Hotel Casablanca - San Juan

We loved Hotel Casablanca. My husband and I stayed here for 1 night on the beginning of our trip, left for the island of Vieques, and then came back for another night. The hotel is decorated wonderfully - with a mixture of contemporary and old-time pieces. The furniture was all wonderful! The gal working the front desk when we arrived the first night […] was over the top wonderful! The hotel is in a great spot, right on the streets of Old San Juan where there is lots going on. On our 2nd stay there, we learned about the rooftop deck, with stone baths - and that was only because I read about it when looking up other stuff. That would have been nice to know about the first stay, as it has a beautiful view and a nice sitting area. The only negative thing I have to say is that the shower water was cold both times we stayed. Other than that, it was wonderful and I would absolutley go back! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This is a solid 3.9 star property. It was perfect for us, but there are some drawbacks that make it feel "hostel"-like -- the "courtyard" is actually the hotel lobby -- it gets noisy and our window wouldn't close -- the black and white movies playing constantly as a design element feel a bit juvenile, fluorescent lighting in the halls, hauling luggage […] up three flights of brutal concrete stairs. Aaand the shower handle knob fell right off. No shower for us! BUT this place has charm in spades, cool seating area, bar in the back, the service is excellent, I LOVED the sensible breakfast of toast and strong coffee, little details all over the hotel that show care and love. The milk for the coffee was steamed -- steamed! hand-tiled bathrooms, a view of San Juan on the semi-welcoming roof. and it's in the HEART of Old San Juan (we found parking out front, and our car didn't budge after that, watch your mirrors) and it is .... NOT A MILLION DOLLARS A NIGHT. whoo! I was contemplating staying at the Olive (obviously that hotel is beautiful) but for our one-night stay, I'm SO glad I went with Casablanca. This hotel is affordable, lovely and has all the character you need. The other areas of San Juan were, as others have undoubtedly mentioned, just not terribly charming (airport convention center hotels, ew). We got a great night's sleep on the wonderful firm bed, the A/C worked well, great magazines everywhere, front desk was wonderful, and we were overall very pleased. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This guest did not leave a comment.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great place to stay if you want to be right in the middle of old San Juan while not spending a fortune yet want to have something cool as accommodation. PROS: great service and a roof top with bath tubs (we watched the sunset over the city and the Fort while chilling in one of the bathtubs - nobody else was there). CONS: No elevator (building is historic, […] so they're not allowed to put one in) - 5th floor is definitely challenging to walk up to with a big suitcase. Also, the rooms are definitely about minimal size to fit a bed in and without much of a view. Our shower somehow didn't have warm water (the sink and the rooftop bathtub did - so no big deal). Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel was such a nice, relaxing place to come back to. Perfectly located in Old San Juan, but quiet. The rooms are small - not much place to hang out in them - but we were out most of the time anyway. They had a nice reception/cafe area, and a gorgeous roof deck. A/C was awesome! No windows to the outside (only a window onto the hotel atrium), but […] it made the room very quiet which was nice. The rooms were decorated well, and we were delighted with our stay. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

If you are even slightly older, slightly infirm or slightly out of shape, stay somewhere else. The lobby has a 20ft ceiling, so the walk upstairs to the second floor is three steep flights and two landings. Then add a 15ft ceiling to each floor and you've got a major climb to your room. Service was first class when we checked in and found that Hotel.com […] had sold and charged us for a suite and then reserved a standard king size room. This was to be a special treat for our anniversary. The front desk noticed that we had booked 10 months earlier and offered a partial refund. But the room was very small, as others have mentioned. Nice, clean, concrete floors, shower open to the room (plenty of hot water), no windows (there is a nice big skylight over the shower - kinda funky location if you think about it), cold, clean, good tasting water at the tap, and a fine deatbolt at the door. And then there was - the bed. Oooo, owww, ouch. Oh man. I would not have stayed one more night if they paid me! Three nights was our limit. Ouch. (when checking out, I mentioned this to one of the owners who seemed genuinely surprised - "Others have told me they love soft saggy beds". I smiled nicely. But now I'm telling you, the reader, "No, we DON'T like soft saggy beds". The hotel is in the (sort of) center of all the action. Everything in OSJ is within walking distance, food, attractions etc. Be warned, taxis have a posted rate from the airport to wherever, but after that you are on your own. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel was fine. The room was small but clean. There is no elevator and no porter to bring the luggage up to the third floor. Great location in Old San Juan.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I loved the artsy feel of this hotel. The decor in the lobby is very invigorating when you enter and the seating is unusual and comfortable! The only drawback is there is no elevator and we had to carry our luggage up 3 flights of stairs to our room. The room is very light at night and I found that made it difficult to sleep, but luckily I had a sleep […] mask with me. Ida at the front desk was wonderful in answering questions and getting extra pillows for me. The location is fabulous for wandering around Old San Juan and we were even able to walk with our luggage to the cruiseport. They kept our luggage for us until we were ready to board the ship. All in all we would definitely stay here again! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great location right in the heart of Old San Juan! Walk to everything. Very cute hotel with great style. For the money, it was an incredible value. We stayed on the 5th floor (THERE IS NO ELEVATOR so be aware if you have any issues with stairs) in a tiny little room that was clean, simple, with nice little touches and had doors that opened out onto […] a little open air hallway with views of the city and a glimpse of the ocean. Make sure to check out the roof deck and the little soaking tubs out in the sun. I would definitely stay here again. Again, it wasn't a big fancy hotel, it was a small, unique, funky property that offered WONDERFUL value. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great place for the price. Great location. Room was clean. Can't say I had any problems. I would stay here again.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great hotel and staff and super location. However, if you want large, American-style rooms this place isn't for you. Rooms, like older hotels in Europe, are on the small size but comfortable. The place is for people who like something a bit funky and artsy. Great lobby area. Large with plenty of chairs and couches to laze on when you need a break. Breakfast, […] the only meal served at the hotel, is a good bargain and tasty. Only complaint we had was the light coming into our room from the air shaft. Apparently someone on the floor above us left the lights on in their room all night, illuminating the air shaft and lightly our room. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Excellent location, beautiful hotel and nice personnel. I will return to this place.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Management and staff were very accommodating. However no elevator and given 3rd floor room. Rooms very small but clean. Old furniture. Nice lobby - good decorating on 1st floor. Only one stairway out for all floors. Concrete floors in rooms but old building. Near everything in old San juan

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This guest did not leave a comment.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This guest did not leave a comment.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We have been to San Juan many times in the past. We have normally stayed in the Condado Hotel area in the past, but wanted to stay in the Heart of old San Juan time. Very nice hotel, people were very friendly and helpful and the service was great, very clean. We stayed on the second floor and one of the employee help take our luggage up. Location was […] great for walking to anywhere in Old San Juan we wanted to go. We plan on staying at the Casablanca again and would definitely reccomend it. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I love the free PBJ for breakfast in the morning. Decorations for the hotel in the lobby and all around are very chic and chill. The sofas and couches in the lobby and dining area are perfect for reading books and chilling at night. The room is a little small and could be stuff at times, but for the price point and location, I would say that it is still […] value for money. Strangely pleasant experience with just a curtain separating shower and the bed. Nice and comfy bed! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I found the hotel to be very charming and an ideal location. The stairs might be a problem for some but its not like you go up and down a lot. The front desk staff was very helpful, as were the cleaning staff. We used the free city trolly to get around the island and a stop was very close by. Coffee and toast is included, but a full breakfast is very […] expensive, so we found a great breakfast place around the corner with full egg breakfast for about $5.00 and awesome cafe con leche. I would definitely stay at this hotel again. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

A really nice hotel in a great location. Rick is a great host. Enjoyed our stay. Remember there is no elevetor and there are 89 steps to top floor. We would stay there again.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Overall very pleased. Hotel is nicely decorated, very clean, friendly staff. No elevator was a bit of a challenge for getting luggage upstairs, but wouldn't keep me from staying there again. Rooms are a bit small, but didn't need anything more given we were only there long enough to sleep.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Although the people working at Casablanca were very nice (as well as most of the people on the island), it did not make up for having no hot water 2 out of the 3 days we stayed. I'm talking about gasping for air while showering. Also, many rooms have no windows to the outside. I felt like I was in a servants quarters in Downton Abbey except they probably […] have hot water. It is a step up from camping. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel lobby was very nice as was the staff. It ends there. Our room was on the 2nd floor which was more like the 3rd. floor the way the stairs were. No elevator in the hotel. Our room was clean, the window looked out over the lobby. The floor was painted cement. There were no closets. The room was very small with no place to put your suitcases except […] the floor. The tv was very old. We did climb up 6 flights of stairs to the roof. On the roof there was a nice view of old San Juan with a place for about 6 people to sit. There were 5 large bath tubs that you could soak in if you wanted to, except parts of the floor where they were was rotted out. The location of the hotel was perfect. Near everything in Old San Juan. Friends that were with us had a room down the hall from us. Their window opened to the end of the hall where all the cleaning products were kept. Their TV was on the top of a dresser that had no bottom or drawers so it was on the floor. If you were in bed you could only see 3" of the TV screen. You may ask "why didn't you change your room" when you register for your stay you are asked to sign a paper and on that paper there is a clause that says if you want to change your room there is a $100.00 fee. You sign this paper before your given your room key. Would I recomend this hotel. NO Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great for an overnight stay! .. lacked an elevator and the bathroom layout was very awkward.

Genuine Expedia guest review

For a great price, you are in the center of Old San Juan, near the bay, fine restaurants, historical sites, and night entertainment. The hosts/staff were really friendly (helped us w/ local hot spots and rental car). The room was a decent size for two and clean. Good shower pressure. Not luxury by any means, but comfortable, convenient, and with friendly […] staff. Highly recommend it... Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

well, the room was pretty much what i expected - i knew that we would have to lug our bags up the stairs (no elevator). What i didnt expect: i booked a balcony room - and didnt receive one. they had them available - but wanted to charge me extra for them. I pushed back - but then relented. the room was fine - eclectic - but fine. heres where the whees […] fell off: BREAKFAST is INCLUDED. this is on their website. they mention it when you check in. So - we sit down - and our waiter asks: "are you staying at the hotel?" "YES" - he hands us menus, we order, eat, and then after waiting incredibly long (we only had a few hours to explore before getting on the ship) so - we left a tip for the waiter and left. we left our bags at the hotel while explored. We came back - they wanted to charge us $40-45 dollars fro breakfast. I told them how it was all mentioned and how it all went down - and they explained it was only for coffee and pastries (in another section). I offered - then you need to inform your wait staff - and you also need to included this as a CONTINENTAL breakfast on your website and during check in. they plodded on - i then told them to go ahead and charge my card - heck ding it for $200 for breakfast - i explained that i would dispute the charges with AMEX (which i will do). I gave them a chance to make it right and they refused. Im sorry i had to share this - but i think that your future guests may find this information useful. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The lobby of this hotel is beautiful, artistic, little bit eclectic. Our room was really beautiful and the bed was so comfortable, you felt like it was hugging you and never wanted to get up from it!! There is no elevator which for a family could be complicated, you have to go up a lot of stairs. The location is great if you want to walk around Old […] San Juan, it's right in the heart of it. You just need to walk one or two blocks right or left to find the best restaurants, shopping places and bars. The staff is very helpful and nice. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Charming hotel in a great location. Loved the rooftop tubs! Keep up the good work!

Genuine Expedia guest review

We had no hot water..............for hand washing or showers in the evening and in the morning. Room was exceptionally noisey and cold.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel is conviniently located right in the center of Old San Juan. *(GOOD) San Cristobal fort was stone throw's distance from the hotel, whereas El Morro was a short walk away. *(GOOD) The hotel is furnished in classical them, which is very delightful. There is a LCD TV always running the classic movie Cassablanca, which is kind of nice. On weekends, […] they also project this movie on the wall near Rick's cafe, so you will have a nice view while having breakfast. *(GOOD) The breakfast provided was just enough and very tasty. Although they dont have much variety and its almost the same everyday, we didnt find that much of an issue, since it was sufficient for our needs.*(BAD)The hotel rooms were very small, there was barely any space between the bed and the walls. *(BAD) There were not much storage space in the room in terms of cabinets, etc. So we had a hard time drying our beach clothes. *(BAD) There are no elevators. So if you have many luggages(that too heavy ones) then you will have a hard time getting them to and from your room. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We enjoyed the two night stay. The hotel is located on a main street in Old San Juan and we were able to walk out the front door and land in the middle of a festival that was occurring that weekend.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Clean room, nice staff, excellent location. Recommend eating in Marmelade restaurant, the best rated by trip advisor, just in front of Casablanca. Breakfast was way below expectations. As nothing special was found I would try another hotel next time.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Casablanca was a great hotel for a visit to Old San Juan. Right in the centre of everything. Clean and the staff were very, very nice.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We loved this hotel. The staff was more than helpful from where to go to eat, getting taxis, and even sending stamps! The only downside was that the shower was cold but we weren't there for long and we would stay here again!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Our room had no hot water-zero, zilch, nada, goose eggs. Upon seeking resolution at the front dest @ 7pm, I was told there was nothing that could be done till the next day. As I went back to the room, I was approached by an elderly couple that told me they had been given that room when they checked in, but made the front desk move them because it had […] no hot water. So the front desk KNEW there was NO HOT WATER before putting us in that room. A pretty room without hot water is no bargain... Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

It took 3 rooms to get one that was acceptable. The first had no hot water, the second had no place to hang clothes and almost no room for suitcases, knobs on the dresser were missing. The third room was OK, but the phone never worked, "locked out", and this was reported 3 times and never resolved. I was required to sign a form stating possible charges […] for damage to the room or missing remotes for the TV and A/C, have never had to sign something like this at any other hotel, made sure to document any existing damage and report it. Day 1 the maid took our old bar of soap and did not leave a new one. No elevator so hauling luggage was a pain. The room was clean and quiet. The front desk and restaurant seemed understaffed most of the time. Good WiFi in the lobby area, the included continental breakfast was very sparse, no coffee included, but the additional items from the menu were good and reasonably priced. Overall, the initial room hassle and concerns over the 'damages' form made for a very uncomfortable initial experience, would look for other options if we return to San Juan. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great location, you get what you pay for. Comfy bed, small pool, everthing in walking distance. Cool town !!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Chose this hotel because of its location and price - great location in OSJ on Fortaleza near all the shops and restaurants at a very reasonable price. But the room itself was very small with a window too high to see our of. The bed was not comfortable - hard in fact. Noise from people coming and going in the hallway was annoying. The window opened into […] the inner courtyard and with the open hallways, there was not way to control the noise, even with the window closed. The light in the bath was combined with the exhaust fan which was very loud. I only turned on the light when I absolutely had too (peeing in the dark is not my forte). My main complaint is the total lack of hot water in the shower. In a hotel, I expect a hot shower, no matter how reasonable the price. A final issue is the lack of an elevator and the unevenness of the stair steps. You have to be very carefull, especially with luggage. If you stay on an upper floor, it is a long haul. Would I stay here again? - probably not. The cold shower was a deal breaker for me. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This guest did not leave a comment.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

No elevator; some rooms without hot water, and possible bed bugs.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I read the reviews for this hotel after confirming my booking, and I wanted to cancel the reservation, but I stayed at this hotel for the night, expecting the worst. I was REALLY surprised, very clean room, hot water for a long shower in the morning, very nice and helpful people, well decorated facilities and room. However, the hotel is a little bit […] run down if you look around, but nothing horrible. Hallways are clean, as well as restaurant and common areas. The location is the best and for me it was a really good quality/price ratio. Oh, and I was expecting to pay extra for sheets and towels (as specified in the confirmation email), but didn't have to pay anything. And I was given a business card with a 10% discount next time I book at this hotel again. And breakfast was included (simple, but good)! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Staff was very helpful. Hotel lobby charming.The only drawback was no elevator and we were on fourth floor.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The hotel is in a perfect location, but offers only the bare minimum for a comfortable stay. The TV is very small, there is no hair dryer, no iron, no fridge or microwave and ... no carpet. And indeed, the rooms are very small. But my wife and I still had a lot of fun. All the major attractions in old San Juan are well within walking distance and you […] actually have the authentic feel of a traditional San Juan building, instead of a standard international resort where everything looks the same. They also have a decent, free, breakfast which is nice. I also didn't see a single bug in the place, which I can't say about some of the restaurants we visited. Taxis are very close by, so is a busstop. The service was friendly and laid back. I would stay again anytime, especially after walking past some of the alternatives in Condado etc. This is a good choice, albeit spartan, especially for young people looking to experience the old downtown. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

My wife and I stayed at the CasBlanca Hotel for just a single overnight stay before we boarded our 7 day cruise ship. Since we only spent one night at the hotel, we really didn't spend much time at the hotel. The lobby is very cool looking. The rooms are beautifully decorated. There was a decent air conditioning unit w/ remote that kept our room very […] cool. Our only issue that we ran into, is that our room did not have Internet Access. The only Internet access was a Wifi router located in the lobby, which according to the front desk stopped working that morning. There are not many... really not many AT ALL... free wifi hot spots in Old San Juan, so this really put a hitch in our communication plans prior to our cruise. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This guest did not leave a comment.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

My husband and I decided to stay here for one night before our cruise. I knew there wasn't an elevator and I knew it wasn't going to be a Holiday Inn, so my review is more of a description than a complaint. There was no wifi in the room but I found an open network in the lobby. Our room was on the 5th floor. The man at the front desk helped cart one […] of our bags up and we carried the rest. I'm a fitness instructor, so I enjoyed the exercise, but most people wouldn't like that. Our room was small and my husband declared the art to be creepy which I found amusing. Only certain buttons on the remote for the 17" TV worked. There was no hair dryer. The shower water alternated between hot and cold, had low pressure, and very hard water. Our toilet did not flush and the towels had dirty spots on them. Tiles were missing all over the shower and the floor looked dirty. The windows were frosted, no curtains, and did not keep out the brightness of the nightlife. The free breakfast was 2 pieces of toast, butter, strawberry jelly, OJ, coffee, and cereal with milk. Cereal choices are Cheerios, raisin bran or honey bunches of oats. You can pay for a $19 brunch or order food such as french toast for additional cost. There is a starbucks. There is a room on the first floor where you can keep your luggage locked up, so we did that for the day then walked to the cruise port, wheeling our luggage over the bumpy roads. Overall this hotel was fine for 1 night but I would stay in Condado next time Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This guest did not leave a comment.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

very romantic! reminded me of a B&B; shower is in bedroom with curtain separating it; water was cold; only stairs no elevator; staff very helpful with luggage; had to get a taxi to ship port

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Great place to stay. I would go back. Clean, laid back, and very cool. They have some hot water issues, but they seem to be working it out.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

We loved our stay at Sofo CasaBlanca Hotel. The staff is awesome. The hotel is unique - eclectic decor, comfortable bed, private balcony and great continental breakfast. Can't beat the price and location!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This guest did not leave a comment.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review