We enjoyed the Intercontinental. Unlike the prior reviewer, we arrived very early (off of a cruise ship) and they got us into a room within an hour (about 12:30). The room was nice and well appointed. We did not have a "view" - but honestly didn't expect one since I had booked my companies "contract rate" - which is extremely reasonable. The new pool is lovely. We had fabulous service at the Terraz restaurant (outside by the pool) for both lunch and breakfast - but it is pricey! The breakfast buffet ends up at about $25 with tax and tip. It is good though! We had dinner at Ruth Chris which was very good but expensive - but it is expensive everywhere. On balance, we had a nice, restful visit to San Juan and enjoyed our stay at the Intercontinental.

Just returned from a destination wedding at The Intercontinental. Overall the service was excellent. However, check in is at 4:00pm, so unless you have a real nice desk attendant you may have to wait for your room. The first desk clerk told me that my room would not be ready until 4:00, so I went to the clerk that my friends checked in with and she got me a room in a minute. The wedding was absolutely lovely, the hotel does cater to weddings and do a beautiful job.
The housekeeping is excellent, they even have turn down service.A service fee (tip) for the room is charged..
The only draw back is that they are stlll doing construction in the pool area and tend to drill about 6:00 in the AM. The pool is now open, but the swim up bar is still under construction. The drinks run from 8.00 to 10.00 for a frozen drink. They have beach chairs on the beach but the beach warden collects them at 5.00pm PROMPT.
Try not to buy any sundries or soft drinks in the gift shop, everything is double the price. I paid 6.00 for a bag of "Black Bean Chips". Go the the grocery store acrros the street to stock up on your soda and beer. There is a small fridge in the room.
The casino is small but fun, if you want real action go next door to the El San Juan. There are 2 4 star restaurants in the hotel. I went to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, really pricey ...I'm from NY and have eaten at the best steakhouses, I was not impressed.
If anyone has any other questions I will be more than happy to oblige.

This hotel needs some work. A lot of work, actually. It's obvious they are trying to do just that, but in the meantime, the rooms are very, very outdated. The furnishings and amenities are way behind what we've come to expect in a hotel at $400/night. The doors, trim, air conditioning vents, balcony railing and plumbing fixtures are all in really awful, outdated condition. They should have been updated 10 years ago -- they are *well* beyond their prime. If you are accustomed to seeing flat panel TV's, contemporary furniture and duvets on the beds, this is definitely not the hotel for you.

On the plus side, the beds are comfortable, the rooms are spacious and nicely arranged (other than the bathroom, which is the smallest hotel bathroom I've seen in years.) The beach access is fantastic and the beach itself is very nice. The view from the oceanview rooms is not going to be beat. There are a few restaurants (ie: other hotel restaurants) within walking distance, which is a nice plus, and the restaurants in the hotel (with the exception of the downstairs breakfast restaurant) are nice.

The worst part of this hotel is that they had our email address since the day I made the reservation several months ago and we were never notified about the pool renovations. That is really an unacceptable oversight. (And I am probably being generous in calling this an 'oversight.') I cannot even begin to imagine the disappointment this would have created had my stay there been a family vacation! Until the pool is complete, I would be not recommend this hotel, unless you do not mind staying in an outdated room at a resort with no pool.

Even when the pool is complete, I would personally not stay here again unless the entire hotel were fully renovated. We debated between this hotel and the Ritz-Carlton, and there is no question that next time, that will be our choice.

We stayed at the IC San Juan November 2-4, 2006 as part of a NY-based Management Society group convention of @200. We selected the IC for the 2006 Annual Convention based on our great experience back in 1998. Our group was absolutely wowed by the conference and banquet services during the convention.
Staff throughout, were helpful, professional and friendly. Services were efficient and seamless.
The property is undergoing renovations which will position this hotel uniquely, among competing properties. We stayed at Club level rooms. Renovations in this area are right up there with those of European hotels, and certainly with the rest on the mainland and locally with like-accommodations. While they are not promoting their beds and pillows, they are more than heavenly! They have not spared any detail with respect to the convenience, ambiance, beauty and comfort of Club-level rooms.
We were impressed by the measures of the Security staff that provided a sense of comfort and safety with their discreet and elegant presence.
We look forward to seeing the completion of pool renovations that can already be assessed as being "Big League".
A Wowed Customer.