mkt

I'm expecting a trip report Ed

and bring back a bottle of Barrilito 3-star!

EdV

Oh don't you worry. A trip report there will be!! However, I'm not sure any bottles will make it back!

GoingAway

Very interesting, so after receiving the e-mail, I erroneously thought I was all set but ....

Just checked the IC site and found I've been moved from the base City View Room to a King Bed Ocean View Room and the Friday rate was lowered slightly to equal Saturday's rate (I'm using a BOGO, so appreciate the adjustment). This is not an executive suite, so we'll see what I actually get when I check in.

EdV - has your reservation been changed at all?

EdV

Nope, my reservation hasn't been changed since it was upgraded to a Pool View King Club IC suite. Don't know what's going on there.

Anyhow, I am going to have delay my trip report. We suffered a death in the family just last night and all of the events are this weekend. So I am in the process of cancelling / rebooking our trip right now.

Silver lining at least, I booked flexible rates that were could be cancelled up until 6pm the day of....phew. At least we won't get burned with that.

GoingAway

Sorry to hear about your loss.

I believe I booked a lower level room than you did to begin with but I'll let you know what I end up with and how the trip went.

EdV

Thank you. Maybe you can end up in my suite now.... :-:

pauleeepaul

The general winter blues and a wodge of time in the somewhat gloomy Nordic region have necessitated a quick Carribean getaway. So I will be back here for a couple of nights at the end of the month. Any recent stays with updates on the status of the construction would be appreciated- I have a couple of SJU options but the IC is my preference. Thx

GoingAway

I think in the end, I might have ...

I used this IC as a hotel not a resort, so can't talk to the pool, beach or even much of the staff beyond the front desk. I showed up at 2 pm and was told the room wasn't ready but it was a "one of their best" rooms and they had to "prepare" it for me. Also told it'd be 1.5-2 hours before it would be ready but they were contacting housekeeping and would try to have it ready sooner. I was far from pleased and should have pushed it then for a few reasons but I was already tired and just let it go. BTW, regular check in for the hotel is 4pm so this was just treated as a generic room to prepare for the day. I was grudgingly offered a room to change in but in such a manner that I initially declined. They did give me $25 in match play ($5 coupons) as an apology, I guess.

I changed my mind for the room to change in, and went back to the desk to as I realized I'd need to leave to meet friends before the room was ready (it had been almost an hour and was still unavailable). The woman first refused me saying I had a room reserved and it wasn't ready, but offered the room once she saw the status, I guess. She did make a point of saying I only had 30 minutes to use the room. That was for a standard city view room. After that, I checked my luggage and caught a taxi into Old SJ ($19 flat rate).

I returned around midnight, retrieved my luggage and went up to the now "prepared" room. It was an ocean view deluxe. Was asked if I had a computer and told there was free wi-fi at the hotel. THAT would've been very useful to have been told, with the code provided when I arrived as I had planned to check email and briefly work on arrival.

The room was a connector which I hate but the lock was okay (it had one deadbolt). It was dark outside (obviously) but the bed was facing the window and I figured it'd be beautiful to see in the daytime. There was also a couch and desk in the room. There was a fruit plate left on the desk covered in plastic with a small bottle of water and a welcome note for the amenity. The problem came when I went to check out the bathroom and found long black hairs on the top of the toilet seat. Given the lack of earlier room availability, the lack of a clean room being provided, the lateness of the hour and my general grumpiness with the hotel at this point, I got all my stuff together went back to the front desk and asked for a manager. I was friendly but obviously tired, disappointed and fed up, asked for a clean room this time and was moved to a room on the Club level, Pool View with Balcony (2nd floor).

Since I was being picked up in under 7 hours, I requested the amenity get re-delivered the next day as I just wanted to sleep. The room was a little longer and larger than the first one, with a separate vanity shelf, mirror and stool set up. I think the room had pretty much the same furniture, with a chair added - it might have been better quality but don't recall.

I got to see the breakfast briefly on one morning, the fruit looked great and there were cereals, muffins, etc. Not sure if there are any hot options offered as it was just finishing being set-up when I left the next morning (and missed it entirely the next day). I know they didn't have yogurt which was all I really wanted.

My fruit plate was re-delivered the next day without the plastic wrap, so I'm guessing it's not the original one. I actually looked at what was on the plate this time: two very bruised apples, one peach growing something that you don't eat, a plum, banana and a lot of grapes. Well, the grapes and banana were good at least.

What I found most interesting was that the toiletries in each room I visited were different. The first basic room was the same as I received in IC Barclays in NY, the second room I think was the same as the upgraded stuff at IC New Orleans (but didn't spend much time in there to look closely) and the club room has Elemis toiletries.

The casino is small, but the staff was nice (that was were I spent that first hour before I realized the room wouldn't be ready). I didn't use any of the bars or restaurants, but can note there was a decent late-night crowd both nights in the lobby bar area.

Still debating whether I'll send a note back to the Ambassador desk regarding the email they sent me that I should expect an executive suite.

GoingAway

i haven't noticed any construction

EdV

That sounds exactly like what I was supposed to have. My reservation was showing a King Club Suite w/Pool View. ^ Sorry about your troubles checking in but it sounds like it worked out okay. I wouldn't send AMB services an email right away but I do have a contact at the hotel you could probably get in touch with first to try and resolve the problem. PM me and I'll get it to you.

I have rebooked our trip and I'm showing the same room again that you had. Overall youw ould say you liked it? Was it buggy there (heard it was from a friend)? Finally, did you actually have a view of the pool and feel secluded from the rest of the hotel?

GoingAway

The rooms are alongside the pool area, so you do definitely have the pool view. The folks on the level below me have a patio that holds a table with chairs and a few loungers so they could stay near their room if they didn't want to sit with everyone at the pool but still enjoy the same weather and people watching opportunities with a bit of quiet and seclusion (I didn't see anyone using their patio area when I walked around the pool one morning). With the size of the patios and a strip of foliage, the building is set far enough back that you don't feel part of the pool but can enjoy that view.

I didn't feel particularly secluded, it was more that you just had a different area of the hotel. The club area is accessed via a door to the right that is locked. There were two concierges when I checked out the last day, and that area just past the door is where breakfast is served.

As far as bugs go, I didn't notice any issues but didn't spend that much time outside near the hotel. It was okay in Old SJ. The only place I had any issue was when we were in the SW corner of the island near the forests.

pauleeepaul

I've noticed a few improvements in my current stay here- 2 nights on an award. A week ago I was trying to ascertain whether I would get a room upgrade and to what category. Emails to the reservation desk went unanswered. 3-4 days before check in I received a well done boilerplate/form email of welcome from the head concierge with his personal email address (pm me if you need it.) I forwarded him the email I had sent to the reservation line to see if he could help. He replies same day- asking if a high floor ocean view king would be ok. The reservation was for a lagoon view king- so this is at least a 2 category upgrade. I reply fine. At check in the agent was very polite and courteous. I ask about paying to upgrade to the club level. She makes a call and says the difference between the rate for the room I was in and the club room is $100 per night (roulghy $400 vs $500), so if I pay that i can have a club room. The benefit of the club rooms is in my view not the club but the room size and its location and proximity to the pool area. If on the ground floor your private patio with 2 recliners and a table and 2 chairs is almost an extension of the pool deck, well hidden with shrubbery but very convenient. High floor rooms have great views but you have to pack a lunch for the journey to the pool and beach. So I spring for the upgrade after confirming first floor rooms were available in the club wing. The front desk agent walks us to the club area, where the club agent shows us around the club and offers a tour of the property. We decline and she escorts us to our room. Large bowl of fruit with nice welcome letter arrive within the hour. Alll in all a very pleasant arrival process without some of the service lapses noted previously. I will say I cringed as a large group of obnoxious "Americans" (yes I know PR is part of the US but I'm making a point) demanded no cost late checkout and couldn't understand why the hotel couldn't do this for everyone. The agent was polite to them too (perhaps more than they deserved.)

daggett24

Found this thread during a search, way cool, saves ya'll from reading another post about the San Juan IC.

I've read this post, and most of the information is a couple of years old, but here goes. I have to go to PR for business. I will be staying 7 nights and I can stay anywhere I want. I am a Platinum Ambassador, and the guy going with me is just Platinum. He wants to stay at the Holiday Inn, since he will will get approx 30k points versus staying at the IC and getting the 3000 points.

I don't care about the points, I find other ways to maintain Plat status, he's afraid he won't requalify this year so he is getting all the points he can.

At this point I am considering staying at the IC, and letting him stay at the HI. Can anyone compare the two properties. I know, and IC versus an HI there is no comparision.

Thoughts? Sure, I'd like to get a ton of points too, but I always prefer a nice hotel to points.

EdV

This is great information but can you clarify something for me? In The part that I bolded were you talking about high floor rooms in the main building or in the Club wing? I thought I had read the club wing was only two floors so I assume you meant former. Also, are there no balconies on the 2nd floor of the Club wing? :-: Aka, am I better off to ask for a 1st floor room with the semi-private patio? Thanks

GoingAway

CLUB: The first floor patio works great if you're a pool user ... the second floor has a small balcony and I do believe there is a 3rd floor but cannot confirm that for sure.