The Caribbean - sju hotel recommendation

got a cheapie sju fare, so will have two nights to spend there...would like to be close to the old town (or in it) and walking distance to stuff as i don't intend to rent a car. don't care about spending lots of time on a beach, basically we'll have one full day in san juan.

is the hilton worth checking out or is there something better? thanks...

aack, i'd intended to put a question mark in the thread title...sorry. if a mod sees this, please add one for me!

Caribe Hilton is Okay, but it's not in downtown Old San Juan.

The Sheraton, while not very glamorous, is in the heart of the
Old city. The rooms are generally clean and plenty of food and
shopping within a few blocks.

It's about a $12-15 cab ride from SJU.

Enjoy!

Oh, if it's the first Tuesday, it will be Galleria night and
things get busy (including traffic into the city) after 9.

The Caribe Hilton is a beachfront resort located between historic Old San Juan and the Condado area while there are many amenities such as the private beach, oceanfront swimming pools, lighted tennis courts, full-service spa & health club and five restaurants on site I don't think it fits in with your request for being in the heart of the old city.

My preference would be the 58 room El Convento. Originally a Carmelite convent built over three centuries ago, it is now a boutique-style hotel located in the heart of Old San Juan and approximately eight miles from San Juan Airport. The hotel is within walking distance of bars, restaurants, and the Old San Juan attractions although it's about a 10-minute drive to the nearest beach.
http://www.elconvento.com/

A close second would be the Hotel Milano. A restored, classical building located in the centre of the Culinary district Sofo where some of the best restaurants and bars of the island are located.
http://www.hotelmilanopr.com/

Like the previous poster I would also recommend the Sheraton Old San Juan. Note that it is not as intimate as my other two recommendations.
http://www.sheratonoldsanjuan.com/

Please be sure to let us know how it all works out for you.

thanks for the tips, guys! ^

both the el convento and the milano looked lovely, convento especially if this was truly a vacation, but since this is supposed to be a trip on the cheap-ish to make use of a great airfare that would generate lots of miles (2 cents per mile for the mileage runners in the crowd) i couldn't justify the cost. after checking out websites and prices, we'll be staying at the sheraton because i was able to get it for $100 on priceline. :p

also, i have a good shot at a king bed at the sheraton, which wouldn't have been possible at the milano...so both mr kk and i will sleep better. :)

I stayed at the Hotel Milano a couple of years ago & would stay there again. It isn't the beautiful property of El Convento, but it isn't the same price either. One thing we really enjoyed at Milano was the roof-top hotel restaurant/bar. Great place to catch a breeze.

I stay at the sheraton alot. The location is great, hilton is nicer, but not near anything. The other optian is stay by the airport, EIther Intercontinetal, Embassey suites, they are on or next to the beach, but not near old San juan.

nevermind, search is my new friend