I stayed at this hotel during a one-night layover on a flight to the BVI. The rooms are cheaper than some of the other hotels in the area, and it's right by the airport. The pictures depict an older building, so my expectations were not all that high. Previous reviewers describe the property and rooms accurately - small, and in desparate need of an update. Breakfast, taken in the outside section, was very good and the restaurant, like a lot of San Juan that I saw, had a cool art-deco vibe.
The front desk person that made my reservation the night before I arrived and the one that checked me in had cheery and helpful attitudes, but the other front desk agents were un-cooperative and somewhat surly, despite my attempts to be a good customer. One of them was at once surly to me, and then all nice, when she thought that it was time for a tip. She didn't get one, but the very nice man who checked me in earlier, did.
In the morning, they refused to call the taxi driver that I had used the night before, but what really aggravated me was that the taxi that they did call (obviously a friend) overcharged me for the ride to the airport. Taxi rates to and from the airport and the hotel are published. When I asked why my fare was more, I got a lot of bs and outright lies, like, "It's an extra dollar for the call." What call? I stood my ground at the airport, and after placing two quarters on top of my bag (rather than handing them to me), she made a quick exit. My intention was to straighten things out at the airport taxi stand, but she didn't like that idea at all. It was fairly obvious criminal behavior.
This may sound more like a review of a taxi driver, rather than that of the hotel, but the hotel staff called this taxi specifically.
My message to the owners/managers of this property, if you ever bother to read this website: The Coral Sea is what it is, but shabby treatment of your customers doesn't help, at all. Allowing your employees to take advantage of your customers and engage in criminal behavior will drive your customers away. I don't think that things will change at this hotel, but at least we can read all about it on TripAdvisor, no?
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC