Date May 27th 2008

Reviewers: Mr. & Mrs. Zutter, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

We stayed at the Coral Princess Inn for one night on May 17th, and we absolutely loved this little inn full of enchantment.

We went to Puerto Rico, on a long awaited honeymoon, we got married on Oct of 2001 but due to a lot of different circumstances we were not able to go on a honeymoon trip.

This year we were finally able to take the time and have the finances to do so, and we wanted this trip to be PERFECT. We booked a state room in the Carnival Destiny departing San Juan late on Sunday May 18th, and we decided that we would travel the Friday before so we would have 2 days in Puerto Rico, we had just taken our "in classroom and pool" Scuba course and we only needed to take the 4 Open Water Classes to finish our Certification and we wanted to do this in San Juan before the trip.

I was looking for a small hotel that would offer great service and be personable, since my husband and I both like to experience the culture of the countries we travel to, and I have to say that Coral Princess Inn did not disappoint!!

Here is what I mean by this, we arrived in San Juan at 8:30 AM that morning, the check in wasn't untill 2:00 PM, and we were going straight to "La Casa Del Buzo" to go on our first 2 Open water classes as soon as we arrived, for this matter and because we couldn't wait around for check in at 2:00 pm, the hotel let us put our luggage in a small room that had a shower and that could be locked so we wouldn’t have to worry about our stuff, they also let us use their phone as many times as we needed to call the Scuba store (the lad that took my call from Calgary had not booked us in for the classes and the owner of “La Casa del Buzo” very promptly found us an instructor to take my husband and I out for the dives) so we had to call back and forth to arrange this, we went off and did our first 2 dives and by the time we came back our room was ready and front desk had us checked in, in a couple of minutes, the room was very clean and comfortable we never had any problems with water pressure or anything, it is not a luxury hotel but we were static about our accommodations, all the employees were super friendly and helpful, and they were quick to give directions to places and help with anything we needed.
The little hotel has a beautiful indoor patio, a little pool, as well as a Jacuzzi tub on the terrace, we didn’t get to use them but they looked clean and attractive under the heat of the day!

The location of The Coral Princess Inn is also very convenient, the beach is a couple of blocks away which is a long golden strip bordered by beautiful hotels, and a sea as blue as the summer sky, there is also a 24 hour Walgreens half a block away were you can purchase from toiletries to water bottles, to anything you find you need in a hurry. There is also a lot of small stores including a Subway restaurant, photo stores, liquor stores, and much much more, just in the blocks around the hotel, take a walk and immerse yourself in the Puerto Rican culture of music, laughter and camaraderie.

A short walk away there is a little restaurant called “La Ropa Vieja” that served us with impeccable curtsey and if you are a Risotto lover PLEASE try their Shrimp Risotto, Oh!! I have never tasted something as decadent!!! Both my husband and I had to meet the cook, as this was the best Risotto we ever tasted!!

The next morning we had to check out at 11:00 am, and since we had to leave around 8:00 am to go do our last 2 Scuba classes, front desk let us check out early and let us keep our suitcases in the little room under lock again, we left for the whole day and didn’t worry about loosing our stuff or having to keep our huge luggage in the heat in our Scuba instructor’s car… when we came back we were able to use the shower in that little room, change and get ready to board our Cruise ship!!

All in all I LOVED this little hotel that is so conveniently located, and has helpful and friendly staff. We would definitely stay there again and we will recommend it without a problem! They made our 2 days in Puerto Rico the stay of a lifetime!! And the perfect start to our 7 day Southern Caribbean Cruise vacation!!

We stayed at the Coral Princess for two nights "pre cruise" and found it just fine. We were given the penthouse suite which was huge! We looked out on a terrace with hot tub. ( they need to chlorinate the tub it was green) We also had two other rooms in the hotel and they were also fine. Bathrooms neat and tidy. Public areas neat and clean. The pool was small and it would be nice if it was heated ( it wasn't green). Staff friendly. Location great although the beach is not that great. The neighbourhood to the south is run down, but new development is comming.Location to the port is great, as its about a 15 minute drive by cab. We rented a van for two days from Charlie car which was great value. Get a GPS and there is no trouble getting around. There is limited parking but the hotel has a deal with a lot down the street with 24 hr security which is fine (spend the extra coin and get the full insurance package at the car rental place the local drivers are nuts, We had no issues but just the same who needs hassles) Charlie car will pickyou up at the airport and drop you off at the port. For 6 people for two days taxi fares would have been more than the rental. Anyway back to the hotel.... breakfast included friut, toast, cereal,juice coffe, lots of stuff though no "bacon and two" over all value when compared to the big chains excellent imagine the Holiday Inn Express wants $275.00 to $300,00 per night why would you not stay here! The place is quaint, location good, rooms clean, well run and secure Its not the Taj Mahal but its a definite will stay again location.

We stayed at the Coral Princess from May 2-4, 2008 for a weekend getaway.

- Location: Ideally situated a block from Condado Beach and near many small restaurants (loved Cafe Del Angel). Easy bus ride on the B21 to Old San Juan.

- Cleanliness: Mostly very clean. Bathroom was spotless. Only complaints were that the fan in our room was covered in dust and the rooftop hot tub's water smelled funky and needed a cleaning.

- Room: Room 16 is small, but clean and quiet, on the second floor overlooking the lovely courtyard with plants and a small, but very clean pool. It has a jacuzzi tub.

- Breakfast: Breakfast was adequate, but nothing to write home about.

- Service: The staff was very helpful, even letting us store our stuff in a room with a shower on the last day -- our flight didn't leave until late in the day.

Overall, Coral Princess was a great choice for the price. I would stay here again. The only complaints were the dirty hot tub and fan.

Stayed for 5 nights based on the good reviews on this site. Was one of the best deals in San Juan, even with the substantial taxes/fees added (which are listed in the confirmation email as a final price). The rooms were larger than I expected from what I had read. Small flat-screen TV with a bunch of channels for pre-bed dozing off. The pool is small but useful. The rooftop hot tub is hit or miss as it wasn't always working. Breakfast was basic (from Costco) but enough to get you going in the morning.

The staff was very helpful and one maintenance issue that appeared was resolved immediately. It was possible to find parking always either in front of the hotel or on side streets so never had to pay extra. And the location is very convenient for Condado, which seems to be rapidly expanding. Lots of restaurants and shops around, including a very useful Walgreens one block away. Cab fare to downtown San Juan was $12 if you don't feel like driving (didn't try the bus).

Overall, this hotel is a good value in a good location, so I would definitely recommend it for visitors to Puerto Rico.