My girlfriend and I stayed in the Holiday Inn Express on Condado for two nights after our cruise.

The location; although kind of hidden in a side-street, it's attached to a main road which is a 75 cents bus ride to old San Juan. If you bump into a bunch of tourists at the bus stop, you can all probably split the cost of a $12 (fixed-cost) taxi ride to Old San Juan.

The hotel was very accommodating to our needs. We arrived at 10 in the morning; we were not allowed to check in because our rooms were not ready but they held our luggage for us and provided useful brochures of the nearby area.

We toured Old San Juan and came back in the late afternoon to check in. They were apologetic for not allowing us to check in earlier (even though it was not their fault!) and also gave us a nice room. We got a room on the 7th floor in the corner of the building - with a nice view to the ocean and beach, and a tall roof. The room was also very spacious and the a/c cooled us from the blazing Caribbean temperatures.

The front desk were informative and provided us a recommendation to the local shops and restaurants. They provided us information on transportation to various locations on the island and on other activities.

I recommend this hotel to anyone who's joining the cruise as its location is convenient and its staff is very professional and helpful.

Just returned from a stay here one night before and one night after a cruise. The taxis are regulated & it's $16 to the hotel from the airport. There are usually several cruise guests staying here, so all in one van to the port was $5/each. The rooms are smaller, but the hotel location is prime. No need to taxi to shopping, food or the beach: it's all on the next block. They held our luggage post-cruise until check-in time at 4pm.

The breakfast is a little disappointing when compared to other Holiday Inn Express hotels.

They claim the hotel is on the beach, not true. Previous posters who mention low showerheads were not kidding. I am 6 feet tall and nailed my head on the showerhead. Rooms were TINY. Smelled very musty. We had ROACHES in our room, these things were massive. Continental breakfast was basic- bagels, juice, cereal and fruit. Pool was also small. First class shoppiong is around the corner like stated. You have to take a cab to Old San Juan, its not within walking distance. If you are just coming in for a cruise then stay here. if you are staying for an extended period suck it up and pay the extra money for the Marriott. I was travelling for work and was unable to stay in a hotel with Casino in its title. We were also looking for low cost. The rates at this hotel are some of the lowest in the area.

I must say it's hard to find a good hotel in San Juan. I read several reviews and decided for this hotel after checking TripAdvisor. Thanks for your honesty guys! This hotel was excellent for the price. My husband and I stayed two nights only...By the time we left, we wanted to take the bed and pillows with us, they were sooo comfortable.
We checked in Saturday at 4:00pm. The two ladies that helped us at the counter were very nice. We had a rental car and spent a lot of time looking for parking, so save your valuable time and ask for a spot at the counter. They have a secured, small parking lot (about 5 cars) on the side for $10 a day.
We got a double room (only available) on floor seven. We had a view of the street but could see the ocean and the lake on both sides. The bathroom and toiletteries were nice.
The location is excellent too. It's on a safe area right on Ashford Ave. accross from the beach. It's a 20 minute drive from the airport to the hotel. It's very close to the bridge to Old San Juan, with no traffic it took us 10 minutes to drive there...Saturday night it's another story, took us about half hour to get there. Ashford leads to major highway 26, that goes to Isla Verde and Luis Munoz Marin airport.
If you rent a car, call the agency and ask where is the rental counter. The airport is being remodeled and Budget was now outside the premises. We had to walk outside and wait for the shuttle bus to take us to the office. I suggest getting the Metrodata road map of Puerto Rico. I got it from Amazon for $10, but on the island is $5. I read it was the best map and it is true. We drove from San Juan to Ponce, and San Juan to Aguadilla and we didn't get lost! The streets are very detailed and also marks areas of interest. The hotel also provides a nice map of areas of interest.
We had an awesome time partying Saturday night at the Nuyorican Cafe in Old San Juan (San Francisco street). We ended up here after hearing salsa music coming out of a little store/bar accross the restaurant. Lots of young people (we are 30 and 28) in this bohemian, laid back atmosphere, were sipping drinks outside waiting for the "bomba y plena" show. By midnight we drove to the El San Juan Hotel. We were told it was the best spot for latin dancing, plus they don't close until the last person leaves the dancefloor! The atmosphere was excellent, the decor was very chic, and the mojitos were amazing (a little expensive though)! Parking was horrible at the El San Juan though. If you park in the building accross the street, "take your ticket with you" and pay in the first floor cashier, before going back to your car. There is no way to pay anywhere else, otherwise you'll get really frustrated like us.