The Royal Sonesta San Juan

LOVE THIS HOTEL! My husband and I visit every year on our anniversary. Love the food, the beach, the proximity to the airport and most of all the excellent customer service!

Just want to give a shout out to our room attendant H. Donaire. He was super friendly, attentive, and prompt assuring that we had everything we needed in our room during our five-night stay.

I visited the Royal Sonesta as a solo traveller in January 2026, and on balance, had a very enjoyable stay. Location - I booked the Royal Sonesta because I was seeking a classic resort hotel with direct beach access, and in this aspect it did not disappoint. The location is fantastic: the area is safe, only 5 minutes in an Uber from the airport/15 minutes from Old San Juan, with good local amenities (convenience stores/pharmacy just across the road) and the hotel is right on one of the best beaches in San Juan. Isla Verde beach itself is clean and has a great buzzy atmosphere, although it's worth noting that the sea is often rough and there are no lifeguards on duty, so it's not well suited to families with young children - strong, confident swimmers only, otherwise you should stick to paddling. Environment and facilities - The first thing which strikes you about the hotel is that the grounds and public areas are incredibly well maintained. The lobby is spacious with an inside/outside bar. The pool and surroundings are immaculate, surrounded by lush mature vegetation, with a swim-up bar, and as you approach the beach gate, you'll encounter the 'Ocean Breeze' restaurant - a true gem, as it's the only restaurant in the area which is actually on the beach! I was particularly impressed by the pool, which is thoughtfully laid out in a lagoon style, mostly at a depth of 3ft, with a deeper 6.5ft section large enough to swim some decent lengths. Around the edge of the pool, there are plenty of spots for lounging in the water, with steps and water loungers in the sun for most of the day. There is also a hot tub. I found the vibe around the pool to be wonderfully relaxed: the music was at a reasonable volume, staff often passed by asking if you wanted anything, and a particular delight was the wildlife - the Sonesta is a little wildlife haven, and it's common to see lizards of varying sizes wandering around the pool. I was able to find a free sun lounger every day. The gym is located beside the pool area, and is well appointed with a gorgeous view over the beach. Drinks and dining - I didn't have breakfast during my stay, but I did sample some of the other offerings. The lobby bar is open late and gives the opportunity to sit inside or outside. There is a small convenience-style cafe in reception also, where you can pick up takeaway food and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) at reasonable prices. The 'Akua' pool bar has a big selection of frozen cocktails and is a good spot for lunch, while the 'Ocean Breeze' beachfront restaurant provides a similar menu in a slightly smarter setting. If I have one regret it's the fact that this restaurant isn't open later - I would have loved to have dinner by the beach one night, but it closes at 7pm. Overall though, I really appreciated the variety of drinking/dining options available, and didn't find myself bored even after 5 days of lounging by the pool and eating lunch on site. Rooms - I had a king room, which was excellent in many ways. The room was huge with a separate seating area (+ remarkably comfy sofa), table and chairs, comfy bed, spacious bathroom and ample storage. The balconies are small and do not have furniture, although I did find that it was just about possible to squeeze one of the room chairs out there! And the ocean view is to die for. Unfortunately, there are some ways in which the rooms don't quite meet the 'luxury' expectations of the resort. Although the bathroom was spotlessly clean, there were some signs of wear and tarnish, some spots mould on the grout and ceiling, and the shower leaked quite impressively, fully soaking the bath mat every time I used it. Overall this wasn't hugely offputting, but don't expect the rooms to look freshly refurbished. Another bugbear of mine was the coffee maker, which was sat in a shelving unit which was too small. In order to actually operate said coffee maker, you had to manoeuvre it off the shelf and perch it precariously on the edge while trying to lift the lever and insert the pod. Due to so many people doing this, the edge of the shelf had ended up chipped and worn. Again, not a major inconvenience, but it was clearly something which hadn't been thought through. Meanwhile, although there were drinking glasses in the room, the only option for coffee was a pair of paper cups. So many hotels provide proper mugs for your morning brew, and this was one little way in which it felt like luxury was lacking. There are fridges in the rooms, but no mini-bar, so if you arrive late as I did and find yourself desperately in need of a nightcap, your only option is to walk across to the convenience store over the road. Unfortunately, the ice machine on my floor wasn't working either. Service - Overall, I found the staff to be pleasant and helpful during my stay, and housekeeping was good. There was one experience, however, which put a major dampener on my stay. Check out is at 11am, but my flight wasn't until 6pm. I'd also picked up a cold during my travels and was feeling a bit rotten, so the night before my departure, I stopped at reception to ask if I could organise a slightly later check out - only by an hour or two - so I could get a bit more sleep. I was told that late check-out was available only as an 'on the day' request, and I would have to call down to reception between 7 and 9am. Not really fancying that idea, I asked how much late check-out would cost, to see if that would sway my decision. I was told that the price 'varied', and they'd only be able to tell me on the day. Obviously, this sucked a bit. The main reason why people ask for late hotel check-out is because they don't need to get up early, and want to get a bit more sleep. I was tired and unwell, and yet somehow I found myself setting an alarm for 7am on the last night of my stay. Naturally, the knowledge that I had to wake up early in order to only MAYBE organise a later check-out disrupted my sleep. But when my alarm went off at 7am, I got up and picked up the phone to call reception. After 15 minutes of nobody being available to take my call, I gave up, got dressed, and dragged my tired, sick ass down to reception. As it turned out, extended check-out until 12pm was complimentary. 2pm would cost me $100. I chose 12pm, and finally got back to sleep at 8am after an hour of vital lost rest. I've probably stayed in over 100 hotels in my life, from budget to ultra-luxury, I've arranged many a late check-out, and this is not something I've ever experienced before. I really needed my sleep that night before 16 hours of travelling, and the sheer inconvenience - the sheer disruption - of trying to organise a later check-out time at the Royal Sonesta was NOT something I would have expected from a 'luxury' hotel. It created a level of stress on my final night and morning which I really did not need after a relaxing break. But I'm pleased to say that this was the only major disappointment during my stay. Overall, I found the Royal Sonesta to be the perfect resort hotel: well-appointed without being too big. I note from reviews that many people have compared the Sonesta to the Fairmont next door, but the two hotels are very different. I visited the Fairmont on two occasions and was glad that I chose not to stay there. The Fairmont is certainly a slightly more high-end/luxury hotel, but it's also much larger. Crucially, on account of the casino, nightclub and high-end restaurants on site, it's overrun by non-residents on a daily basis, and from the lobby to the casino, the Fairmont is an incredibly busy hotel. Because it doesn't have the same attractions, the Sonesta maintains a quieter 'residents only' atmosphere. If you want a busy, buzzy hotel with a larger variety of attractions and entertainment, you may prefer the Fairmont. But if you want a smaller, more chilled vacation vibe - a resort which feels personal and private, then choose the Royal Sonesta. Despite a few small complaints, I had a very pleasant stay at the Sonesta, and would be keen to return if I'm ever in Puerto Rico again.

Came for a conference and was also able to have a fantastic time! The resort was so clean and nice, with great views of the ocean. The pool was fantastic and service for food/drinks readily available. The Italian restaurant in the hotel was absolutely incredible! All of the staff were so kind, friendly and helpful. I was worried about hearing airplanes being so close to the airport and it wasn't an issue at all! Would recommend this location!

We stayed here for a recent conference held next door at the Fairmont. It was a superb experience! The hotel workers and on site amenities exceeded our expectations. We will definitely stay here in the future.