Holiday Inn Express San Juan Condado by IHG
A central Condado hotel near the beach offering comfy beds, tight rooms, and a notoriously small elevator.
The verdict
Pick a traveller type to re-weight the scores and re-rank the rooms around what you actually care about.
This Condado hotel serves as a convenient transit base located between the airport, cruise docks, and Old San Juan. Guests appreciate the comfortable beds, friendly staff, and easy walking access to the oceanfront and nearby restaurants. However, space is at a premium, with reviewers routinely noting very small rooms, tight bathrooms, and an exceptionally slow and cramped elevator. 171913
Every line below traces back to something a traveler actually wrote — open a line to read the original sentence and follow it to the source.
What travelers noticed
- Reviewers agree the central Condado location makes it easy to walk to restaurants and take short taxi rides to Old San Juan and the airport. 17
- The beds are consistently praised as comfortable, offering guests a good place to sleep. 17
- Guests regularly report that the elevator is very small and can involve slow waits. 17
The catch
Who it's for
- — Pre-cruise or airport stopovers
- — Travelers wanting a walkable Condado location
- — Guests who only need a clean bed to sleep
Skip it if
- — Travelers who need spacious rooms and bathrooms
- — Anyone impatient with slow, cramped elevators
- — Guests expecting a high-quality hot breakfast
Seen on camera
15 moments · 3 videos · Holiday Inn Express San Juan Condado by IHG
Each moment is pulled at the second a cited reviewer said the words. Play it here, or open the original video at that timestamp.
“the one of the best parts of this hotel is its direct location to that small Beach and I will tell you why in a second b…”
youtube.com0:46“and then this was our balcony it was a beautiful view and really close to the ocean”
youtube.com1:31“had a great time you know the food was great the service was great lively fun and making reservations there is something…”
youtube.com8:07“magnificent very welcoming especially Jose great staff and great service”
youtube.com0:08“the location was definitely incredible romantic face the beach and restaurants are walking distance not even two blocks…”
youtube.com0:18“the manager Richard is very friendly thank you again”
youtube.com0:33“very good service and very clean it was very comfortable thank you excellent stay”
youtube.com0:36“the only complaint was that breakfast was a little crowded at times and the food was sometimes dry”
youtube.com0:57“the hotel is an excellent location with adequate facilities and good breakfast”
youtube.com1:04“we had a double Queen room we do have three kids so we brought a very small air mattress that fit in one of our small su…”
youtube.com1:36“awesome staff the hotel had a pool and hot tub which made the stay very positive”
youtube.com0:45“the front desk staff were awesome special thanks to Scarlet who was super helpful”
youtube.com0:50“the location and price were excellent”
youtube.com1:01“I faced a problem they charged my credit card twice”
youtube.com1:09“we had a room on the oceans side on the third floor the bathroom was huge that's where the refrigerator was which was ki…”
youtube.com1:20Frames are citations: each one links to its second in the source video, attributed to the creator who filmed it. Nothing here is supplied by the hotel. Creators who want a moment removed can ask and we take it down.
How to book
Score breakdown
How the 76/100 is built, category by category — each one with the strongest thing travelers actually said, and the source it came from.
Bathroom
85Food
91Location
89Noise
81Room
78Service
84Bed & Sleep
83Where it is, how to reach it
Details checked 2026-09-09
Where it sits
Holiday Inn Express San Juan Condado by IHG and the 12 other hotels we cover in San Juan. Hover a marker for the hotel; click to open it.
Stay value
How this property reads against the hotels we cover alongside it. Measured on review evidence, not on a nightly rate.
Falls short of what $$ usually buys
Scores 11 points below the mid-range median of 87, across 529 hotels in the same bracket. In San Juan it sits 9 points below the local median of 85.
- This hotel
- 76
- Bracket median
- 87
- Index median
- 88
Based on 529 comparable hotels.
Which room to ask for
What reviewers say about where to sleep inside this building — by room number where one is named, and otherwise by floor, wing, aspect and position. Every line opens onto the quotes behind it.
- 2 mentions
- 1 mention
- 1 mention
- 1 mention
Where travelers agree — and don’t
The topics reviewers split on most. A wide bar means your experience depends on which room you get — or whose opinion you trust.
View the 89 things travelers said behind this verdict▾
Quotes run exactly as travelers wrote them — spelling and all. We trim for length, never for tidiness.
- “and then this was our balcony it was a beautiful view and really close to the ocean” On camera11:31
- “The room is quite spacious but we did have some trouble figuring out where to keep our suitcases for easy access, not a lot of logical places for that.” 3
- “Our daughters' room with 2 doubles was OK. Our room was one of the smaller ones at the end of the hall in the corner (# 312?) with one queen bed and was awful. The room reeked of mold and was tiny.” 17
- “we had a double Queen room we do have three kids so we brought a very small air mattress that fit in one of our small suitcases for our fifth sleeping area and we were just really really impressed with this hotel room” On camera11:36
- “An extraordinary hotel with touristic location. Although the view was absolutely superb, I had large bedroom.” 19
- “I liked the room, the bed was good.” 19
- “The room was clean, the bed was comfortable.” 17
- “The rooms are on the small side, but we fit a family of 4 in our room.” 17
- “The room is reasonably priced.” 19
- “There was quite an extensive minibar, including some higher-end liquors, a few snacks, and an intimacy package for couples. The cabinet itself was really cute.” 3
- “i stayed in a built more partial ocean view one bedroom suite which would be ideal because you have a little bit of space and you have balconies that you can enjoy the city views and the ocean views as well” 7
- “First room I got at the Holiday smelled like mildrew and I had to be moved.” 14
- “You might also like: My Favorite Non-Toxic Makeup Brand For Travel (Including Summer!) This view is a huge part of the draw here! This view is a huge part of the draw here! This particular type of room has a huge window that looks out on the ocean.” 3
- “As mentioned the room and the bathroom are very small but fine for a place to sleep and clean up.” 17
- “The only reason it commands a high price is because of its location in Condado, the lauded beach town in San Juan.” 5
- “the rooms were immaculate though not what we had paid for.” 16
- “I would not hesitate to stay here again and the price is right!:)” 17
- “Like the previous posters mentioned, the elevator is small and so are the rooms but, the price is right. It is clean and the help is very friendly. However...” 17
- “My only complaint is the cost (relative to value/the experience). I felt the cost for the amenities and experience provided were a bit expensive, but then there are a lot of other fees that drive it up considerably further.” 3
- “Their lunch menu was fairly limited and kind of expensive, but the service was really friendly and the burger and fries were edible (fries were pretty decent, burger kind of meh).” 3
- “I happened upon the Holiday Inn Express. The price is very reasonable (by San Juan standards) and the reviews are terrific.” 17
- “The price was right by PR standards (we paid $144 per room plus many taxes for a total of $172), but double what it should be anywhere else for that level of room and service.” 17
- “Like the previous posters mentioned, the elevator is small and so are the rooms but, the price is right.” 17
- “the location and price were excellent” On camera111:01
- “room was air conditioning, i appreciated a prime location and polite stuff.” 19
- “The 2-star Holiday Inn Express Maspeth By Ihg New York offers a 24-hour front desk, wake-up calls, and express check-out and a convenient location, 3 km from Joseph F Mafera Park.” 21
- “Early check-in, comfy beds and generally helpful service.” 19
- “had a great time you know the food was great the service was great lively fun and making reservations there is something that you could easily assist with a client with with doing” On camera78:07
- “very good service and very clean it was very comfortable thank you excellent stay” On camera110:36
- “The bathroom was so small there was no place to set a cosmetic bag, and it had a very narrow door. We were treated to a rude "no changes allowed" when we requested a move.” 17
- “Their lunch menu was fairly limited and kind of expensive, but the service was really friendly and the burger and fries were edible (fries were pretty decent, burger kind of meh).” 3
- “I found service a bit mixed throughout my stay. The person who helped me at the front desk was not very helpful or warm, and sadly my room wasn't ready.” 3
- “i just returned from staying at the holiday inn express in san juan. the people at the desk are just plain rude.” 16
- “the front desk staff were awesome special thanks to Scarlet who was super helpful” On camera110:50
- “the manager Richard is very friendly thank you again” On camera110:33
- “Condado Ocean Club has a 4:00pm check-in time, which is insane! But it's also par for the course in San Juan from what I could tell.” 3
- “Hotel-Holiday Inn Express (Condado). It was a fairly nice hotel, not as nice as the pictures showed. A little musty smelling too. But clean and close to the beach. They were very friendly and helpful there and were willing to stow our luggage before our room was ready and after we checked out the next day before our flight left.” 6
- “Not rude staff, updated and attractive room, reasonable location.” 19
- “The pool technically opens at 8:00am but there were no towels or anyone to help til like almost 10:00am...I finally had to go into the lobby and ask for a towel.” 3
- “Very amicable staff, air conditioned room, in general I liked this delightful hotel.” 19
- “When we arrived they did not have us listed as using priority club points. This was also a problem for several others checking in. This was not too much of a problem but was something we had to spend a few minutes straightening out with the manager.” 14
- “The linens and floors were clean, the pool area is nice, the breakfast adequate standard stale stuff, and the staff were generally unpleasant except one nice lady in the breakfast room.” 17
- “J. We had stayed at the Holiday Inn Express October 2004 and everyone was very nice and courteous. Rooms were fine.” 16
- “J. We had stayed at the Holiday Inn Express October 2004 and everyone was very nice and courteous.” 16
- “My stay was just perfect here. Luxurious rooms, hot breakfast and approachable staff.” 19
- “I go on AOS March 4th We just stay there f eb 3 & 4 Nice hotel small rooms 1 block from beach 2 blocks for walgreens. We just stay there f eb 3 & 4 Nice hotel small rooms 1 block from beach 2 blocks for walgreens. Front desk very helpful pool small but nice $ 16 taxis ride to port.” 18
- “Early check-in, comfy beds and generally helpful service. And it also had incredibly beautiful view.” 19
- “magnificent very welcoming especially Jose great staff and great service” On camera110:08
- “On the other hand, the server I had at lunch and the bartenders at the pool were great, very friendly and helpful (despite one of them dealing with a ridiculous wannabe influencer who couldn't be satisfied).” 3
- “I have had good experiences with the staff there.” 16
- “After disembarking from our ship we took a taxi to our Hotel-Holiday Inn Express (Condado). It was a fairly nice hotel, not as nice as the pictures showed. A little musty smelling too.” 6
- “awesome staff the hotel had a pool and hot tub which made the stay very positive” On camera110:45
- “The hotel's location is ideal as it's in the heart of Condado, service is good, etc. But getting to park and back is an ordeal.” 18
- “The staff then stated I have to pay for both rooms and ended up claiming I was lying 5 times according to the clerks. I have been traveling the past 30 years and have not been treated anywhere near the attitudes displayed by this HOILDAY INN EXPRESS.” 16
- “The chairs by the pool get sun first, then the ones perpendicular (by the shaded lounge beds) get the last rays of sun before it goes behind the building in early afternoon. There is a bar out at the pool and the service was really friendly (just takes a while).” 3
- “The staff was friendly and helpful.” 17
- “The hotel was located close enough to restaurants, bars, places to eat.” 19
- “the one of the best parts of this hotel is its direct location to that small Beach and I will tell you why in a second but another thing is it's close proximity to Old San Juan” On camera10:46
- “A little musty smelling too. But clean and close to the beach.” 6
- “The resort is pretty, clean, and well-located on the Condado strip, with plenty of food and drink options easily walkable.” 3
- “room was air conditioning, i appreciated a prime location and polite stuff.” 19
- “The airport was 0.5 miles away from here, perfect location.” 19
- “The area is fine and it is a nice short walk to the oceanfront, though not swimming beaches. The location is central between cruise docks and airport.” 17
- “Condado location is walkable to many restaurants and bars.” 12
- “The hotel's location is ideal as it's in the heart of Condado, service is good, etc. But getting to park and back is an ordeal.” 18
- “the hotel is an excellent location with adequate facilities and good breakfast” On camera111:04
- “We enjoyed ourselves. It's in a good location.” 17
- “immaculately clean and small hotel in condado district.” 19
- “the location was definitely incredible romantic face the beach and restaurants are walking distance not even two blocks away awesome location” On camera110:18
- “The breakfast is not much to write home about either so you will be hungry when you get to the ship.” 14
- “the hotel is an excellent location with adequate facilities and good breakfast” On camera111:04
- “Sorry but I don't remember the name of it. We found the free breakfast at the HIE to be poor at best.” 17
- “The Holiday Inn Express offers a free breakfast which had the usual choices.” 6
- “My stay was just perfect here. Luxurious rooms, hot breakfast and approachable staff.” 19
- “I suppose if you are arriving late and only want a bed to crash in then it would be alright for you. The continential breakfast was good.” 14
- “the only complaint was that breakfast was a little crowded at times and the food was sometimes dry” On camera110:57
- “Yes - all Holiday Inn Expresses have free continental breakfast. It is usually cereal, pasteries, toast, muffins,coffee, tea, and oj. Some have fresh fruit, waffles, and/or oatmeal.” 14
- “The bathroom was so small there was no place to set a cosmetic bag, and it had a very narrow door.” 17
- “As mentioned the room and the bathroom are very small but fine for a place to sleep and clean up.” 17
- “I didn't notice any issues with mold. Although I didn't want to take a shower. It made a weird noise and the shower head was about at my belly button level. It was a little dirty. Just being honest.” 17
- “we had a room on the oceans side on the third floor the bathroom was huge that's where the refrigerator was which was kind of a funny little place” On camera11:20
- “Yes, the bathroom was small and the elevator was small, but it was great for one night.” 17
What we still don't know
What we can’t tell you yet, said plainly. These close as we read more coverage of this hotel.
- Nothing reliable said about room types.
- Nothing reliable said about floor level.
- Nothing reliable said about building or wing.
- Nothing reliable said about which side it faces.
- Noise rests on 2 sources — too thin to rely on.
- 12 sources carry no publication date, so we cannot tell how current they are.
Ask about Holiday Inn Express San Juan Condado by IHG
Answered only from the coverage cited on this page. If nobody has written about your question, it will say so rather than guess.
How much we read
Deep coverage · 61/100We read 21 sources for this property, and pulled 128 traveler insights worth knowing. Last checked 2026-09-09.
Watch this hotel
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Sources
Everything quoted on this page, grouped by traveler insights, outlets, and video & podcast. Counts beside each group show everything we’ve read of that kind; no one kind can carry the score on its own.
5 of 5 summary lines above are traced to specific quotes. The rest summarise the read as a whole rather than any single document.
View all 21 cited sources▾
Everything quoted on this page.
- 10Hotels in Condado? : r/PuertoRicoTravelreddit.comForum thread2025-01-26AgeingRead originalreddit.com
- 20Sailing out of San Juan - Don't stay here : r/VirginVoyagesreddit.comForum thread2024-12-27AgeingRead originalreddit.com
- 4where to stay in SanJuan : r/PuertoRicoTravelreddit.comForum thread2024-07-25AgeingRead originalreddit.com
- 5Holiday Inn Express San Juan Condado: Turriblethepointsoflife.boardingarea.comReview site2018-06-25Ageing4 quotes used
“Enter Holiday Inn Express, a hotel that was going for an obscene $200+ when I stayed.”
Read originalthepointsoflife.boardingarea.com - 6Holiday Inn Express-Condado - San Juan, PRboards.cruisecritic.comReview site2012-02-29Ageing4 quotes used
“A little musty smelling too. But clean and close to the beach.”
Read originalboards.cruisecritic.com - 18Holiday Inn Express - San Juan, PRboards.cruisecritic.comReview site2007-01-29Ageing4 quotes used
“The hotel's location is ideal as it's in the heart of Condado, service is good, etc. But getting to park and back is an ordeal.”
Read originalboards.cruisecritic.com
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