made every evening even better with fantastic cocktails and friendly conversation. *Finally, thank you to Yenia at the Spa. I spent much of the trip dealing with carpal tunnel and sciatica pain, and her massage was nothing short of miraculous. I walked out feeling like I was floating. It was one of the best massages I've ever had. Thank you to everyone who made another vacation unforgettable. We jokingly say that we need to stop vacationing like we don't have passports. Beautiful beaches are easy to find. A team that remembers your names, your favorite drinks, your celebrations, and makes you feel like family is priceless. That's why we'll keep coming back.

Let me start by saying there are no complaints about the pool areas and the beach access. The lobby and the first floor are easy on the eyes, the food that we had was on par, but the room conditions are okay. The food and drink are prices and to have visible signs of wear and tear in the rooms are unacceptable. If your going to up charge me on food and drink the room should be amazing. We had a large group and everyone has the same thoughts and I just want to share an honest opinion on a great weekend.

I booked a weekend vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico for my birthday. I selected the Fairmont Hotel, because it was a recommended hotel on the Jetblue Vacation site. It was described as a 4-Star luxury hotel on the hotel's website. I selected the Signature Ocean View room because it was described as having "a full ocean view." I was expecting a weekend to remember. The package cost me $756 and 55,000 reward points which was the equivalent of $1200 US dollars. Upon arrival, the hotel was far from 4-Star. It was dirty, crowded, and badly in need of maintenance. The room itself was not as advertised and had a distant peekaboo view of the ocean and a full view of a dirty rooftop. Not at all like the photograph on the website. This was a complete false advertising situation. The front desk and the manager claimed it was nothing they could do. JetBlue customer service said they would "allow me to use my departure flight" but if I decided not to stay, no refund or points credit was available. I couldn't stay in a hotel maintained in that condition. Moreover, I would never have booked the location if more honesty and transparency was provided.

My mom book a last minute trip - and last minute I decided to join. She booked the hotel through Expedia. When we got here I gave them my credit card for the incidentals which is exactly what the guy at the front desk said. The charged my card $100 plus $11. Next day they charged my card again for $280 and some change. Then they changed my card again. We went downstairs to see what was really going on. They said it was their amenities fees they charge daily. Hmmm the same amenities every other 4-5 star has already included in their prices. WiFi is free daily and you will get kick off daily and they will charge you $24 for extra days. Waiters are hard to find at the pool. Now we went downstairs for the third time paid for the whole amenities fees up front so they would stop with the random charges. But to my surprise they still kept charging my card. I happen to be out the mall shopping on our last day. Boom they charged my card $500. These people are scammers and really unethical. They told me they would take my card off so they would stop charging me but they still were charging me. Mind you were paying all our food cash not adding anything to the room. I will NEVER come back.

My husband and I just returned from a long weekend at the Fairmont El San Juan to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and just had to share what an amazing time that we had! This was our first trip to Puerto Rico, so we wanted to keep it simple by staying close to the beach and airport. I was nervous about our choice after reading some of the reviews, but we couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised by the beauty, hospitality, and overall atmosphere of this hotel. We landed at the airport, took a super quick uber trip, and had our toes in the sand within the hour. The property has four lovely pools, two hot tubs, many restaurants and bars, shops, gym, spa, a nightclub, casino, and a gorgeous private beach. Our king room was huge, clean, and comfortable. What made the stay exceptional though was the staff. Everyone was so friendly, kind, and welcoming. We have to shout out the multiple staff members who helped make our trip so memorable. Coralys at the front desk, Vivian and Omir at the outside bar, Amanda at the pool/towels station, Marco at the beach bar, and Laura on the cleaning staff. Thank you for giving us a weekend in San Juan that we will never forget! We hope to someday return.