El Colonial - Adults Only

Puerto Rico , Puerto Rico Island
San Juan, 312 C. De San Francisco
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100 reviews shown

6/10

Pleasant

10 Mar 2026

Susan

No elevator and you are expected to carry up your own luggage. 3 or 4 floors Some of the front desk staff were rude and didn’t really want to help you. We asked about reserving a cab the night prior to leaving the next morning at 4:00 departure time. We were told someone would be available at 4 am to order cab for us. We found a sign stating staff was on a break and returning soon. They never did. Had to order an Uber. Left 30 min. late! Party on the street night before, so loud we couldn’t sleep. Would not recommend this Hotel!!!

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2026

Anne

I loved this hotel. Very quaint. The staff was fabulous!! I would definitely stay here again!!!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2026

Marvin

Excellent central location to: Both forts, restaurant's, even Walgreens.
Hotel clean & comfortable lounge area. The open bar was a nice bonus. Coffee is amazing.

Friends

8/10

Excellent

08 Mar 2026

Frank

Great location. Wonderful rooftop.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2026

Timothy

Excellent place to stay

8/10

Excellent

04 Mar 2026

Steven

Staff was very friendly and hospitable. They were also very helpful with information on restaurant/bars around San Juan.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2026

Christine

Great little hotel in the heart of Old San Juan. Plenty of shopping and great food in easy walking distance. Excellent staff.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

02 Mar 2026

Mario

At the heart of Old San Juan, bustling and moving.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

02 Mar 2026

Michele

Clean room, friendly staff. Located in the middle of everything. Be prepared to carry luggage up lots of stairs - no elevator.

Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2026

Daniel

Very good point in old town

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2026

Brian

This was the first and only hotel I've stayed at in Puerto Rico and it was an absolute DREAM

The room was so cozy and clean. The staff was helpful and professional.

The open bar was a pleasant surprise and would recommend this to anyone looking to stay in San Juan

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Feb 2026

Kevin

First room had a smell to it so we requested to switch rooms in which they accommodated us in switched us. The room was very below average nothing special but good for the cost

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Feb 2026

Robert

Room was ok, very challenging to carry luggage up 3 flights of stairs

4/10

Poor

27 Feb 2026

Myrna-Joy

Lack

4/10

Poor

27 Feb 2026

Benjamin

Quality of room did not match the photos used to base booking decision on. Water temp and pressure were not consistent to be able to take a good shower. Everything that could be worn in was- towels, linens, mattress. Staff was wonderful, bar was nice, but the stay was a let down.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2026

Mario

Great staff, clean room

Self

4/10

Poor

25 Feb 2026

Dan

Water pressure in shower was extremely poor, I have a video to prove it. Hit water was hit or miss, sometimes ok, then not.

Room was dirty and in poor condition.

Staff was

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2026

Kwamia

Staff very courteous. Alison at the front reception was specifically helpful (made excellent tees for eating out) and provided great hospitality

4/10

Poor

23 Feb 2026

Dennis

The lobby of the hotel is nice. The staff up front are apathetic and unfriendly (don’t even raise their heads to say hello) Then you drag your bags up 4 flights of stairs. Open the door to one of the worst $400+ rooms you’ve ever seen. Dirty, no furnishings, basically a one room hostel.
Would not recommend this place to anyone

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2026

Alexander

Fantastic location, staff and room!

8/10

Excellent

22 Feb 2026

Michael Merlin

Charming old hotel in a superb location in Old San Juan.

Lovely staff and the open bar is a nice touch. Very accommodating with luggage etc.

It’s not a holiday inn - don’t expect one. But it’s lovely.

4/10

Poor

20 Feb 2026

Helen

There was NO hot water. Taking a cold shower was not an option. There was no dryer in the room either, even though it was listed on the amenities as included. We requested a low floor due to the physical challenges my husband has yet they put us on the third floor with no elevator.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

20 Feb 2026

David

No elevator. Hot water did not work properly. Floors looked disgusting. Base boards dirty. My wife refused to take a shower because of bathroom appearance

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2026

Cindy

Perfect location in old San juan. Takes a bit to get your room ready but

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2026

Maria

Central location, nice open bar and friendly staff. Only negative thing was the dirty and sticky floor in our room #305. I spilled some drops of water and the tissue paper I used to wipe the floor turned dark brown. My new white soled bedroom slippers turned black because of the dirty and sticky floors. Better housekeeping needed.

Partner

2/10

Poor

18 Feb 2026

J Brud

Filthy!
Total ripoff!
A hipster minimalist aaattempt

2/10

Poor

17 Feb 2026

LUCA

Negative:
For $250 per night, this hotel offers completely unacceptable conditions. No running water, no air conditioning, no elevator, no breakfast. The room had a strong smell of mold and sewage, the fridge was leaking water, towels were dirty and not replaced, and there were loud noises throughout the night. Cleanliness and maintenance are extremely poor.

In addition, the evening front desk staff was rude and unhelpful. When my colleague asked for assistance because the air conditioning could not be adjusted, he was told to “just wear a jacket to sleep” and informed that no other rooms were available. Only after insisting several times did the staff find another room close to the original one, where the air conditioning was not working at all, making the situation even worse and leaving us feeling mocked rather than assisted.

Value for money: 0 / 10

Positive:
Nothing.

Overall:
This was by far the worst hotel experience I’ve ever had. The price is totally unjustified, the conditions are unacceptable, and the staff response was inappropriate. I strongly recommend choosing a different hotel.

Friends

4/10

Poor

14 Feb 2026

Robert

Great location in Old San Juan. The staff were pleasant and friendly. The building looked clean and taken care of. However, we had no warm water to shower. Taking cold showers were not so fun. Additionally, the remote for the AC seemed to be for the wrong unit, and as a result we couldn't adjust the temperature. As the AC unit was set low, we were freezing. We ended up opening the window overnight to get some warm air in as it was so cold. We brought this up with staff, but they couldn't figure out the AC and cold water, so we ended up being stuck with it. Considering how much we paid, it was a big letdown.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2026

Annabelle

We loved our host, our location, our room and the bar! We look forward to staying at El Colonial again in the near future.

Business_and_leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

12 Feb 2026

evan

No Bellman or elevator to carry our heavy suitcases up three flights of stairs and we are over 60 years old

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

09 Feb 2026

Isabel Mariel

Staff were friendly, and courteous, i like the free drinks. Its accessible to all the store, no need to do uber unless you plan to go further other area.No elevator was hard bec if you have a heavy luggage its really difficult. Otherwise if you want a few days only stay ,I recommend this hotel

8/10

Excellent

07 Feb 2026

Kristen

Hotel was cute.

6/10

Pleasant

07 Feb 2026

Bob

Staff and service - good. Quality of rooms, pillows, mattress - not so great. Housekeeping and janitorial carts, tools were left in the corridors of the property. AC condensation leaked to the floor of the room. Hot water was mostly cold and switched from hot to cold every other minute.

Business_and_leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Feb 2026

Dahlia

Great staff, free beverages and alcohol, walking distance to center

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2026

Andrew

Room was excellent, friendly staff, and great location. Could of used breakfast though

Self

2/10

Poor

01 Feb 2026

David

I’m not one to complain, but we paid $440 and there was NO HOT WATER!! This is a tired, poorly maintained and way overpriced hotel. If you are a senior like me, note there is no elevator so be prepared to carry your luggage up 8 flights of stairs to the 4th floor (staff don’t offer to help). The bathroom was so small 1 person could barely fit inside. The worst part was the poor customer service. There was no apology, let alone any compensation e.g. a partial refund, or even a couple of drinks at the bar. Comparable to a 2 star hotel in Cuba. Needless to say we won’t be back.

8/10

Excellent

31 Jan 2026

Norman

courteous staff, luggage storage a plus, nice view from roof

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

30 Jan 2026

Lia

The positives: room was clean, staff was polite, and the location is in the old city center. There is an open bar, for whoever cares about that.

The negatives: it was one of the most uncomfortable rooms I stayed in in my life. The bed was uncomfortable, the room is extremely minimalist, with no closet and barely anywhere to put your clothes, there is no hair drier except if you call the front desk and then I had to go downstairs in my pajamas myself to get it. There is no elevator and that could me ok ish but because of that, starting about 4am there is constant loud banging because guests are dragging their suitcases on the stairs (which is completely understandable).

I would not recommend except if you stay one or max two nights and sleep like a log no matter the noise or discomfort. If that’s OK and location and an open bar matter most then it’s fine.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jan 2026

Jane

Great location with friendly staff and a relaxed vibe. The rooftop and open bar were lovely. Quiet with good AC and nice warm showers.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2026

Ryan

I was very impressed with this hotel. The location couldn’t be better. The staff was super friendly and helpful. Allowing us to store our bags before and after checkout was also a huge bonus. The price was unbeatable for what we got and that was before we knew about the open bar! 10/10 would recommend. If I come back to San Juan, this is where I will stay again.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jan 2026

Shawn

A great location in Old San Juan. A clean, quiet room with everything we needed. And the staff at the front desk was very helpful.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jan 2026

Vivienne

Yes the rooms were clean , and old world authentic charm. The staff were all lovely

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

24 Jan 2026

Michael

The room is like a very nice prison cell. No elevator. No pool. NO HOT WATER. Day guy was rude- night shift girl Dayanara is phenomenal and awesome.

Not only a cold shower, but we had to call to get instructions on how to rig the shower. The guy said to turn on the hot water in the sink and leave it on the whole time in order for barely lukewarm water come out in the shower for about 5 minutes before it went completely cold. I feel like the guy thought it was literally insane to expect either a hot shower, a warm shower, or some kind of effort on the hotel's part to stagger showering.

If you like icy showers, or if you want great service during the midnight shift after a red eye fight, stay here. If you are expecting basic hotel amenities like a warm shower, don't stay here.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2026

Eddie

We didn't check in until 1AM but the staff could not have been nicer. We even got complimentary house drinks upon arrival. Room was great, amazing location in the heart of Old San Juan. A rooftop area only for guests. And a code entry system so only hotel guests were around. Would definitely stay here again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jan 2026

Nitza

Front desk was very helpful, friendly, and overall great to speak with. They made my stay very comfortable and welcoming.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jan 2026

Anthony

Staff is helpful, a/c is good, complimentary bar is a nice feature. However, room had a considerable amount of mold at the floor line, room was tidy but basically not very clean, and the mattress was thin, lumpy and not comfortable. Note the rooms are very small.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jan 2026

Todd

Great

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jan 2026

Donna

Great old hotel! Comfortable rooms, open bar was a plus… grabbed a drink to walk around city! Friendly and helpful employees. Surprisingly quiet except for an alarm peeping on first night.
Would definitely stay again!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2026

Diane

Great

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2026

Gillian

The bar was a great option to have. We do wish the rooftop patio had some shade instead of bathtubs?
Staff was great, location would be perfect for cruise. Secured entry was admirable.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2026

Daniella

amazing staff, beautiful building, comfortable beds

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

07 Jan 2026

Krishny

The riom was in good condition but they did not clean the floors and the bed moved a lot

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2026

Jason

Friendly staff and great location right in the heart of Old San Juan. Despite what Hotels.com says you dont need to wait for an email from the hotel or arrange anything with them ahead of time. The front task is staffed 24/7 and they were wonderful. This place is about a 10 minute walk to the cruise port (although beware, there are 2 cruise ports in San Juan). Would definitely stay here again. Great value!

Partner

4/10

Poor

03 Jan 2026

David

Room was tiny, had to haul luggage up 4 floors but each floor has 20' ceilings. No hot water. Staff was kind and location was great but better stay for college kids than adults

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2026

Diana

Everything I was great!

They held our bags before and after check-in/check-out.

All beverages were free throughout our stay (yes, including alcoholic beverages).

They were transparent that there was no elevator, so be prepared to bring your bags up, etc… w/o an elevator.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2025

Michael

Great location. Clean room. Friendly staffs.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2025

Anastasia

Fantastic location, staff were great, nice relaxed vibe in the bar and on the rooftop. Rooms are a nice mix of old and new. I don't recommend if you don't like stairs.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2025

Sylvia

Everything was great at our stay. Would definitely come back.

4/10

Poor

28 Dec 2025

Nathan R

The room was extremely dirty to the extent that I wouldn’t even want to walk around in it unless I had flip-flops on. The tile was cracked, the shower was cramped, and the floor was oily with visible unknown spilled liquid on the floor. I will say the location was good but I would never stay here again. When we opened the door my wife looked at me with a pained expression and that’s the limit for me. The staff was very friendly but it didn’t make up for the rest of the experience.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Dec 2025

Connie

Good

10/10

Exceptional

26 Dec 2025

Michael

The room was clean and the air conditioning works. As it's an old building, windows may not open all the way or at all. You'll also have to carry your own luggage up/down the stairs as there are no elevators or service. Great location! Enjoyed an open bar with water and beer.

8/10

Excellent

23 Dec 2025

Kevin

Charming, antique feel to a very historic old building. Everything you need for a comfortable stay.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2025

Veronica

Bar was excellent. Room small as expected but very clean. Good AC.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Dec 2025

Rodney Nelson

The staff and location was great!
But the room is way to small other than that it was good.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Dec 2025

mitchell

no hot water to take shower, I had to shower in cold water

Business

4/10

Poor

16 Dec 2025

Jorge

The staff is very friendly and the hotel location is excellent; however, there were three things that disappointed me:
1.The hotel has four stories and no elevators, so if you are traveling with heavy luggage, be prepared to carry it upstairs. The good part is that you only need to do this once at check-in.
2.There was no hot water at all, which made taking showers uncomfortable.
3.There were frequent clanking noises at night, which affected sleep quality.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

15 Dec 2025

Manuel

Staff was very courteous and saw to all our needs in a timely manner. For the price, the room left something to be desired, however. It was very small with minimal features. For example, it had no dresser; just a bar with a few hangers to store clothes. No coffee/tea service in the room; had to go to the lobby for coffee. And as advertised, there is no elevator so get ready to climb stairs. Location in Old San Juan is great for walking to restaurants, bars, and sightseeing venues. Overall we were pleased with the experience!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2025

Margaret

Amazimg location, great staff, beautiful old boutique hotel with beautiful wood and high ceilings. Would definitely stay here again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Dec 2025

Nicole

Great hotel. Open bar. Really clean. Fun vibe!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2025

John

Great location and staff. Catiana was fantastic! She handled our every need and ask. We would definitely stay again!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2025

CAROLYN

Everything was amazing! The staff. Christain!! The room. The view!
The location. The bar. EVERYTHING! Cannot wait to go back!!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Dec 2025

Juan

Fue una estadía espectacular, los empleados son un amor. Servicio 5 estrellas. Altamente recomendable!

El cuarto tiene todo lo que necesitas para una corta estadía. Ademas el hotel esta localizado en una de las ciudades mas lindas del mundo entero.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Dec 2025

Jaime

Restroom a bit smaller, shower floor bumped and dangerous for anyone to felt need to fix it to avid any accident.
Good location nice staff

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2025

Fan

Great room, great location

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

06 Dec 2025

Yoram Edmond

Fantastic location and a wonderful service by the staff. The hotel is 250 years old sign to consider that as far as amenities. Overall, we loved it.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Dec 2025

Rita

love it so close to everything.The staff was excellent.room was perfect.would definitely recommend 10/10

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2025

Jose

Clean room, very attentive staff and great amenities. Love the fact that is very private and quite around the hallways and lobby. Open bar and close to a lot of great restaurants. Highly recommend

Business_and_leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2025

Waleska

Excelente, seguro y privado

Business Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2025

Stephanie

Excelente servicio y limpieza

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2025

Sharon

Great location in Old San Juan- walking distance to the cruise port. Nice to be able to hang out in the lobby after checkout until our boarding time.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2025

Craig

Included open bar was a great perk. In the heart of Old San Juan, so if that's the area you're interested in, you'll have a fairly easy walk to pretty much everything. No kids is definitely a plus for me, and the open-air rooftop lounging area is nice too. First night I was there, there was a music act performing outside which was very loud. Thankfully, they wrapped just before 9 pm, so was still able to get a good night's sleep. Rest of my stay was relatively quiet. I turned the fan on the HVAC up to high to mask noise either from outside or the lobby (I was on the 2nd floor near the stairs), so that worked pretty well for me.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2025

Jennifer

Wonderful stay, very centrally located and the staff was very attentive. Would 100% stay again! Loved having the free bar on site not just for cocktails but even water for going out, coffee in the morning and tea at night was just so appreciated

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

28 Nov 2025

Jose

The staff was very helpful and the room w private terrace is cozy & very private.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

28 Nov 2025

Andrea

Great stay.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

26 Nov 2025

Marina

The fact that the hotel doesn’t allow children is discrimination. We didn’t know it and when we tried to check in at midnight with a toddler after a flight arriving to Puerto Rico, we were told we can’t stay at the hotel. We had to scramble to find another hotel at 1 am. We travel a lot and nothing like this has ever happened to us. There is no reason why a child wouldn’t be allowed at the hotel. They made some excuse that it is because there is a bar at the hotel. Obviously majority of hotels have bars and this excuse made no sense.
The hotel was nice and can do better than this.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

24 Nov 2025

Ivan

Enjoyed my stay, very friendly staff. Big shout out to Tatiana & Christian for all the recommendations and help.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2025

Amy

Excelente servicio y ubicación. El staff, súper profesional y cordiales, en especial Christian y Dayanara. Regresamos…

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2025

Michael

Excellent service, great atmosphere

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

18 Nov 2025

Jason

No elevator and NO help available to get bags up 4 flights of stairs. Top room reserved with outdoor patio tub and it’s very sub par.

AC worked well and an open bar downstairs were the only pluses.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2025

Olga

This state was super comfortable, right in the center of old San Juan. The weekend we arrived it was super busy because there was a marathon going on but the front desk and the on-site bar was super accommodating and friendly. Smells real nice inside and super clean and modern. They are doing some work on the place but aside from that it was perfect.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2025

Perseus

The staff were super friendly and helpful. Definitely made our trip in San Juan all the more enjoyable and fun. 10/10 would stay again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2025

Jose

Great room

4/10

Poor

14 Nov 2025

Paolo

There was no water most of the time i was there so i was not happy with my stay.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Nov 2025

Marlene

The staff were very pleasant and helpful.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

13 Nov 2025

Irma

The noise in the morning was insane but everything else was great

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

12 Nov 2025

Diana

The staff was nice and courteous, and the lobby was nice. The room, however, was dingy-looking. It clearly needed a new coat of pain and some deep cleaning and/or remodeling. There was no hot water when I showered, and when I let the receptionist know, her reaction indicated that that's a recurrent issue.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2025

Lizbeth

Excelente experiencia en El Colonial

Mi estadía en El Colonial fue maravillosa. Desde el momento en que llegué, el personal fue increíblemente amable y atento. El ambiente del hotel es encantador, acogedor y con un estilo muy especial que refleja la esencia del Viejo San Juan.

Quiero agradecer especialmente a Cristian por su atención y trato excepcional — siempre dispuesto a ayudar, con una sonrisa y un gran sentido del servicio. Gracias también a todos los empleados por hacer que mi visita fuera tan agradable y memorable.

Definitivamente volveré y lo recomiendo 100%.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2025

Sol E

Everything was perfect!!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2025

Alexander

Well located, nice room, great bar

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

05 Nov 2025

Anais

Great hotel. Loved staying here! The unlimited bar is a great touch to the stay. Parking was the only issue. It was either park on the sides of the rode and risk a ticket (which we got for $150) or park in a garage nearby and pay hourly parking. Another down side is the hot water. It was either super cold or WAY to hot there was no getting it in between. Keep in mind it is a very old building. Other then that the service was GREAT! the stay other then showering was amazing.