Hotel El Convento Review

A must! Not only a comfortable, well located hotel where to stay in the centre of old San Juan, El Convento is also a charming place, full of history. Being from Spain, I am familiar with monastic architecture, and this renovated hotel has plenty of beautiful details: from the floor tiles in the rooms to the airy patio and the complimentary wine in the terrace overlooking the cathedral and bay in the evening. Staff were always friendly, helpful and courteous too. Everyone planning to stay in old San Juan should consider this gem of a hotel. Also, i had read in some reviews that the rooms were small, which was not the case of ours on the third floor. Last, it is not cheap, but considering the amazing location, its comfort and history, it is money well spent. I checked out yesterday, already miss it.

was there a few years ago. wonderful rooms and nice restaurant for brunch on their private patio.

Absolutely lovee it. Will ne traveling back just to enjoy the hotel.

Excellent hotel and fantastic food (new menu). We had a small group stay here and the service was excellent. And the suite had a Nespresso!

Charming historic small luxury hotel. Wine & cheese hour!! 24 hour coffee, tea & bottled water service. Friendly, helpful staff!! Would stay there again!

Beautiful building and extremely helpful staff. Great views of the city and San Juan de Baptista church from the rooftop patio where they serve the nightly wine and cheese reception.

Non-existent water pressure.
Somewhat disagreeable staff. Solid rooms though.

Horror. We had reserved a table for a business dinner and when we arrived, they knew absolutely nothing about us. Tremendous paper with our guests.

Great service and food. Centric place to stay in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Perfect location- a walk to every corner of Old San Juan is practical from the hotel. If you decide to stay in and its a Wed, don't miss the wine night. Staffs are another fact that makes the hotel wonderful.

This time I stayed and I have to say they have wonderful people working at the Hotel. It was a great experience. Thank you!

We had a fantastic stay here. We went for the queen room with the view of the bay. It's not that the view itself was incredible, but being able to see the water over the rooftops felt necessary being in Puerto Rico. The hotel itself is gorgeous with an amazing central courtyard. The rooms were clean and well appointed. The wifi was fantastic with an extender in each room. If I had to complain about anything it would be the hot water. It is TOO HOT, as in peel your skin off too hot (cold or cool water is not an option). One tip, do NOT rent a car. Everything in Old San Juan is very walkable. Parking is expensive and not easy to find (on-street parking is nearly or entirely only for local residents). Rent a car to the rainforest, but use a taxi for anything else. They are always right outside the front door of the hotel.

really unique experience. views of the city are amazing from the top floor. you can sense the history as you walk around the halls.

Terrible trafic but beautifull place and around. It's in the center of old San Juan. Very nice

Beautiful, historic location. Super attentive staff, clean rooms, clean surroundings.

If you're ever in San Juan be sure to look into staying here in the heart of old San Juan.

Historic place in the middle of several fascinating places.

Amazing furniture craftsmanship. High level of hospitality with fresh fruit, delicious coffee and tea 24 hours. The dining courtyard didn t have the best food, but I m only rating the hotel itself here.

Another historical building that became a hotel but kept the original name. Its very old world style and in the city where you can
get many of the life a city can offer.

An absolutely amazing place, full of character and ambiance that would would want during your travels to beautiful Puerto Rico. Stop in for a drink ice cold sangria, while you're there, ask for Justin the manager. He does an excellent job of making guests feel welcome and improves the overall experience with his hospitality.

Incredible hotel. Friendly staff, wonderful location, amazing rooftop plunge pool + jacuzzi. And of course the hotel itself has amazing charm. Did I mention there's a wine + cheese hour? Have stayed here twice and will be back again.

Nice hotel wit excellent location. Service- is poor. They offer complementary wine and cheese 6 to 7 pm. My husband and I were 15 min late, but the waiter was still there and had plenty of cheese on her board in the kitchen, we actually could see. We had bottle of wine in our room and wanted to get just 2-3 pieces of cheese to enjoy our wine. I asked twice if there is a way of getting /buying some cheese?? She looked at us and refused, saying that time is over, and there is no way we can get it.. She stated all the cheese is stored and we can not get it even at the restaurant and the bar. We could still see tons of cheese through the glass door after she turned her back at us, entered the kitchen and continued cutting and sorting a cheese platter.

Awesome small scale luxury hotel with 5 star customer service and perfect location

On my First visit work related to the Hotel is Beautiful with carismatic personel...

An incredibly beautiful location with very friendly staff and beautifully set up rooms. The facility is quite old, but the electricity and restrooms worked without a problem. It's a great location to get to a lot of different places in the area.

Great hotel. Try having lunch or dinner on the patio. Food and service very good.

It is amazing how an installation built for religious practice can be converted into a beautiful and functional hotel, where its central courtyard is a paragon of virtues, with plants and trees refreshing the environment. The culinary offers are varied and reflect the tradition of the country.

Beautiful old world charm and historical. Romantic & luxurious in old San Juan.

Beautiful historic hotel in old San Juan.
It's worth the price, to stay here a few nights.

I drove around for 2 hours trying to find a parking space

Amazing, luxury and great service. Couldn't be happier.

This place is amazing...the beds were so comfortable. Restaurants and bars nearby. I highly recommend this hotel.

It is my absolute pleasure to share memorable experiences. Although I stay in Carolina, each and every time I visit which is.like 8 times per year. It always seems new.. God Bless You All.!!

Fabulous historic hotel with breezy tropical courtyard. Perfect spot for soaking up the warm easy going atmosphere and having delicious tidbits. We came for a drink and fresh tropical fruit and stayed hours until lunch.

Exceptional hotel in old San Juan. Great locale, wonderful staff.

Very nice Jr sweet is biger then normal low class room, & worth the upgrade

A historical convent which has been converted into a lovely hotel. I would stay there again if I ever get back to San Juan.

Super location with an historical church next door. The hotel is very well restored with open courtyard s. I know of no better place to stay in the old City. Children very much enjoy the facilities.

Very nice hotel in a former convent comfortable room but small or dark for some. A wine and cheese is offered every night which is very nice. Staff attentive and helpful.Hotel in the heart of the old town of San Juan. San Juan is gorgeous in color, music and salsa at night. And of course San Juan is a shopping city my top Plaza Las Americas and San Juan Mall!

Terrible pina colada. It was barely blended. There are OK reviews from yelp and traveladvisor for this drink at this hotel specifically, but I would not trust them. They use mix from a white jug and splash rum in there. I am sure other items are good, but for $10, it was not worth it. Visited in 03/2017. The only saving grace (hence 2 stars vs 1) was that there was so much unblended ice that I could chew on it while I walked around.

This is such a beautiful hotel. Old Spanish style. Live plants everywhere. Amazing service. Beautiful artwork and detail. Can get lost just wondering around looking at all the little details in this place. Excellent location in Old San Juan to stores and restaurants. Great views. I would love to just live I this hotel!

A treatment of first quality and an exceptional atmosphere.

Good for a drink and for reading. A lot of mosquitos, tho.

This was the best stay in a hotel ever! The front desk staff was ALWAYS friendly & courteous to us, and we bugged them, minimal 3 times a day with questions. We were able to organize several outings directly with the front desk. We had ocean access through their sister hotels. They had a complementary cheese & wine hour every night. They had free tea & bottles of water. The rooms were very clean. There is a pool & hot tub on the roof, so it was safe at night & has a great view of the city & harbor. Great walking distance to everything downtown. We were truly sad to leave this great place!!

I would highly recommend. It has alot of old character and the staff were amazing!

Beautiful hotel with a welcome classic Spanish feel.

Fabulous. Wonderful staff, restaurants, room, and facilities. We will be back for sure

Stayed here 2 nights. It is such a beautiful hotel with a friendly vibe. The room was spacious with a gorgeous patio. The staff were so friendly and helpful. Loved the rooftop pool and afternoon cheese & wine! I hope to stay here again

amazing. stayed for a night in the beginning of april and i can't think of anything negative to say. the staff is EXTREMELY courteous. they're all bilingual and are willing to do anything to help you. the hotel is remodeled and everything is new and clean. close to everything in old san juan. beautiful location. they also offer tea, coffee, and cold water 24 hours a day. they have a microwave if you need one as well. they have great views for you to sit and enjoy. the pool is clean and relaxing. you won't regret staying here!

We spent a few extra dollars on staying here instead of the Condado strip. It was the best decision we made on our trip. We had many activities planed, lots outside of the Old San Juan area, but in the end we wished we had spent more time at and around this beautiful Hotel! The staff were extremely polite and definitely went the extra mile. The coffee and fruit on the third floor are welcome amenities and the pool is a lot of fun! We'd stay here again in a heartbeat. It is absolutely worth the price!

This old San Juan hotel is historical and beautiful. It reminds you of old spanish empire. It's truly an exotic hotel

Friendly. Quaint. Complimentary. Comfortable. Beautiful. Great air.

Beautiful hotel, but had some issues with room service.

A historic hotel with modern, yet respectful of its past, amenities. Amazing staff and ideal location

Superb facilities. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Lovely Colonial property in the heart of Old San Juan

This was my 5th or 6th time staying at this hotel and I was slightly disappointed. Our room was smaller than our normal room and the bed felt like a double instead of a queen. I should have asked for a larger room but I think they were sold out. The bartenders are sweet and the food in the restaurant is good. The view from the roof deck is beautiful and the daily complementary wine tasting is wonderful. I am planning to return again next December in advance of a cruise. I'll just make sure we get a larger room.

Well we had a 2 hour tour starting from this Hotel. The area around this Hotel is Stunning! These pictures are just some of what we learned about while on the tour. The Blue home on top overlooking the water is the Governor s Mansion stunning for only $20 we learned a lot about parts of Old San Juan Old San Juan just celebrated 500 years so a Beautiful Place to Visit!!

I can easily say that Hotel El Convento far exceeded my expectations. In the short time we stayed there (4 nights), it quickly felt like home, and a sanctuary after days and nights exploring the old city.

Old San Juan is a very pretty place, full of life and color, and El Convento sits right in the heart of it. Just about anywhere you decide to walk you're treated to scenic views of old cobblestone roads, colorful buildings and streets, historical architecture, and panoramic views of the bay, the ocean, and castle walls that surround the city.

El Convento has a seriously cool set-up. With just 70 odd rooms, you feel an air of exclusivity during your stay. The hotel is a Spanish colonial building, converted from an old convent. It features an open air courtyard, with balconies to access the rooms, which overlook the restaurant and bar on the main floor. Lush hanging gardens and palm trees line the inside of the courtyard and the inside walls. The common areas are all inviting with ample seating, patio furniture, and gazebos for relaxing. The rooftop features a small pool and a hot tub, which are open at all hours and visually fit the motif of the rest of the hotel. Up on the rooftop you'll also be treated to views of the plaza below, the historic church, a good chunk of the old city, and the bay with the surrounding hillsides.

Right by the pool you'll also find a catering/dining area, which they have self serve coffee and tea out all day/night. Every night they'll also do a complimentary wine tasting here, with fruit, cheese, and crackers served as well. It was really nice to experience, especially sitting on the rooftop and enjoying the cool night air while listening to the hustle and bustle from the street below.

The hotel's restaurant is not to be missed. While the bar serves tasty cocktails and wonderful bar bites, the restaurant serves up really great food. The menu is small but that certainly has to help with the consistency of the food. I highly recommend the risotto! All of the staff in the bar and restaurant were very friendly by the way, and very happy to make recommendations.

As far as the room accomodations, we booked the Garden Terrance room. This featured high ceilings (15-20 ft???) and a nice little private walled off balcony (no view) with a table and chairs. The room had a Bose radio, equipped with an aux cable, that I made good use of. The walls appeared to be concrete, so there was no noise from the outside or neighbors. There were also blackout curtains and folding wooden doors to completely block out the sun if sleeping in late was on your agenda. The central air conditioning system worked wonderfully, with my only nitpicks about the room was that our unit seemed to have a noisy HVAC main vent running through it and also the wifi was a little spotty. Super liveable though, very minor nitpicks.

Overall El Convento has a tranquil atmosphere, and boasts an antique beauty and a timeless classiness. It's quirky, and neat, and it embodies Old San Juan as a whole. I give high compliments to the staff and management of the hotel for the accomplishment for how they both carry and maintain the place. Thank you for the experience.

Also as an added bonus, if you're looking to hit up the beach, El Convento partners with La Concha Resort in Condado (a very short ride from the hotel). You'll be welcomed as a guest there and be able to use their beach and pool facilities, with access to towels, chairs, and umbrellas. Just make sure to get the pass at the front desk.

They were out of a lot of their menu, younwoukd think on the Sunday before new years that they would stick up.