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Cervantes – reviews, photos

Recinto Sur #329 | Old San Juan, San Juan 00901, Puerto Rico
Hotel amenities
Cervantes
Ranked #24 of 45 hotels in San Juan
3.5 of 5 stars 86 Reviews
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86 reviews from our community

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Traveller rating
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Date Rating
Chicago, Illinois
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Great Location, needs some fine tuning”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 February 2012
2
people found this review helpful

The hotel's location cannot be beat. BE CAREFUL THAT YOU GET THE ROOM YOU BOOKED. I reserved a King Suite which according to the hotel's website had a KING BED, arched colonial doors opening on to Spanish balconies, a separate seating area. There was a picture of this room on the webpage. When I checked in I was put in a room with a double bed, no balcony, a sofa bed in a windowless room and one tiny window to the right of the bed. I went back down to the front desk as this was clearly not the room I had reserved. They told me at first I was in the correct room. They seemed completely confused when I gave them the description of the room as listed on their own website. I was offered a free drink as compensation but declined and asked only to be placed in the room I had booked and was being charged for. Although they were nice the women working the front desk kept insisting that I was in the right room. In fact, one of them stated to me that no rooms in the hotel had a king bed. I then pulled up their own website on my phone to show them what it said. Finally a manager came and offered to switch rooms. The next room was like a different hotel, it was beautiful with high ceilings a KING BED and was the correct type of suite. The staff at the hotel was very friendly but doesn't seem to have basic knowledge of the hotel.

Yes this hotel is quite noisy due to street activity but that was expected, just bring earplugs. The bed was very comfortable and the bathrooms were nicely done. The rooms do need some minor fixes. Instead of a tv in the bedroom there was a painting placed in front of the wall mount where a tv used to be (there was one in the other room that worked fine) The bathroom had the fittings for a steam shower but it wasn't working. The rain shower was great! With some minor bug fixes and a better trained staff this hotel would be perfect. It's a beautiful building and the room was decorated well.

  • Stayed February 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask inchicago1 about Cervantes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
CervantesprGM, Front Office Manager at Cervantes, responded to this review
17 February 2012
Dear Guest,

Thank you for submitting this insightful review. Our staff is always learning and improving so each time we can provide a better experience. We are sorry for the room confusion; however, if you ever decide to come back, it will not happen again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Ormond Beach, Florida
Senior Contributor
34 reviews 34 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Close to resturants and shopping in Old San Juan”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Cervantes is right in the heart of Old San Juan, steps away from Crisobal Fort, wonderful resturants (including Panza right down stairs), and all of the jewelry and gift shops. The rooms are somewhat small but beautifully appointed in contemporary style, with a total marble bath. The staff was wonderful, as was the Puerto Rican Coffee each morning - but don't be surprised with a total bread and sweets breakfast, that is very PR. We had a balcony room which was lovely for fresh air, but not so much for the noise. Not a bad stay for a couple of days to see Old San Juan before venturing out to a resort. We got a special through Bookings.com.

Room Tip: Taxis from airport wil get you here for about $12 per person. Or $24 for the couple.
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  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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See 6 more reviews by Julia32174 for San Juan
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Hamden, Connecticut
2 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Great location but a bit pricey”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 January 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This hotel is in the best location right in the heart of Old San Juan. It is a beautiful hotel. Like some prior reviews it was noisy. The noise is due to the small alleys between the hotel where every noise is just magnified and echoed. We did have a suite in the rear of the building but was still very noisy. The hotel does need some updating in the rooms. The carpet in our room was in very bad condition, We felt it was way overpriced for the quality of the room. The continental breakfast is very minimal. The great thing about the hotel are the people that work there. Dorcas at the front desk was the sweetest and most helpful. Everyone was very polite and helpful. Believe me no matter which room you are in it will be noisy. Would really not recommend this hotel.

Room Tip: Too expensive for the quality of the rooms and the noise level. There are other hotels in the area...
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  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Doreen S about Cervantes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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Chicago
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Skip this hotel. Only positive is location, not worth the price.”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 January 2012

Our stay here was less than desirable. The hotel was experiencing water issues during our stay, however, we were never informed of this, and allowed to check-in. The showers were COLD regardless of time of day. The staff should've notified us prior to arriving. Instead we were offered drinks at the bar when we complained. No thanks.

Also, our bedding & towels were stained, and the comforter was torn. Not at all what I expected from a boutique hotel with only 12 guestrooms.

We booked through Priceline and it was advertised that there was free parking on-site and wifi. I called before arriving to verify where the free parking was, and was told there wasn't any available and to park at the structure across the street. Turns out the hotel considers the greater area of San Juan to be "on-site". Parking ended up costing $60. Wifi never worked, and the staff confirmed that it's spotty. Why bother advertising it then?

It has now been a month since our stay, and I am still working with their management to try to resolve the issue. Their staff lacks customer service skills and empathy, which is funny since they are in the hospitality industry. Not at all how I wanted our wonderful vacation in Puerto Rico to end.

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Wendy C about Cervantes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
CervantesprGM, Front Office Manager at Cervantes, responded to this review
27 January 2012
Dear Guest,

This hot water problem was a one time issue. when we became aware of this we offered you and other guests on your floor (only one floor experienced the water issue), complementry dinks and a discount upon check out. we are sorry for all your troubles. Management is trying to resolve your case.

On another note, the hotel has acquired new towels and sheets and is working on the wifi signal, for it works perfectly in the lobby and sometimes in the rooms.
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Arlington, Virginia
2 reviews
“Great stay in Old San Juan”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 January 2012

I enjoyed my one night stay here. I loved the look of the hotel, especially the interior design of the rooms which were small but quite comfortable for two. I experienced no problems with hot water or a/c. The bathroom was nice and clean but lacking in supplies. There was only one bar of soap and one bathrobe. The all-bread continental breakfast was a little dissapointing. What we got tasted fine and the setting was lovely but could've really used some protein and fruit. Service was friendly and helpful but a bit inattentive.
Definitely stay at the second parking garage (I believe it's called La Doña Fela) NOT the one directly across the street if you want to save $.

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask David M about Cervantes
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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Additional Information about Cervantes

  • Cervantes Hotel San Juan
  • Cervantes San Juan
Address: Recinto Sur #329 | Old San Juan, San Juan 00901, Puerto Rico
Price range (per night):* INR7,169 - 47,216

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