San Juan is a vacation destination, everyone knows that. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and "go home" often. Circumstances have changed and so I don't have a family member to stay with, forcing me to look at hotels. Well, when I go home I want to spend my time and money on quality things. The fluff and puff don't attract me, so obviously I want to stay away from the "tourist traps". The following are my recommendations/observations.

The Wind Chimes hotel is right in the middle of the best part of the Condado, a small section of San Juan area, for night life, beach, restaurants and shopping. Let's face it, even the locals hang out in San Juan/Condado. Just a few short blocks West of the Wind Chimes are some great restaurants and the new "rodeo drive" with big ticket shops.

The beach is just a short walk across the street (half a city block). Which is awesome to be able to walk to and not have to worry about parking (which is very difficult in Condado).

Kasalta bakery is a few blocks East on the same street- breakfast is a must there.

As far as value- i loved not having to pay $300/night for a non-personal, crowded hotel experience. Instead I paid $150/night for a King size bed with friendly service. The room wasn't a modern clean-cut pristine model of perfection, but i was comfortable and the room/sheets/towels were clean. Besides, when I come to PR, the last place i want to hang out is the room!!

Be sure to meet Popo the cat... he's friendly and a great example of "relax".

we stayed at the wind chimes inn unknown it would be down the block from the main inn. i was very glad it was. they have the biggest hot tub i have ever seen, you could call it a swimming pool. i love the warm water, it even had a water fall. the staff was wonderful. it is walking distance to the beach. you could say this beach has 3 phases. 1 for the normal morning and noon people and then between 5-8 pm the local bring their bogs to the beach. i really enjoyed watching them. i still wish i was one of them. then my boyfriend told me not to go after dark due to robbers, i did anyway, all by my self and had no problems, the ocean is so warm. you must,and i say must, ask for a two beds in the room. the single bedroom is too small of a room. you can always move the beds together. it is worth every penny just to have the big outdoors hot tub. the parking is a problem only if you are not good at parking, but by boyfriend squeezed our rental in every night without a problem. remember the hot tub must be at least 4 feet deep. i give the cleanliness poor since the floor had sand on them. it was not carpet. but the hot tub mad up for the door floors.

We stayed At Wind Chimes for my cousins wedding. Not visiting Puerto Rico prior to her wedding, we weren't exactly sure of the area. This hotel is perfect if you are looking for true Puerto Rican charm and looking to have that privacy. The whole hotel is gated and once you check in, you will recieve a key (Not a key card but an actual key) to both the Wind Chimes as well as there sister property right down the street. The hotel does not have a place to eat on site however; is within walking distance of places such as Kasaltas (Which was awesome) and Bebos--If you are looking for the authentic Puerto Rican feel, this place is perfect! The rooms are a bit small and the bathroom does not offer the most privacy as it is shutter-doors but the rate is perfect ($89.00+) . I highly recommend this hotel--it was wonderful!!

The Inn at Wind Chimes Hotel (or just Wind Chimes) is a cozy villa tucked into a beach neighborhood, surrounded by what appear to be high rise condos and/or hotels. Since we arrived during the end of the off-season, there were less touristas around than typical. The ride from the airport was only about 10 minutes, and one of the first things we noticed was the crazy drivers everywhere! This is relevant because it makes the cab fair ($15-20) to and from the airport and Old San Juan seem reasonable when you realize how much work is actually involved protecting the precious cargo. It is also relevant since there is a likelihood you will wake up to car horns if you sleep in and leave your window open. The hotel is by no means on a busy thoroughfare though, and seems more like a quiet garden plucked down in between the tall buildings surrounding it.
Hotel staff was very friendly, and upgraded us to the honey moon suite since it had not been reserved (we had requested a king size bed, not sure how available that request may have been otherwise), so we had our own private balcony overlooking the inner courtyard! The plaster walls, terra cotta shingles and tiling are warm and inviting, surrounded by the plant life and pottery decorating the interior walls of the resort. The pool is small but inviting, and unfortunately the in house bar was closed for the off season. Our room was not the largest for a suite, but more than adequate for our purposes, with nice amenities and furniture.
We also spent a fair amount of time at the sister hotel Acacia about a half block away towards the beach, which boasts a fine restaurant, along with the largest hot tub in San Juan (or is it all of Puerto Rico?). The staff there was also very welcoming and accommodating. While we unfortunately did not have occasion to enjoy dinner there, we had two excellent breakfasts and the menu is diverse.
Wind Chimes is perfect for anyone who wishes to stay near the beach, and who does not require the perhaps more extensive (& expensive!) amenities of a larger hotel (hence the boutique tag). Besides being close, the beach appeared clean and well kept, although the water was a bit rough this time of year. We were happy just to get away from December in a gloomy northeast city, and while we were there, it was the perfect spot! We would have probably given the hotel and "excellent" rating if we were there longer or during the peak season (didn't get the full experience with the in-house bar, etc)