I'll add in a couple more comments after 32 hours here at the Caribe, to record my thoughts on this property.

Last night, the cab was $12 "flat rate" for a trip to Old San Juan, which was maybe $4 more than it cost last year on the meter. However, on arriving the driver asked for $15. I told him $12 was quoted at the start, so he backed off and took that. Then, despite the $1 tariff which is supposed to be added after 10 pm for 'night' fares, according to their own fixed price taxi schedule, it was only $10 for a return from the exact same spot to the Hilton. In other words, plan on being ripped off, plan on multiple arguments unless you want to give money away, and plan on the Wild West in using taxis (everyone for themselves), as ESSENTIALLY THERE *IS NO STANDARD FARE*. This is a true step backwards, and the Puerto Rico tourism authorities ought to figure this out before they let the cab drivers leave the ultimate impression of PR.

I've thought about the check-in situation yesterday some more, and ought to elaborate on our experience, because it essentially mirrors the experience we had last year too. I had asked for "early checkin" and am a Diamond member. What we got, after arriving at 10:00 am, from the Lounge checkin staff, was exactly the same as we got last year when we checked in at the front desk: no room, no way, no special treatment, and repeated quoting that 4pm is the checkin time. Various excuses upon checking back included that the people in "our" room had been given late checkout, that the cleaning staff couldn't be reached to verify that the room was ready, that we would want this very "special" room, and that we'd have to be patient, on top of the "4pm is checkin time" line. Fine, fine, but I didn't have a particularly difficult reservation to fill (king bed, nothing more), and this is a big hotel: you'd think that as a Diamond, after really truly checking in in person and being willing to leave my luggage, with next to no one else (it seemed) waiting, that a room might appear somewhat before 4. You'd think they'd try to actually have this particular guest get at least one of the rooms coming available as they actually appeared. You'd be wrong.

Finally, after checking back with the lounge staff twice in person, after being assured that they'd call me on my cell, I went up and hung around at their desk at about 4:20pm or so. Nope, nothing was available. What????? I'd been there for 6+ hours; where was the cleaning staff? Finally, the person in charge "found" "another" room, and we were informed that we had been "given an upgrade", and would now be on the top floor. Well, that's great, but since she'd already slipped that we were assigned on 16, four floors below, in a "very special room" (whatever that is), I found the actual room upon our arrival to be, well, pretty lackluster. It was essentially the same king room we had last year. In other words, a standard king room.

I don't want to sound like I\we dislike the hotel, because we don't. It's a nice hotel. And these are nice rooms. But this charade, pretending that somehow "we" are assigned "one, particular room", is amateur, ridiculous, and unbelievably inefficient. My two day stay consists of two nights' sleeping, and one day of "being a registered guest in the hotel", with one day of being an unregistered interloper, who had to corral the staff to actually assign us a room. Note that as an unregistered interloper you're entitled to enjoy the sun and pool grounds, but unless you happen to have the foresight to actually carry your 12-digit "reservation number" (what?? In my pocket?), you theoretically cannot have towels, rent beach equipment, or order a drink or food to be put on your bill. Yes, you can charge the food/drink, but really.... I've never had a reservation number anywhere but in a file I keep in my luggage (now stored) EVER. Certainly not at the pool of some hotel.

We got around this by essentially explaining to the towel person, and going back up to the lounge to have them write down our reservation number. But it made the pool service person unhappy to have me cancel the drink I ordered while I went to get it straightened out. Not to mention me feeling that I wasn't really a welcomed guest. What????? Why????

Today, it's Friday, and let me tell you, I was lucky to check in on Thursday. This little situation I've been through is not only par for the course and standard operating procedure despite what each Hilton person seems to say, it's in fact the rule and not the exception. Get this: a convention of NYC public employee union types arrived. You should SEE the massive pile of luggage they're storing today, even at 5pm, pending getting all these people rooms. Man, it's Late In The Day, not noon. There's so much luggage in the lobby area that they've cordoned off probably 80% of the floorspace, and it looks like an airport luggage area when there's a snowstorm and all the flights are cancelled unexpectedly. These folks don't have rooms, they're in every corner of the lobby, filling the bar, and hoping, hoping to get assigned a room.

In summary, this hotel has nice rooms and decent service (ignoring the organized cab ripoff) once you get registered, but you're essentially treated like an unwanted hassle until you actually get a room. Somebody at Hilton ought to get this place to wake up. If it wasn't a decent property, I wouldn't be back. As it is, I'll consider staying at the El Convento in Old San Juan if I'm not going to be using the pool as my main activity, just to avoid dealing with the taxi situation, and at least getting a room and getting out to enjoy the city without having to monitor my status. I've stayed at the Sheraton in OSJ before, too. It's decent, but I got a really, really superior suite as a Platinum, so I'm not sure my experience there is typical, and YMMV.

Note regarding walking to Old San Juan and avoiding the hassle/ripoff of the taxis: it's really not very far. We wanted to get some serious exercise today anyway, and it was threatening to rain as it does occasionally, so we headed off on foot. It's about two miles, I'd say, and there's a decent sidewalk along the main road, overlooking beaches and bluffs at some points, a pretty park at another, and generally running up till there's some city streets into the government center area. We got rained on halfway, but hid out in a bus shelter for 5 minutes while it passed, then walked a block away from the beach to more business-area streets, where there were occasional overhangs and doorways to hide in if we had to (we didn't). It's safe, pleasant, and not really very far. You can cut your r/t taxi fare to $10 by boycotting the Caribe's departing queue, walking, and just getting a cab back, which again cost $10 all in. I wouldn't do it at night, and inclement weather is surely a bummer, but if I was here a week, I'd do it regularly. We saw a great children's music show in the park on the walk, and essentially had the great exercise and relaxing and interesting opportunity to enjoy the architecture and vistas which only a 3mph pace affords. Of course, if you're on a schedule, you can't. But we found it nice.

Hope you all enjoy your trips here. They make superior pina coladas (claiming to have invented them here, 52 years ago), ($7.99 at each bar), and the pool area is nice, a solid B+. Old San Juan is cleaner and more interesting than ever, currently with a lot of evening street music offered. The AMEX San Juan food/music event has resulted in Fortaleza St. being closed while multiple bands play each evening (nothing over the top, but a lot of nice Puerto Rican and Cuban small acts, with dozens, not thousands, of people at each tiny stage watching and dancing.) Food being served on the street for this festival, a process I hope they'll continue regularly as it's really a nice, low-key evening. [No warranty on it staying low-key, though. I'd come back during the fest again, if I could work it. My guess is thousands will, too. And that'll turn it into a mob, ugh. I'm thinking good thoughts, though.] Again, happy travels.....