Fairmont El San Juan Hotel

My husband and I had previously stayed here last year (June 2024) and had a really nice experience, so we had encouraged our group of friends to stay here again this past weekend for a group trip. What we experienced this time was completely different than before and it was very disappointing. While the hotel lobby is stunning, the woman who checked us in was not pleasant and seemed frustrated when asking questions. Aside from that, I had 2 king rooms guaranteed for my confirmations, and upon check in was told that was not possible. I can understand this if it were a certain type of rate and a disclaimer was provided, but nowhere in the confirmations received did it state that the room type was subject to change or similar. We could not get 2 rooms as confirmed because the hotel was sold out, so we obliged and got only one. The one king room we did have was very large and bed was comfortable, however, no one at the desk informed me that this room was going to be directly above the night club, open every night during the duration of our stay. We did not get more than 3 hours of sleep each night due to this- our entire room no exaggeration was vibrating from the music. The club did not close until 4am, and the first night we literally were up all night which ruined our next day and the festivities planned with our group, we felt exhausted all day. I called and made the front desk and operator aware multiple times, and once was hung up on, or the call never returned. I went to the front desk in my pajamas to address it because I had to since wasn't being handled via phone, and this was extremely uncomfortable for me in middle of the night. The front desk manager working was visibly irritated and curt, however the other woman working was very nice and trying her best (believe her name was Melani?). The front desk was unable to move us the first night since the hotel was sold out, but did the next which was appreciated....until we realized that they moved us to a higher floor but the same exact room/room number on that floor, which meant the vibration and noise could still be heard. It isn't strategic to have these rooms available with the noise disturbances- even the front desk told us this happens all the time. Extremely disappointing as we were only there a brief time (3 nights) so moving again would be a nuisance we had done that twice and it takes time. No one checked to ask how it was for us. To add to this, my husband got stuck in the elevator, which had already had someone else stuck in it I saw earlier that day. My husband was late to the event planned that evening and honestly uneasy the rest of the evening- it definitely put a damper on what was supposed to be a memorable occasion. No signs or security were posted to inform guests of this or to not use the elevator, and I am unsure as to why this matter wasn't addressed or it has been permanently fixed because if you search the reviews, this is mentioned multiple times. Security eventually got him out prying the doors open and he was stuck between floors. Security took down his name and our room number, but again no follow up to ask how he was doing or even a complimentary something to help make the situation better. While the property is mostly lovely, there are definitely some run down parts that clearly show it is not being kept up-to-date which you would expect from a noted 5 star hotel. We love Puerto Rico, and loved our experience last year, but this is definitely giving us pause to return to the Fairmont again.

I want to sincerely thank the incredible Lobby staff for making this birthday one of the best I’ve had in years! The music, food, service, and overall atmosphere were simply superb. My friends and family are still talking about the amazing night—dancing to live performances by renowned Puerto Rican singers and orchestra was an unforgettable experience! Special thanks to Jesús for his warm smile and excellent service. And a big shoutout to Fabio, the outstanding manager, whose leadership transforms the Lobby and Chico Cabaret into the perfect spot to enjoy a magical evening. Can’t wait to another occasion to celebrate!

My husband and I had a wonderful time at this resort. The management and staff were very friendly and helpful. We were able to check into our room early and received a lot of helpful information from Francisco, the concierge. We ate in 3 of the resort's restaurants, the food and service was excellent. We also had coffee and food from The Bistro where the food and service were excellent. We loved being able to walk to the beach right from the hotel and find chairs and umbrellas along with sunscreen and sunburn relief aloe. The pools were clean, warm and very relaxing. Our room was large and well appointed. The bed and pillows were extremely comfortable. We loved everything about our stay. The only thing I would suggest would be to have more food options among the restaurants. We would love to return some day.

I had a terrible experience at the Fairmont El San Juan Hotel. From the moment I arrived, the lady at the front desk was extremely rude and unprofessional. She even accused me of lying about how I booked my stay, which was both insulting and completely uncalled for. Instead of feeling welcomed, I felt interrogated. The hotel itself is far from what you would expect from a Fairmont — the rooms are extremely dated and in desperate need of updates. Overall, my trip was anything but accommodating. I would not recommend this hotel to anyone.

The Fairmont is nice. I would go back. The lobby and pool areas are the standouts. Rooms and restaurants were good. Lobby The lobby is wrapped in warm wood and has a relaxing vibe throughout the day and early evening. (I did not stay up very late or experience it on the weekend when more people may be at the bars, casino, and club.) Pools I think the hotel has well maintained pool areas. I never had to claim a pool or beach chair early in the morning or hunt for one later in the day. They had plenty. (I heard from others that the week before I was here was busier though.) The pool and beach staff provide you with a towel and walk you to a chair to help setup. Early in the morning, if there were towels on the chairs and clearly no one around, they would simply take the towel away - I like this system. No more early claiming of chairs by people not present! One improvement I would make is to have the outdoor staff walk around more often for food and drink orders. Otherwise, I think the service and maintenance staff do a great job outside. Beach The beach was good too. It's not the crystal clear type beach that you may experience at other parts of the island and the water can be rougher, but overall it was clear and fine to swim in on calmer days. Plenty of chairs and umbrellas on the beach. Food The food was decent. Nothing that blew me away but nothing to complain about. I ate at three of the hotel's restaurants. Be advised the Italian restaurant charges you for still water - tap isn't presented as an option. The morning cafe in the lobby was a good option for coffee and a light breakfast. Rooms The room was spacious. Bathroom on the smaller side. The room could have used a more thorough vacuuming and there are some spots were it is rough around the edges. If you look at some of the other traveler's photos you will see that there are good odds that you'll get a room with a view of the ugly lobby roof. I was on floor 7 and the view was better from up there since the height made the roof less noticeable. Overall I liked how close the hotel was to the airport and Old San Juan. If it's your first time visiting Puerto Rico I would stay here for a few days, do a walking tour of Old San Juan, and then hop over to Culebra or other parts of the island.