The Royal Sonesta San Juan
We planned a two week trip to the Caribbean and on our way back we needed a place to stay before our last flight home. We opted for the Royal Sonesta San Juan and I really didn’t know much about the hotel before hand but the photos looked nice so we decided to give it a try.
THE PROPERTY
The property is located only 6 minutes from the airport on a strip in San Juan where many hotels are located. The area surrounding the hotel is a bit underwhelming and doesn’t feel super walkable although we did see people walking around. It’s mostly a strip of hotels with private entrances. When you pull into the hotel we were “greeted” by the front staff. I say greeted loosely because I feel like they barely acknowledge us when we arrived. We took an Uber from the airport which was super easy and streamline. When we walked in, we were met by a nice man at the front desk who walked us through the check in process. Our room was not ready yet so we waited in a lobby about 45 minutes or so until it was done. The property is not very big. There are a few restaurants on site, a large pool area in the center, a small kids playground, a gym and spa, and access to the public beach. Nothing beyond what the average hotel offers. It was simple and nice.
THE ROOM
There are two sides to the hotel. The main area with rooms in the high rise part of the hotel and then a section that is more VIP. When you sign up for their Travel Pass program you become an member and are able to get free upgrades, premium WIFI, access to a members only lounge area, free breakfast and more. This area of the hotel has less rooms and more direct access to the beach and pool. It was much more enjoyable having this room and our room was really nice and spacious. We had a living room with a pullout couch and little dining area, a master bedroom with ensuite bathroom and a sitting area and desk. We also had two balconies overlooking the pool. We even had a walk in closet and a little hallway when you walk in the front door which was a nice place to store our suitcases and shoes.
THE FOOD
There are a few restaurants on site and all the menus look pretty good. We ate at Ocean Breeze for sheer convenience as it was right by the pool and our hotel room and had the most kid friendly menu. They offered takeaway which was nice and we enjoyed eating it in our hotel room since we had a nice table for all of us to eat together. My husband and I are both introverts so more often then not, we opt for room service or taking food to go if we can. The ambiance of the restaurant was not really our vibe anyway as it felt more like a place younger people would go to as opposed to a family having a nice dinner together. The overall vibe of the hotel really feels more for younger Spring Breakers or couples without kids in general. The food was pretty good at Ocean Breeze, it did not blow us away but it served it’s purpose. We also had breakfast at Aleli in the morning. They offer a buffet or you can order a la carte from the menu. Part of the reason we chose to do take away most days was the service wasn’t the greatest and a bit slow. The one day we ate breakfast at Aleli, it was kind of hard to track down our waiter as they expect most people to just do the buffet breakfast. The host was also a bit rude to us when I asked her for a menu to order as she said we had to check in first to see one when she literally had just sat us two minutes ago.
THE BEACH
The property is right on a public beach but they have their own section with complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas and an attendant present that can help set them up for you. Having access to the beach is always a nice touch but I’m certain this is not one of the nicer beaches in PR as PR is such a beautiful country. This felt more like city beach which I’m not mad about but I always want to be transparent with you all on what to expect. The kids could care less and loved playing in the sand. Because it’s a public beach there are vendors where you can rent equipment for water activities or even buy a fresh coconut or drinks. We loved walking over and getting fresh coconuts to drink. Other than that, there is not much to the beach but to lounge and enjoy.
THE POOL
There is one large pool with little sections roped off within the pool. Lounge chairs are situated all around and they have private cabanas you can rent. We had a private cabana right on the water and I honestly don’t know what we would have done without it. I think getting a cabana here is a must and completely worth it. By the time we go to the pool it was crowded with all the chairs by the water occupied and the pool was full of people. When you have a cabana right on the pool, you end up having a little corner of the pool mostly to yourself which is nice and it’s a treat to have your own space to safely put your things down. There is a menu you can order food and drinks from and an attendant that comes by and makes sure you have fresh cold water. Having our own space really made the pool so much more enjoyable. When you stay at more crowded hotels, I thinks its definitely a must to book a cabana. Please note: not all cabanas are right by the pool and some are a little away from the pool. I’m sure the pricing is different but I would check with the hotel on where your cabana will be before you book.
My final thoughts on this hotel is that it’s a hotel where you go to just rest your head. It doesn’t have many bells a whistles and is not the most beautiful hotel, but it’s in a convenient location with quick access to the airport and they have an option within the hotel to rent a car so you can venture deeper into Puerto Rico to explore. Since this was more of a stopover hotel for us, we stayed on site the whole time but I do not recommend this hotel for that type of trip. If you plan on exploring Puerto Rico mostly and will just be sleeping at the hotel for the most part, I say this is a great hotel for the price and location. I really don’t love not giving the best reviews of hotels but I always want to be honest with you all about my experiences. This is not a place we would stay again but I’m always grateful for being able to travel and have these experiences with my family.