Fairmont El San Juan Hotel

My husband and I got married in San Juan last weekend. Although we had booked a ground level poolside villa, there was a mix up with our reservation. The hotel comp'd a night which we appreciated and the overall experience and service was wonderful. I never write reviews but the main reason I am here is because of the service we received from Mayra, the housekeeper. who assisted room 265. She deserves a promotion just on genuine kindness and willingness to help. Coming from a restaurant management background, she is someone I wish we could have hired and someone I hope this hotel truly values as an employee. She blew us away with her service and was what made our stay standout. She mentioned she has been with the hotel for a long time and I hope she gets a promotion very soon!

The Internet service is virtually nonexistent and you have to go to the conference center in order to get a decent signal and deal with crowds and noise which is very difficult if you have any meaningful work to do. The front desk was completely unconcerned and unhelpful, and would not even give me the code to the conference center, which I had to ask someone there for. There is loud music piped through the entire complex and very difficult to just relax by the pool. Service is variable from very poor to excellent, just not consistent with a high-level hotel. The gym, however it was excellent! Food very overpriced and of mediocre quality, but many restaurants within short walking distance that were reasonably priced and very good. Was supposed to get an upgrade and was told that all superior rooms were taken however the hotel appears to be almost deserted with maybe 20% occupancy so this did not seem reasonable.

In 38 years of travel, we’ve never stayed at a worse place. I booked through Amex fine hotels, so I did not expect mayhem. A long weekend turned into” let’s get out of here FAST!” Poolside room meant back parking lot next to water pumps with no pool in site, a broken security door for 2 days that took 5 people to finally fix, a baby crying through paper thin walls, paint chipping everywhere, terrible housekeeping, flooding of sidewalks, broken coffee maker, a refrigerator that every 3-6 minutes made smashing noises, rude and spooky waitstaff who talked about how much they loved Trump as if he were a God , skidoos all over beach and loud annoying music, so the idea of quiet beach waves is non existent, cats everywhere, house cleaners who watch tv in room and get to room at 5 pm, marginal food—— their steakhouse was so salty, we nearly went into renal failure,…… we just kept taking Ubers to a marvelous Arts Theater movie house wishing San Juan was the place we had so wonderfully remembered and loved for so many years before Maria. Very very shabby.

The service was fantastic as always. Joseph, Carmen, Maria, Thalia, Stephanie, Gabriel, the entire Concierge team were great. But with each subsequent trip to the hotel, the facilities appear older and older. Beautiful grounds that blend in with nature. Breathtaking entry way, gorgeous art deco lobby but then it’s not so beautiful when you have buckets catching water from a leaking roof. Well appointed rooms but you can see the wear and tear. Big thank you to the staff for providing us with the aloe plant.

Every detail of my stay—from the warm welcome from Yvonne at check-in (she is truly amazing!) to the thoughtful gestures throughout—was a testament to the professionalism and dedication of your staff. I would like to specifically recognize several team members who made me, and my family feel completely at home, creating a spectacular experience for us all. At Banyan Tree Grill, Carmen, Omir, and Vivian provided outstanding service, making each meal a memorable and enjoyable experience. At the Pool Bar, Miguel, Efrain, Luis Agosto, Héctor, Maria, and Enwil made our time by the pool even more special with their attentiveness and friendly approach. I’d also like to extend my appreciation to the entire AM staff at Caña, who ensured our mornings started off wonderfully and truly went above and beyond. Thanks!