Caribe Hilton

I wanted to love this hotel but I just like it. If you are seeking a pristine paradise it may not meet all your needs. The location is lovely and the pools, beach setup, extended stunning grounds and wildlife are impressive. The real basics like availabiliry of elevators, quality of the food offerings, water leaks and aged decor are not acceptable to those of us who are looking to escape those concerns. I love the history of this resort and am glad I tried it.

We encountered deplorable conditions and repeated service failures at the Caribe Hilton San Juan property. This is intended to clearly document a series of serious issues and service failures that have significantly detracted from what we expected to be a comfortable, relaxing, and professionally managed Hilton experience. Our very first impression occurred very late Tuesday evening due to flight delays at check-in. Both receptionists were occupied, one assisting my partner and me, the other helping a woman with children. Behind us in line was a man, accompanied by an extremely young woman wearing very little, while we were being assisted the man became in line became increasingly agitated due to the wait. In his frustration he openly stated that he was “paying by the minute” for the young woman and should not have to wait, then went to seek assistance elsewhere. This inappropriate and uncomfortable behavior went unchecked and set an alarming and unsettling tone on our arrival. Upon reaching the fourth floor where our room was, we were immediately struck by a strong and unmistakable stench of mold throughout the hallway. This alone raised concerns about cleanliness and air quality. Once inside our assigned room, additional problems became evident: • There was no hot water during our first 2 days. • The in-room safe did not function. • After returning from a long day walking throughout Old San Juan, our room key pad failed entirely, leaving us locked out. • Exhausted, we were forced to return to the lobby, wait again in line, then wait in the hallway for maintenance assistance. In addition, we specifically requested a room with a view. While the room technically faces outward, the view is obstructed by an enormous television screen positioned directly in front of what should be the room’s primary feature… the ocean. I have a television at home. I cannot see the ocean from home. Placing a large television screen directly in front of the best and most valuable aspect of this room completely undermines the purpose of requesting and paying for a view. The condition of the bathroom is particularly unacceptable for a Hilton-branded property. The shower is visibly dated and poorly maintained by hotel construction standards. The shower rod is corroded with rust and disgusting. The shower corners are discolored and walls are cracked and separating. There is nowhere to properly hang towels, the mounts have been removed, leaving exposed holes in the wall. Hanging towels on the shower curtain rod is clearly not a hygienic option so we hung them from clothes hangers. Additionally, the shower curtain is a dime-store flimsy, stained, water-absorbing curtain that allows water to pool on the bathroom floor… nearly a quarter inch after a shower if both curtains aren’t moved inside the tub. This is not only inconvenient but unsafe. The toilet seat lid slams shut, despite the widespread availability of inexpensive soft-close solutions that would easily remedy this issue. On Thursday the 8th of January, at approximately noon, another troubling experience occurred at the interior bar. In an effort to avoid the long line outside by the pool, I approached the indoor bar to order drinks for my partner and myself. The gentleman directly in front of me behind the bar made no acknowledgment of my presence whatsoever. No greeting, no eye contact, leading me to discern that he wasn’t the bartender. I said hello, he returned a brief hello and immediately looked away again. His behavior was so dismissive that I then assumed the bar might be closed. Only when I explicitly asked if I could order a drink fully expecting he’d say, “we are closed”did he respond with, “Sure, what do you want.” At no point did he demonstrate even the most basic standards of hospitality. In customer service, particularly in a hotel bar, the instinct should be to welcome guests, not ignore them. Equally concerning is that our experience was not unique. These issues were widely discussed among our group and echoed repeatedly at every table and in every shared conversation by other guests we met. It was genuinely shocking to realize that our experience was not singular, but part of a broader pattern observed by multiple guests. For clarity and documentation, I have enclosed images that clearly show the conditions and issues referenced above. These images accurately reflected the state of the room and facilities as described. To be clear, housekeeping, the maintenance staff, and the lobby staff we interacted with were courteous and helpful within the limits of what they could control, and they deserve recognition for their efforts. However, their professionalism alone is not sufficient to overcome the systemic issues present at this property. Given the distance traveled, the expectations associated with the Hilton brand, and the conditions we encountered, we would not recommend this hotel to anyone. Not friends, not colleagues, and certainly not fellow business owners seeking rest and reliability.

I was worried about this hotel before checking in because of the negative reviews, and unfortunately, they turned out to be true. We stayed for seven nights during winter break. We’ve traveled to many islands and resorts, and this was easily our least favorite stay due to the consistently poor service. The housekeeping staff did a great job and were the highlight of our stay. One positive experience was the bartender by the pool, who was great and provided friendly service. Unfortunately, the rest of the main lobby bar staff seemed too busy to acknowledge guests—we had to wave down three different servers just to order drinks, and the service was terrible. In addition, the hotel itself is old and the resort feels run down, which further took away from the overall experience. Overall, the lack of attentive service and the condition of the property impacted our stay, and I definitely would not recommend this hotel.

We stayed here as a family and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. Upon arrival, we were placed in a room type that was not what we had paid for. We booked an ocean-view room through Chase Rewards, but due to a reservation mix-up we were given a resort-view room instead. To address this initial issue, the hotel agreed to let us check out two nights early and refunded those two nights. More concerning were additional issues that arose during the stay and were not addressed in real time. The original room was extremely dirty, with visible dust on surfaces and in corners throughout the room. We raised these cleanliness concerns multiple times with the front desk, but no corrective action was taken. On night four, we were moved to an ocean-view room. While we were excited about the change, this room had a broken glass shower door. Each time the shower was used, water flooded the bathroom floor, creating a dangerously slippery situation. Despite notifying the hotel, no one came to repair the door during the two nights we remained there. At checkout, after raising concerns about the unresolved shower door, the hotel waived the resort fees for the five nights we stayed. While this gesture was appreciated, it came only at checkout and did not address the lack of cleanliness or the unresolved maintenance issue during the stay itself. Overall, the lack of cleanliness, delayed maintenance, and poor follow-through significantly impacted what should have been a relaxing family vacation.

We always have a great time here, and the service is always excellent. We got to see Hiram A., our favorite bartender at Bagua. Love the beach and the pool, and the access to OSJ. Go see for yourself!