The last time we visited Puerto Rico, we stayed outside the historic city center and chose a beach-adjacent Homeaway condo near Playa Carolina. We had a lovely time, and loved the fact that everything was only a taxi ride away. But, we also decided that, on our next visit, we’d stay closer to the center of the action in Old San Juan, because we loved everything we’d seen on our trips into the heart of this beautiful, historic city. So, what did we do this time? We found an equally beautiful, historic hotel with a stunning rooftop view of the city we’ve come to love. In fact, it’s quite possible that La Terraza de San Juan is one of the coolest hotels in San Juan, and we can’t wait to go back.
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Booking and checking in with La Terraza San Juan
Interestingly, we found a selection of La Terraza rooms on AirBNB for a pretty reasonable price for the season. And while the photos they posted in the listings looked amazing, we definitely did our due diligence by checking Google photos and TripAdvisor photos to make sure customers weren’t having a drastically different experience than we were seeing. I mean, a rooftop pool with an incredible seating area and view at that affordable a rate?! Come ON.
When we verified the photos were accurate (yay!!!) we booked easily through AirBNB and received a quick confirmation and request for information around our arrival time. They want to make sure your room is ready as close to your arrival as possible, but you can check in normally at 3pm. After hopping an Uber to the hotel and asking about early check-in on arrival, the very nice staff member at the desk said they couldn’t accommodate, but offered to watch our bags while we found a place to eat. Not a bad compromise, since it also gave us time to pop over to Olé hat shop to pick up new custom Panama hats. When we returned closer to 3pm, the front desk had our key – yes, an actual metal key! – waiting, gave us a brief tour of the hotel, and then showed us to our room.
Where in San Juan La Terraza is located and what’s close by
It’s honestly hard to find a place in Old San Juan that isn’t really conveniently located. What IS hard is finding a place that isn’t so close to bars and restaurants that you’ll be awake at all hours listening to other people have a rip-roaring good time. When perusing the AirBNB listings in the city, you’ll often see reviewers commenting that the places, themselves, are beautiful, quirky, or well-appointed… but they’ll also mention that light sleepers might want to look elsewhere. La Terraza strikes this balance beautifully.
Located on Calle del Sol – one of the main streets in the city – it’s within a few hundred feet of El Jibarito (a super tasty homestyle restaurant), two blocks from the colorful La Perla barrio, about three blocks from the San Juan Bautista Cathedral, and about a 15 minute walk to a lovely, isolated beach called Playa Peña. And, even better for those of us who sleep lightly, it’s a majority residential street, meaning we get quiet AND convenience. Epic wins all the way around.
What to expect from your stay at La Terraza de San Juan hotel
Every morning, we got up at a leisurely pace, and proceeded to walk wherever we wanted to go. The location is so good that cars need not apply. One day we strolled down for a casual brunch at Chocobar before heading off to Playa Pena to enjoy the beautiful weather. Another day, we spent time at a local coffee shop and then just meandered around the historic streets finding art and architecture to take in. That part of the stay was absolutely perfect.
The hotel’s common spaces inside are beyond quirky, but in an intentional way. The walls are all stucco and plaster in colonial-inspired colors, with crystal chandeliers and artwork everywhere. When you head back to the rooms, however, the furnishings all feel fairly modern – right down to the super soft mattress and luxury linens – but with the added bonus of old, exposed timber ceilings and antique-feeling clay tile floors. But best of all, head upstairs to the rooftop seating area and plunge infinity pool. Guys, the view speaks for itself and says so, SO much. It was one of our most-liked Instagram shots of the year! The pool was a little cloudy, but since we really only wanted a place to sit and dip our feet in the cool water, it ended up being beyond perfect.
We did have a couple pet peeves about our room, which we didn’t raise to management because our stay was short enough to make them bearable. First, our first floor room at the back of the hotel was close to one of the staff stairwells, meaning every morning we ended up waking up at least once or twice to the sounds of ice being scooped into a bucket or cooler. I guess that’s one way to make sure you don’t sleep your whole trip away, right? And second, the well-appointed shower has two lovely little windows to help with ventilation… but ours decided to help whether we wanted it or not. They refused to stay latched, which was largely a problem because we could easily hear rooftop sounds through the window, as well as because of my own paranoia about getting eaten alive by Puerto Rican mosquitos like I did the last time we visited.
The hotel also includes a restaurant and bar, both of which feature very, very basic fare. We ordered piña coladas on our arrival, and ended up with Solo cups of icy mix – light on the rum, too – for a premium price. Breakfast felt about the same. Perhaps we’ve just been overly spoiled by mallorca sandwiches from places like Chocobar and Cafeteria España, but the breakfast felt pretty mediocre by comparison. That said, the convenience factor of both of these features makes them worth at least a try. Just make sure you try a few other spots if you’re not familiar with traditional Puerto Rican foods or the island’s national cocktail 😉
Practical information about La Terraza de San Juan hotel
- Address: 262 Calle Sol, San Juan, 00901, Puerto Rico
- Phone: +1 787-722-2014
- Website: www.laterrazahotelsanjuan.com
- Alternative booking option: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12584167
- Check in: 3pm
- Check out: 12pm
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