I just came back from the Ritz-Carlton San Juan. It's an interesting property. It is not a traditional Ritz, in the manner of the Ritz Madrid (with its Belle Epoque antiques, enormous rooms facing the courtyard, etc.). Nor is it a traditional Ritz Carlton in the manner of the one in Boston, with its understated elegance, its dining room suitable for Sunday brunch and, of course, the post-Harvard graduation dinner.

The Ritz Carlton San Juan is a different type of property. Guest Services is friendly and available. Room Service is available 24 hours a day, even if the menu seems limited and somewhat overpriced. Service is good. Rooms are large, but views are limited. The pool is always crowded, which can be a disappointment. Spa services are good, but, again, overpriced (and I can get them at home, so . . . ). The front desk messed up the reservation of another member of our group, which left a bit of a sour taste in everyone's mouth. Given how many people were in our group, and how quickly word spread, this was really bad CR. It's not that the individual was likely to complain (and I suspect they knew it). It's the fact that everyone else found out about it in fairly short order, and we were not amused. At all.

There is also a casino in the hotel. It is small and unobtrusive, but I happen to prefer a hotel without a casino, and I wish some of Puerto Rico's better properties would offer the non-casino option. IMO, a casino cheapens the place. But that is clearly personal preference/opinion.

Generally, I would say that of the hotels in the greater San Juan area, the Ritz Carlton is probably your best bet.