Fairmont El San Juan Hotel - European Plan

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1776 reviews

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  Needs a renovation and terrible pool experience.

  I have never stayed at a Fairmont that needed a paint job. Rooms are shabby and the pool experience is terrible. If you want a Vegas pool party it might be your thing. Restaurants are ok. Overall would not recommend unless you are in college and are going on spring break.

  Jan 18, 2025
• 

  A relaxing week by the pool in the sunshine!

  We come to Puerto Rico almost every year for the last 20 years, usually in January, but this was our first time to the El. We've always wanted to stay here, but after seeing negative reviews, we were a bit concerned. Our first night was terrible because of noise from the room next door. Horrible, drunken women partying in the room next to us, with an adjoining door. We finally called security after asking them to keep it down, and that took care of it, until they came back even more drunk and obnoxious later that night. Needless to say, we didn't get a good night's sleep, and seriously considered leaving if things didn't change. I was afraid what i had read online might be true. Luckily these guests from hell checked out the next morning, and when we mentioned our ordeal to Frances at the front desk, she gave us a few comps to make up for it. From there on out, our stay was absolutely wonderful and everything we wanted it to be. We loved the multiple pools (don't miss the girl serving refreshing, free ice pops at midday!) and the beach, although there was some seaweed and the ocean was rough. The hotel doesn't control that, of course. The gym here is terrific and I got good workouts in daily. We had a great dinner at Caña, and our waiter made terrific recommendations that pleased us tremendously. We enjoyed breakfast there one morning, too. I had the buffet and my spouse ordered off the menu: you can't make a bad choice. The fresh juices and homemade jams are amazing: look for the pineapple one! If you don't want to eat on the premises every night (we didn't), grab a sandwich, salad, or soup across the street at Sobao. That place is nice; we went twice! Or grab an Uber to Panaderia España (if you know, you go!) Most days for breakfast though, we opted to use all the Starbucks gift cards we got for Christmas at the Starbucks in the hotel. That was such a bonus having that there. We were also very happy with the food and drinks served at the pools. Portions were large, so we often split something and felt satisfied. We found the staff friendly and caring. Everyone seemed very focused on making guests happy and their property shine. We also enjoyed meeting some of our fellow guests, who we enjoyed talking to. Yes, there are some small maintenance issues, but it's Puerto Rico and they've had a tough go. Give them a little break, relax, and enjoy the beautiful weather and surroundings! All we wanted was a relaxing couples week by the pool and ocean, and we got that and more. We would return.

  Jan 18, 2025
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  Best Beach stay in San Juan!

  Stayed for a week in January 2025 at this gorgeous, warm and welcoming property, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the rooms, the views, the service, the amenities, and all of the staff. There is a Starbucks in the lobby which held up to the quality of stateside Starbucks, there are shops where you can find exactly what you need for any occasion (I wanted a small wallet purse to hang around my neck), the lobby also becomes a happening club at night and there are restaurants and bars all over the property with friendly bartenders who will tell you stories about Puerto Rico if you strike up a convo. The elevators are fast and all 3 were working during the entire week. Fresh water is plentiful on each floor with reusable bottles that are included with your room. The hot tubs are hot, and the beach is ideal - sandy and easy to access. At night you will be asked for your room key while out walking the property and I liked this since it means they are keeping it exclusive for guests. Can't wait to come back for a non-work trip and relax and enjoy this exact location again.

  Jan 18, 2025
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  Enjoyed our Stay

  We stayed at the El San Juan for the last three nights of our annual trip to Puerto Rico. We enjoyed our time at the hotel and were pleased overall with our accommodations. We had a standard room, but found it to be quiet, comfortable, and clean. We spent most of our time on the beach and were impressed with the staff out there. They work hard and are consistently friendly and helpful to the guests. And, of course, the lobby area is gorgeous. It's like stepping into a different time. The main downside of this property is the dramatically overpriced food/beverages. I expected to pay resort prices, but still. We didn't even think about having dinner at the hotel. And, I know that we were there at a peak time, but I also found the pool area to be ridiculously overcrowded. That was fine; we preferred the beach anyway. But, if you're some that really wants to spend time at the pool, it might be best to visit off peak.

  Jan 17, 2025
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  Looks lux, experience is the opposite. Uses grifted method to get good reviews from all the staff.

  The Fairmont is a beautiful hotel but our stay there was extremely disappointing. Also I'd encourage guests to read some of the 5-star reviews this property is getting. While we were at the pool, our waiter asked that we leave a 5-star review on Tripadvisor/Google with his name on it, stating that if he gets enough good reviews, he'd get promoted to bartender. I think this an exceptionally deceiving/predatory practice to boost 5 star reviews the property gets. Of course we want to do what's best for the friendly wait staff, but that doesn't encompass the actual experience at the property. MANY of the 5-star reviews mention specific waiters/bartenders/pool staff by name. That's because the reviewers were ASKED to mention their names by the staff for the sake of their own career ambitions/performance reviews. As a result, this place has a ton of 5-star reviews that were essentially teed up by management at the property by having their employees ask for those reviews. 1. For a 4-star property, they definitely missed the mark in a number of areas. Luxury is about the little details, and they miss a ton of the time. For example, multiple mornings when we came out to the pool the side tables/lounge chairs still had food debris/dirt on them from the day prior. Staff friendliness/helpfulness is very hit or miss. Room was ok....bathroom had a barn door on it, and if you closed the door it exposed some damaged dry wall with a poor paint job covering it up. Also their site makes it seems like they have multiple bars/experiences on premises, but inside the lobby there are just 3 different bars within a few yards of each other, all with different names, but essentially just all the same lobby bar. 2. Food is abysmal. We ate at the main restaurant Caña on Christmas night since we were worried about other restaurants in San Juan not being open on Christmas. Paid $100/pp for a very poorly paced, cold meal while the restaurant barely had any people in it. Service was also very bad. No explanation of what we were getting, they just dropped the food in front of us. Highlights included a lobster bisque with no pieces of actual lobster in it, and gnocchi accompanying an overcooked tenderloin that was super gummy and covered in a gross/gloopy sauce. Also the wine selection is super disappointing. High prices for bottles you'd normally find at a Walgreens. 3. SOOOO much of the real estate by their main pool is reserved day beds/cabanas that require a cost to rent and then a F&B minimum. If you don't get out to the pool on a busy day by 9AM to grab a spot you'll be out of luck as they allow guests to start throwing towels down on chairs to save them at 8:30AM, but those chairs just sit unattended most of the day. 4. Not a lot directly around the resort other than the airport. This used to be the "it" area back in the day, but I think you'd be better off staying near Condado or in Old San Juan.

  Jan 16, 2025