While size(small) and location (directly at beach near old San Juan) suited us well, the overall experience was terrible. While many very cool design features were distinctive the negatives far outweighed these, i.e. very small room, very loud street noises and blaring music from rooftop bar until wee hours of a.m., beat up old furniture and inferior sushi and tiny pool and pretentious eating area at pool that requires you buy a bottle of liquor in order to use large sofa like banquette seating.
In all fairness, beds did provide lovely ocean view and staff were sincere and very helpful.
Not enough reason to ever go back.

We spent 6 days at the Water Club and had an alright time. The staff is very helpful and the hotel was clean and nice in a very minimalist way that we appreciated. We really liked our room and loved the option of moving up to the roof top pool/lounge area when it got too windy for the beach (which it did...4 out of 6 days).

We are a mid 20s couple and we left for vacation expecting to have a great time...We did like the beach, the weather, our room, and the cute coffee shop/bakery down the street. But generally, we were very disspointed by the surrounding area. Yes, you can get a great meal at El San Juan down the street (we went to Coco for Caribbean cuisine) BUT it will cost you. Pretty much every place you will find to eat is in a hotel. You will basically spend your entire vacation in various hotels eating, or on the beach.

The area is definitely a bit seedy...we are from Philly and are used to a bit of ghetto flavor, but I have to admit, there were several times that I felt unsafe.

If you are looking for a long weekend get away and you WANT to eat and sit on the beach and don't care about doing much else, this place is great. We were there for a bit too long and by the time we were leaving we were more than ready to go home.

I would reccomend having this place be your arrival and departure hotel on your way to and from Fajardo and Culebra. Staying at the Water Club for your whole vacation is rather uneventful. If the weather isn't great you really will have nothing to do other than visit the other hotels along the strip or sit at the roof top bar.

As a side note, we had a great experience with Little Shogun, the sushi bar at Wet. We ate there twice...it was delicious and very reasonably priced.

All in all, the Water Club is nice. I would stay there for a quick get away, but not for a major vacation.

My family and friends have visited the San Juan Water and Beach Club 3 times in the last 13 months. As travelers to some the worlds best hotels and resorts we can undoubtedly say that this hotel is a small gem. The property is beautiful, hip, and well maintained. The staff from top to bottom are the best we have ever experienced. If you want a truly extraordinary vacation experience book the San Juan Water and Beach Hotel- you will not be disappointed!!

Let me start by saying that I always value peoples opinions on this site and use it whenever I travel. I have just returned from a trip to the Water Club and am so amazed at the negativity of some people.
First the neighborhood being shoddy: This hotel is in Isla Verde and is walking distance to the El San Juan and some really nice restaurants. It is not in a dirty or bad neighborhood. I have visited San Juan many times and can tell you there are some bad areas - this is not one of them.
Second this is not a star resort with tons of amenities: If you want that stay at the Ritz down the street. This hotel is chic and while it does tend to try to be a little trendy, the blue lights in the rooms were really calming and relaxing. The furnishings are modern with an Asian twist and spot on for the environment they are trying to create.
The music that plays in the lobby is light trance music. And my room was on the highest floor next to the rooftop bar and it was a weekend and I could barely hear anything.
Third: Definitely try your best to come up with the extra money to get an ocean front suite. It is really hip and has a totally seperate living room and much more drawer space and clothes hanging area.
The beach was right out your front door... might as well be ocean front and was very clean and relaxing and it was easter weekend. In short, this is a great hotel with very good service and friendly people. The only negative - I have travelled the world and eaten sushi in many places and it is not good. I sampled alot and it was not fresh. But everything else is great.
Definitely a great place.