Hotel El Convento

We absolutely loved this hotel. We typically stay at Marriott properties but didn’t want to be around the touristy places on the beach so decided to stay here. It is in the perfect part of Old San Juan. There is a wine and cheese happy hour for guests. A hot tub and pool on the 4^th floor. I have traveled all over the world and this hotel stands out as one of the best. Stay here, you won’t regret it.

This place has been truly wonderful. Hospitality, quiet, charm, beauty, history, comfort, attention to minute details, friendliness, location, pina coladas :-), kindness, what more can I say but thank you to Angel, Luis, Tiny, hospitality people… Thank you for the champagne and classical music in the evening in our room when we returned… Every detail of kindness and excellence. Thank you. A perfect honeymoon experience. We leave here with wonderful memories and full hearts and tummies‍

To be fair, we were only here for drinks. The place is beautiful and worth checking out. That said, plan on shelling out some bucks for drinks. We got two cocktails and paid over $ 20. No, they did not contain any platinum.

Best hotel ever. Located across the street from the oldest cathedral in the Americas, El Convento itself is a historical site. For the past 300+ years, the building has served as a convent, private hotel, and parking lot for trash trucks, before becoming the state-​owned hotel it is today. The top floor has a small pool and a jacuzzi; the third floor has complementary coffee, tea, bottled water, and fruits all day; and the second floor has one of the best tapas restaurants in the region. Despite its history, the hotel rooms are new and the facilities work super well. The staff here is also super friendly and helpful.
This hotel is also in the center of old San Juan, so staying here is super convenient for roaming around the small streets and to check out one of the forts.
Overall, this hotel is a destination in and of itself. My now fiancé proposed to me on the balcony here and it is a beautiful memory I’ll cherish forever. I’ll also be looking to come back here over the years!

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 hotel is quaint but for the price it’s not where I would spend my money. The service is terrible, my husband paid for flower petals for my b-​day and they put them for a different night. All they said was sorry for the misunderstanding. Asked for a rental car and when we came back to see if they got us one, they don’t even see the request. I mean there were 3 people at front desk which was a 5 foot desk so how could they not see the request? The pool is literally a plunge pool for maybe 8 people and they have 10 loungers for a 55 or so room hotel. Majority of the rooms have queen size bed only. The wifi never connected, they told us it’s becuase it’s not connecting to Apple devices, we’ll we have andriods. So they sent engineering to switch the modem on and off, that didn’t work. The AC is set and locked at 68 degrees lowest. But the room is at 73 degrees. We asked if this can be fixed they said no and sorry. REALLY?
I honestly don’t get why this place costs $ 300 a night. I don’t get all the great reviews either? I would never come back here.

Very nice hotel with old European feel mixed with Beverly Hills (think it’s the awnings).
Perfectly located in a safe part of old San Juan.
We only stayed for one night but room was comfortable and the late-​night staff gave us breakfast vouchers when we got home late, looking for late-​night food.
The breakfast was yummy.
The elevator didn’t function the day we left which was a bit of a pain with luggage, but other than that, it was great.
I’ll definitely recommend to friends and would come again.

After doing extensive research on places to stay in Old San Juan, I found Hotel El Convento. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by the friendly staff. Check in was quick, we were then offered area recommendations and reminded not to miss their wine and cheese happy hour. Our bellman (Jamie) happily carried our bags with a smile while offering suggestions on things to do in the area. We were really blown away with the service at this hotel.
After freshening up, we walked around old san juan for a bit and soon made our way back for the 6pm wine and cheese happy hour. I’d suggest you get there early as some people like to take advantage of anything «free» (we sat next to one couple who downed 4 glasses of wine before I could finish my first). The spread was generous with delicious cheeses, grapes, coffee, tea and wine. This was a nice added touch to an already great first impression. After returning from dinner, we entered our room to «turndown service» — classical music playing, chocolates on the pillow, shutters and curtains closed. Just a great experience overall, sad it was only for one night. One thing to note, this is an hotel in old san juan so expect the charm. We will be back!

My boyfriend and I were in Puerto Rico last week for 5 nights. On a friends recommendation we stayed here, right in the heart of Old San Juan. We could not have been happier with our decision. It was perfect for a couples get away. Many of the reviews go into detail about the history of the hotel, and the wine and cheese hour from 6 – 7 on the terrace, so I’ll try to include some different tips.
Our room was on the 2^nd floor– 207. Though the views may not have been as expansive as higher floors, we loved the high ceilings that only this floor has. We also got lucky with room 207 because it’s tucked away at the end of a hall, so it’s very quiet at night, and has a great view down Calle del Santo Cristo which meets the Ocean. In the morning, as you sip a cup of coffee, you can also people watch, or «gatito» watch, while locals, visitors, and cats stroll through a little park square.
The hotel staff was very friendly and knowledgable, providing us with great service and advice throughout our stay. They had great recommendations for tour guides, great food and drink, and even a spa whose massage therapists came right to our room for a fantastic couples massage.
El Convento is nicely situated in Old San Juan. We easily walked the island from our hotel, and made our way easily to and from the many forts and the secluded public beach across from the Capitol building. El Convento is also set back from the port, so it was easy to find good food and restaurants that weren’t full of the cruising crowd. We really enjoyed chatting with our bartenders and other locals about the history and real estate market in Puerto Rico. Our favorite spot was La Madre. Great people and to die for fish tacos.
If your looking for a romantic relaxing stay while you tour all Old San Juan has to offer, this is the spot for you!

I’ve never stayed at the Hotel, so I’m reviewing the restaurant. Overall, the food was good, but a tad pricey and not quite as diverse or exciting in their options as many other Old San Juan restaurants. If it were just about the food for the price, I would give 3 stars.
The atmosphere and the service however, are full 5 stars. Anyone who has traveled to the Caribbean knows about Island Time — everything just happens slower there. And most of the time, that’s ok. But it’s easy for island time to become a complete and utter lack of service. Finding a place like this where the servers are knowledgeable about their food and drinks, move like they care that you are hungry, and are personable and friendly. We had Jan serving us, and he was one of the best servers I’ve ever had, anywhere. He managed to hit the perfect sweet spot between professionalism and casual friendliness.
The seating area is clean, open, has just the right amount of music, and is located in the atrium of El Convento is perfect. Keep up the great job guys. I don’t expect you to lower your prices, but bring the menu up just a notch and you’ll be getting 5 stars from me. I’ll be back next year.
Verdict: Great place to enjoy drinks and tapas with friends. You pay for what you get, but you get what you pay for.

Stopped by for a few pina coladas at the bar during a day trip to Old San Juan. Lovely bar area with it in the courtyard area and deliciously boozy pina coladas.

I really can’t say enough about this hotel, it’s one of the nicest hotel experiences I have ever had. We had just stayed in the Condado Lagoon Villas the weekend before and the Four Seasons the weekend before that and those hotels have nothing on the El Convento. The sound dampening inner door works really well as there was a wedding going on that weekend at the hotel, the room was basically silent after closing it. Easily the finest hotel in PR!
The only con which I probably shouldn’t even mention since it really has nothing to do with the hotel is that it can be a difficult trip to get to the airport. The hotel is in the heart of Old San Juan so when it’s time to leave, give yourself an extra hour since it takes time for a taxi to get to you, then to get out of Old San Juan.

This was one of the best hotels that I’ve ever visited. My husband and I stayed here for a week in August to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.
I could write a 10 page essay on everything we loved about this place, but instead, I’ll write a love list:
**Location location LOCATION** El Convento is located in the heart of Old San Juan: A short distance from the museums, the forts, art galleries and endless shopping, restaurants, and bars. We were able to walk everywhere and we never had to go the same place twice. There’s just so much to see and do.
**It’s absolutely beautiful** From the open air courtyard, arched doorways, and ceramic tile to the carved wooden headboards and the art on the wall, this place exudes old world charm and class.
**The rooms** Comfortable bed, refrigerator and coffee maker– check, check and check! Our room had shuttered doors that opened up to expose a very large window overlooking the city, plus a soundproof door that you could shut at night to seal out any noise coming from the courtyard. The bathroom was bright and modern with magnified make-​up mirrors and good water pressure. Aveda bath products as well.
**The free wine and cheese reception** I know it’s been mentioned numerous times before but from 6 – 7 every day, there is a bottomless supply of wine, cheese, and crackers offered in one of the gathering rooms. We took advantage of this almost every night.
** Rooftop pool and hot tub** The open air lounge area is perfect for relaxation. The plunge pool and hot tub are on the smaller side, but there were never more than 4 people in them at a time. It’s a beautiful little area to bring a drink or a book!
**The service** Everyone was so kind and helpful. The porter/​bellhop gave us a thorough run-​down of the hotel plus tons of great suggestions regarding what to do/​see. The concierge set us up with passes to the Marriott Resort, so we could enjoy the beach for a day. The housekeeping services were perfection! We also had turn down service every night, complete with chocolate on the pillows and classical music playing on our speakers.
**The details** Sometimes the difference between a good hotel and a great hotel rests in the details. There were many little things that brought me joy, here. There was always free coffee, fruit, tea, and bottled water available in the room where the free wine and cheese reception is held. There was also a glorious rooftop garden complete with veggies and herbs that the in-​house chef uses in his dishes. Even the resident cats lounging around, left me with a smile on my face.
Hotel El Convento was the perfect home away from home and I can’t wait to visit again.

Superb. What a wonderful lunch. Disappointed at first that they didn’t have the (chilled) garden soup, but had the (hot) plantain soup & it was delicious. The fish tacos were AMAZING. DEF worth a try & SUCH a beautiful open air setting. Love it. Highly recommended.

I really adored this hotel. Historic, beautiful, wonderfully friendly service.
So often, I feel as if I’m nickeled and dimed when I stay at «fancier» hotels, but this place treats their patrons right. With the gorgeous rooms and open Spanish architecture, free wine and cheese, coffee and fresh fruit all day, and turn down service, you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth out of this place.
It is in a fantastic location, near tons of historic sites, as well as bars and restaurants. I didn’t feel like I could have found a better area to stay! (My boyfriend and I had just come back from a five day trip to Culebra, the beach, so we didn’t feel like we wanted to stay near the ocean, or Condado)
A couple notes on potential downsides/​concerns for some folks:
–The pool was a on the small side, but they have free passes to the Vanderbilt hotel, their sister hotel, in Condado (still have to pay for a cab to get to the Vanderbilt, though)
–There are lots of stray cats roaming about, so if you’re allergic, consider loading up on allergy mess or staying somewhere else
–There are bats that fly through the middle of the hotel; they won’t hurt ya, though.
–Spotty wifi unless you’re on the third floor. The wifi was free, though!

A gorgeous hotel in the heart of old San Juan. Converted from an old convent, it is an incredibly beautiful place, with lots of quiet places to sit, have a drink, and enjoy the cool breezes that are somehow captured by the hotel’s shape.
Easy walking distance to lots of historical attractions and great restaurants.
The hotel hosts an absolutely fantastic free wine and cheese hour from 6 – 7, and if you were traveling on a budget you could certainly splurge on this hotel and eat your fill there!
The staff was wonderful and friendly throughout.
A couple of small caveats:
the pool is extremely small, kind of a large bathtub. We were traveling with a toddler so it was perfect for us, but some may want more.
The internet is spotty, so I’d be careful about stopping in on business travel.
There are cats throughout the hotel, so note if you have allergies.
The hotel’s restaurants are just ok, and quite pricey.

We came here for a wedding and this place was amazing! Super unique and full of charm and personality. Everything was wonderful — easy access to clean bathrooms, good service, good food. While we did not stay at the hotel, we did see one of the rooms and it looked great — I would totally stay here if I ever found myself in Puerto Rico again.

Quite possibly one of the best hotels I’ve ever visited! I LOVE this hotel — it’s the perfect mix of a beautiful, historic location packed with character and mixed with modern amenities.
El Convento is a convent (duh) with gorgeous marble floors, dark wood, and a sunlit courtyard. Mix that with excellent in-​room air-​conditioning, fridges, outstanding customer service (our rooms were expertly serviced twice a day), solid (free!) wifi, and a convenient business center (for printing boarding passes, and maybe checking out the Lilly Pulitzer After-​Party Sale – oops!). El Convento had so much character and class — it felt instantly warm and comfortable, unlike the cold feeling you sometimes get from luxury hotels.
Not to mention:
— Delicious, aromatic coffee supplied in silverware alllll day long!
— An INCREDIBLE wine and cheese every day from 6 — 7 pm — this made my life and we ended up planning our day around it. Excellent wine selection — bubbling rose, white, and red, paired with various cheeses including an amazing manchego, as well as grapes, enjoyed on the gorgeous terrace overlooking the square. You can also bring it up to the pool level as well.
— Intimate, romantic roof-​top pool and hot tub, surrounded by gorgeous flowers
— 3 restaurants on-​site — we love Pizza et Birra and it was super convenient
— Ice-​cold water bottles supplied for free all day long
— FREE passes to 2 beach resorts — we ended up heading to the Isla Verde Resort (Marriot Courtyard) for a beach and pool day
— Fantastic, warm, genuine customer service
I wish hotels in the US and Europe would take note — I’m obsessed with this hotel.

Can I live here?
Hotel El Convento is both a piece of history to marvel at and a modern day oasis to fully unwind it. There’s something special about these small luxury hotels that the biggies can’t quite provide and El Convento is a winning example of that magic. The staff is straight up professionally friendly — these are people well trained in the industry of hospitality and it shows. But that’s kind of expected when the rooms start at about 140 a night, right?
El Convento really shines when it comes to their décor and amenities. Creating the perfect fusion of that old Spanish Colonial style and the modern treats that make 2015 more comfortable that 1651 (those rustic wooden doors that lead to your room are lovely, but the second soundproof, see-​through door that tightly shuts out every noise from the room is a genius), Hotel El Convento lives up to it’s motto «Go back in time with all the luxuries of today.»
Check out
for the full review plus more photos and feel free to drop a comment if you have a question.
Salomé Luna Gemme

We stopped at Hotel Convento for a drink after going to El Morro. It is on the way down to a bunch of shops in that area. Cute hotel with open air lobby. If you sit at the bar, there is an outlet underneath where you can charge your cellphone. I ordered a yummy mango drink.
Beautiful church next door.

Ein sehr schönes und stilvoles hotel, daß im klassischen kolonialstil geschaffen und erhalten wurde.
Alles ist unaufdringlich luxuriös — sehr angenehm. Auch der barbereich ist dezent und doch irgendwie sehr schön.
Es ist sauber und das personal immer freundlich. Das nächste mal werden wir wahrscheinlich hier absteigen…
:o)