My husband and I stayed at the Holiday Inn for a 3 day weekend. This is a great hotel if you are looking to get away for a few days but don't want to spend a lot of money on a resort.

When we got to the San Juan airport, we were shocked at how easy everything was. I expected that when I got there, I'd have to speak a little Spanish to get around, but it's simply not the case. Everyone speaks English, so no need to worry. We walked out to the transportation gate, and there are women standing at a desk ready to help you. You just tell them your hotel and they get a taxi to take you there. The Holiday Inn is literally, 2 minutes from the airport.

The hotel is very nice. Everyone who works there is bi-lingual and ready to help. There is a little shop in the lobby if you need anything and a cookie/coffee place. We stayed on the top floor with the upgrade. We received complimentary breakfast each morning in the lounge area. It was great to have that! The top floor is very nice. There is a workout room and you can also go out doors onto the roof decks for relaxing and sunbathing if you don't want to go down to the pool with the other guests.

The pool area is nice. There is a hot tub and a spray park area for kids. We don't have kids, but it was a treat for us to watch the other children play in the spray park. It was a big hit! The ocean is 2 blocks away. La Isla Verde beach is beautiful. On a sunny day, you can sit and watch people wind surf, parasail, and jetski. The water is clean but not as calm as other beaches I've been to in the carribbean. It reminded me of Ocean City MD. You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas if you'd like from the men on the beach, but we just took 2 towels from the Holiday Inn and sat on those.

Overall, our trip was great. The food was amazing anywhere we ate. The La Fantasia restaurant in the hotel, has everything and one night we had food from them delivered up to our room. They have bar type food and other selections that are a bit fancier. You can also eat at that restaurant outside by the pool.

While we stayed at the Holiday Inn, we took the city bus for 75 cents up to Old San Juan. The trip is worth it! make sure you have exact change and the bus stop is right behind the hotel across from the strip mall on La Isla Verde Ave. When you take the bus, you get to see San Juan at its best. The A5 bus takes you through the neighborhoods and takes about 45 minutes. But I would rather do that than take a taxi for 25 dollars. Old San Juan is beautiful and we really had a nice time sightseeing. I loved the San Juan cathedral where Ponce de Leon is buried and the El Morro fort where the Spanish settlers defended the island. What a great history lesson. Old San Juan is very charming. I got an icee from a vendor that shaves the ice right off of a huge block and has any flavor you can think of. We also ate lunch at a pub place that had the best fried chicken I've ever had!

Overall, our San Juan trip was excellent. It was great to just get away for a few days.

The only negative thing I have to say is that, the day we checked out, we left our luggage with the front desk because we had a few hours extra to relax before heading back to the airport. Well, it was the same day that many people were staying at the Holiday Inn to leave for a cruise and the taxi driver accidentally took our luggage with all the others for the cruise. It was a good thing I had my name and phone number on my luggage because the woman at the pier called me to tell me she had my luggage. If you leave your luggage with the front desk, make sure that they put it in the closet room, and not with all the other luggage in the lobby that goes to the cruise boats.

Have a great trip, and remember to wear sunscreen! I hope this helps!