Where To Stay in San Juan, Puerto Rico: An Insider’s Guide to San Juan Neighborhoods + Accommodations

Puerto Rico’s capital city, San Juan, is so much more than just the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan. This is especially true when it comes to deciding where to stay in San Juan. We love a good historic mansion turned boutique hotel (Old San Juan certainly knows how to do them right!), but San Juan, Puerto Rico also boasts everything from hip city-center hostels to oversized beach resorts lining the best of the city’s golden sand beaches.

Read on for our insider’s guide to the best neighborhoods in San Juan for every type of traveler and some of our top resort and hotel recommendations in town; we’re sharing the best of the best, no matter what kind of budget you’re working with.

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Best Places to Stay in San Juan

Our guide to where to stay in San Juan is brimming with information about the best neighborhoods in San Juan for visitors and specific hotel and resort recommendations across the city – but perhaps you’re just looking for a few quick recommendations of the best of the best. These are our top recommendations for where to stay in San Juan ~

• Best Hotel in Old San Juan ($$) | Hotel Rumbao
• Best Historic Hotel in San Juan ($$ – $$) | Hotel El Convento
• Best Boutique Hotel in San Juan ($$) | La Botanica
• Best Resort in San Juan ($$$) | Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
• Best Beach Resort in San Juan ($$$) | La Concha Renaissance Resort

Read on for more, including recommendations at every price point for San Juan’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

San Juan Neighborhoods

San Juan isn’t sprawling, but with its patchwork of distinct neighborhoods, it’s certainly large enough that you’ll want to make sure you’re choosing a neighborhood in San Juan to fit the style of getaway you’re looking for. These are the most popular San Juan neighborhoods with visitors ~

• Old San Juan | Old San Juan is a popular (though occasionally loud) place to stay because of its walkability, nightlife, and historic charm. You’re steps away from the best things to do in Puerto Rico here.
• Condado | Condado is where to stay in San Juan for oceanfront luxury. This upscale neighborhood has some of the best shopping and dining in the city and modern, resort-like accommodations with ocean views. Condado is technically part of Santurce, but it is so popular it deserves its own mention on this list.
• Greater Santurce + Ocean Park | Greater Santurce + Ocean Park is where to stay in San Juan for affordability and youthful vibrance. Greater Santurce has numerous different neighborhoods within it, a popular one being Ocean Park, which has a gorgeous public beachfront and smaller boutique hotels and Airbnbs.
• Isla Verde | Isla Verde is where to stay in San Juan for the ultimate resort experience. Isla Verde is a bit far from the rest of the city to take advantage of exploring, but for an undisturbed vacation on the beach, there’s nothing like it.

Old San Juan

Old San Juan is where to stay in San Juan for walkability, nightlife, and historic charm. Old San Juan is one of the most popular parts of the city for visitors; it isn’t every day that you get to stay the night in a gorgeous colonial centuries-old property, after all.

Accommodations in Old San Juan tend to be small, crafted from historic buildings turned boutique properties. There are some exceptions to this rule, with larger historic properties like Hotel El Convento – our pick for the best historic hotel in the city – boasting 81 rooms. Hotel Rumbao, our favorite place to stay in San Juan, also breaks that pattern and brings a refreshing modernity to the historic neighborhood.

Keep in mind that parts of the neighborhood can get loud with bars, restaurants, and cafes open late, and that rooms in most properties here are smaller. However, the hotels in Old San Juan that make our recommendation list are the best of the best.

Best Places To Stay in Old San Juan

• Fortel Hostel | ($) A basic but clean, comfortable hostel in the heart of Old San Juan. Expect a social atmosphere without it being party-centric.
• El Colonial | ($$) A historic property turned boutique hotel in the heart of town, mixing age-old architecture with modern furnishings.
• Hotel Rumbao | ($$) The best hotel in Old San Juan. This newly debuted Marriott Tribute Portfolio property feels like a gateway to Old San Juan, within walking distance of the best of the city, yet with modern amenities and spectacular dining. Perfect for families.
• Hotel El Convento | ($$ – $$$) The best historic hotel in San Juan. A sprawling 17th-century Carmelite convent turned luxe property that is everything you’d want from a stay in Old San Juan.

Condado

Condado is where to stay in San Juan for oceanfront luxury. At its core, this upscale neighborhood is where to see and be seen in San Juan, with the city’s best upscale shopping, dining, and entertainment. Old San Juan has a nightlife scene that welcomes everyone and tends to be, dare we say, rowdier; Condado, meanwhile, is where you’ll find high-end clubs, fine dining, and San Juan’s elite.

The best accommodations in Condado are oceanfront, and while beaches tend to be skinnier, amenities are plush. We recommend choosing from one of the three properties in the Condado Collection – the vibrant and lively beach resort La Concha Renaissance Resort, the more reserved, and grown-up Condado Ocean Club, or the grand dame of San Juan, the elegant Condado Vanderbilt Hotel.

Overall, Condado is a great choice for a luxury getaway that still allows you to enjoy the best of San Juan beyond the walls of your accommodations. For travelers who aren’t immediately drawn to Old San Juan, Condado is usually their pick.

Best Places to Stay in Condado

• Condado Ocean Club | ($$ – $$$) A 96-room adults-only modern oceanfront escape, that feels sleek and stylish. Expect more of a hotel-style feel than you’ll find at its resort-esque Condado neighbors.
• Condado Vanderbilt Hotel | ($$$) The best resort in San Juan. A sprawling, storied waterfront hotel where historic elegance meets modern luxury, fine dining, and lush, leafy grounds.
• La Concha Renaissance Resort | ($$$) The best beach resort in San Juan. Expect vibrant, youthful vibes with plenty of space to party – or simply relax by the pool. The new Elemara spa is something special.

Greater Santurce + Ocean Park

Santurce is a large neighborhood with a great variety of areas—it’s even technically home to Condado—so categorizing it can be a challenge. However, we think that Greater Santurce (beyond Condado) and Ocean Park are where to stay in San Juan for affordability and youthful vibrance.

Ocean Park is a mostly residential neighborhood surrounding a park of the same name. It is home to some of the best public beachfront in San Juan, making Ocean Park a great spot for a relatively more affordable stay within easy walking distance of the beach, with a few great boutique hotels and Airbnbs.

Head further south of Ocean Park, away from the beach, and you’ll find even more affordable places to stay. The rest of Santurce is characterized by its youthful vibrance, street art, slight grittiness, and a mixed bag of restaurants, cafes, and bars.

Best Places to Stay in Greater Santurce + Ocean Park

• Mango Mansion | ($) A basic but comfortable beach house-style hostel in central Santurce that is counted as one of the best hostels in the city.
• Looking Glass Hotel | ($ – $$) A sleek, modern newcomer in central Santurce with a rooftop terrace and good walkability to cafes, shops, and restaurants.
• La Botanica | ($$) The best boutique hotel in San Juan. This boutique hotel with just nine rooms is bursting with personality and style for a relaxed, retreat-like vibe just a few blocks from the beach.
• Dreamcatcher by DW | ($$) A boutique hotel where every room has private outdoor space, and guests are offered an array of wellness- and exploration-focused activities.

Isla Verde

Isla Verde is located just north of San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, but don’t let that deter you. In reality, it means you can be enjoying an afternoon on a pristine beach, drink in hand, mere minutes after stepping off your flight.

Accommodations in Isla Verde are mostly limited to oversized beach resorts, which take full advantage of its broad, sandy shores and stunning seas. In reality, the type of travelers looking for that style of accommodation are the only ones who should stay here anyway. Isla Verde is a good 20-30 minutes drive from areas like Condado and Old San Juan, so the traveler looking to explore beyond the bounds of their resort should consider staying beachfront in Condado instead.

Best Places to Stay in Isla Verde

• Fairmont El San Juan | ($$$) A 388-room luxury resort located along two miles of pristine golden sands for your ideal Caribbean island resort stay.
• The Royal Sonesta San Juan | ($$$) A luxury beachfront resort, recently renovated, with impressive pool spaces and great service.