If you are thinking about staying in Condado, I recommend the Condado Plaza Hotel. Recently renovated, (although the painting on one side of the building was not finished) the hotel has a contemporary feel and look to it from the lobby to the room itself. A huge aquarium greets you as you walk in and the rest of the lobby and mezzanine level, where the casino is, are decorated with an art deco style that screams fun. The room was the highlight however. The new, plush furniture and plasma tv were a perfect fit with the bright colors of the walls and area rug. The room was tiled throughout which gave it a nice, clean look. I never want to stay in a carpeted hotel room again! The stand alone shower with glass walls in the spacious bathroom was a big hit with the gf and just added to the uniqueness of the entire room. The digital thermostat was a nice thing to have as well. For the small amount of time spent in the room, we really enjoyed coming back to it after a long day. Our friends who stayed at the Hilton next door said our room blew theirs away! The ocean views from our room were breathtaking. The grounds were well manicured with hammocks and lounge chairs within a stone's throw of the Atlantic for those who prefer peace and quiet while the 2 pools (one with a swim up bar and huge slide) were perfect for enjoying a cocktail or two and/or letting the kids burn off some energy. The staff was friendly and knowlegable and all spoke English. The only complaints I had were the bathroom sink drained very slowly and was not fixed even after notifying the front desk. The elevators were extremely slow which caused most elevator rides to be crammed with guests as it seemed people were constantly waiting to ride. Finally, the room service prices were too expensive in my opinion...$6 for corn flakes is a bit much. Overall, for the money spent on the room, I think we lucked out and would recommend this hotel to anyone.

We had a wonderful time staying at the Condado Plaze Hotel. I would agree with the other reviewers in that the hotel has a very trendy, young, modern and comfortable feel. The pictures definitely dont do it justice. The restaurants were very good at the Condado. We had dinner in the italian restaurant and the food was excellent. There is also steak house (The Strip) and a starbucks coffee on the lower level.

The hotel has a great pool thats open 24 hrs and lots of seating. The beach to the left is somewhat small and a little rough, but we still enjoyed it very much. For those who like to have a change of scenary, we spent all of our pool time at the Condado, a little time at the smaller Condado beach and most of our beach time about .25 mile east of Condado to the bigger beach (which is very easy to get to). My wife and I like to walk and roam around so we actually checked out the other nearby hotels. From our brief comparison of the beach, pool and aesthetics of each hotel along the strip, I would definitely suggest either the Condado, La Concha or the Marriott. All three had great atmospheres, great pool areas and nice beach areas (specifically La Concha and Marriott).

The only cons I had about the Condado were 1) the long lines during check in; 2) we stayed in the City Vista which was a really nice room but had a small bathroom. I would definitely recommend the Condado Plaza.

I hope this was somewhat insightful.

This was one of the best hotel experiences I've ever had. The staff was friendly. The room was clean and the service was great. The room had a very modern feel which was right up my alley.

The food in the hotel was a pricey but everything I had at the grill by the pool was great and the service at the the grill was excellent.

I stayed at this hotel because of Tripadvisor.com and I'm very happy with my decision. If you're looking for a hotel to relax with excellent amenities you should give the Condado Plaza a try.

The hotel decor is very pretty, and at night they usually had loud music playing. It was extremely crowded most nights and they had a bunch of various conferences and meetings there. It seems to be a big place for locals to meet.

My biggest complaint is the cost of everything here. We aren't cheap people. But $50 for breakfast downstairs - and a very average one at that - is ridiculous. In-room PPV movies ranged from $12.99 to $24.99. $24.99 for a movie. Seriously. Also, they charged $16 per day for parking. I have never been to a hotel that charges their own guests for parking.

The mistake we made was not doing enough research about the beach area here, and we love the beach, so we were pretty disappointed. The beach at Condado Plaza is tiny and always crowded, so expect to drive elsewhere for a decent beach experience. Loquillo Beach, about 45 minutes away, is very pretty.

Unless you don't want the hassle of driving yourself (which I can't really blame you for, since traffic is horrible here) don't book trips through the hotel, because they are twice what you would pay if you book them on your own.

Traffic is hideous. Always allow an extra hour or more to get where you're going.

The highlight of our trip was El Yunque, about one hour from Condado. Getting there is a bit of an adventure but once there, it's very easy to navigate. Do not miss La Mina Falls - it's amazing! And bring a swimsuit, so you can splash around in the falls. At km 11.3 there is a small restaurant called "Yuquiyu Delights" -- the food is AWESOME! Especially the fried green plantain, One of the best meals we had.

Old San Juan was another highlight. Fort San Cristobal is incredible. We purchased a ton of local rum and coffee at the SuperMax - coffee was $4 a pound! We were happy to finally find something at a decent price. Haha.

I would absolutely return to Puerto Rico, but would probably break up the trip a bit. I would stay somewhere closer to a nice beach because we love to snorkel and swim. Then, I would spend a couple of days closer to El Yunque.

I would be happy to answer any questions about San Juan or El Yunque. Feel free to email me at amybrannan@gmail.com.