San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been welcoming ships to its shores for nearly 500 years. Old San Juan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is filled with colorful colonial buildings, many of them now housing quaint boutique hotels. Isla Grande is on the other side of the channel and is on the western end of modern San Juan. Both areas have hotels that are within easy reach of the city’s two cruise ports.
San Juan has two distinct cruise ship docking areas. The Old San Juan Piers front the older part of the city. Ships that are in port only for the day usually dock here so passengers can walk into Old San Juan. The Pan American Pier is across the channel on Isla Grande, near the airport. Cruise ships that begin or end their voyages in Puerto Rico use either the Old San Juan Piers or the Pan American Pier. Finding out which pier your cruise ship is using is the key to picking a conveniently located hotel.
This Sheraton is so close to the Old San Juan Piers that you can almost wave to ship passengers. The Chicago Burger Company, an eatery on the first floor, faces the docks and is the perfect spot to watch the ships wiggle into their spots at the pier. The hotel lists the distance as one-tenth of a mile. The Pan American Pier is 2.2 miles away. This modern property still has the feel of Old San Juan but with a casino, health club, rooftop pool deck and contemporary furnished rooms. The grand staircase is particularly impressive when you enter the lobby.
The next closest lodging to Old San Juan Piers is the Cervantes Hotel. It’s about two blocks in back of the Sheraton and is every bit as posh but with more Spanish flavor. Named for the author of “Don Quixote de la Mancha,” the three-story, 18th-century building is home to an all suite property. The Penthouse Suite gets most of the press. It takes up the entire third floor and has private elevator access, an in-room spa bath and a private terrace. The Panza Restaurant is on site, serving international Cuisine and fine wines.
The CasaBlanca Hotel is in a building dating back to the 1900s. It also has three floors, but no elevator. Decor is a mixture of Spanish masculinity and Victorian charm. Rooms are on the small side, but they are air-conditioned and have high-end linens and furnishings. Wireless Internet is available in all rooms. Guests receive an access code at check in. CasaBlanca is two blocks from the Cervantes. Next door is the Hotel Milan, another boutique hotel in a vintage building that does have an elevator. The three-story property is pure Spanish style in the restaurant and the common areas, but the hotel rooms are more contemporary. Wireless Internet service is available here as well.
If your cruise is leaving or arriving at the Pan American Pier, the closest property is Hotel Miramar. It sits on Isla Grande, a five-minute taxi ride from the cruise dock. A bus stop in front of the property gets you to Old San Juan in roughly 10 minutes. The property is clean-lined, contemporary and modern -- a white high-rise that’s hard to miss. The Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino is also on Isla Grande. It’s not waterfront, but is next to the Puerto Rico Convention Center and the Isla Grande Airport. This modern property is also about a five-minute drive from the Pan American Pier.
