Our stay at the San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino.

Our recent trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico was a trip of dreams.  Not only were we able to experience the local island flavor, but we stayed at one of the best resorts on the island.  The San Juan Marriott had all of the comforts of home, but with a beachfront view and the best food imaginable.  Take a peek at the video we made of our time at the San Juan Marriott and read below for some of the resort’s highlights.

Our first glance revealed that our room at the San Juan Marriott was clean and spacious.  We were thrilled that we had a big window on the far side of the room.  The one thing we always do when first getting to our hotel room is check the view out of the window.  We pulled back the curtain to reveal not only a gorgeous view of the ocean, but also a glass door that led to an outdoor balcony.

We liked the sound of the crashing waves so much that we sacrificed the cool air conditioning so that we could keep our balcony door open and be lulled to sleep by the calming waters.  A balcony by the water trumps air conditioning every time.  We would start our mornings drinking coffee and people watching on the balcony and end our days with nightcaps and stargazing.  It couldn’t get any better.

For us, the focal part of any hotel room is the bed, and ours at the San Juan Marriott did not disappoint.  Not only was it enormous, but it was also one of the most comfortable beds imaginable.  We were happy to fall into it every night and got some of the best sleep of our lives.

Let’s not forget about the amenities.  Every room comes with a mini-fridge, coffee maker, color TV, and safe.  The heavenly bed is also equipped with a down comforter and pillows that can be substituted out for those with allergies.  An extra bonus is the extremely fast high-speed internet- every bloggers dream!

The Stellaris Casino.

We had the opportunity to learn how to play a mean game of black jack at the on-site Stellaris casino.  With multiple tables hosting a variety games, it would be hard not to find a game you would enjoy.  If table games aren’t your thing, sit down at one of the slot machines and try your luck.

Like most casinos, drinks are free while you’re inside and you can also order delicious food that will be delivered to wherever you are.  The Stellaris Casino is a great place to spend your evenings and hopefully help you walk away with some extra cash.

The food.

The San Juan Marriott offers an array of dining experiences.  From poolside cocktails to oceanfront dining, there’s a restaurant to suit every need.  The Red Coral Lounge is the best place to people watch, drink fine cocktails, and dance the night away.  Our drink recommendations would have to be the dragonberry and jalapeno mojitos- they’re to die for.

The highlight of our culinary experiences at the San Juan Marriott would have to be the night we dined at the La Vista Latin Grill and Bar.  With your choice of indoor or al fresco dining, you really can’t go wrong.  We chose outdoor seats with a view of the ocean as the sun slowly set.  Our multi-course meal featured mouthwatering empanadas, a fresh garden salad, and an assortment of grilled fruits and vegetables.

A huge perk to the San Juan Marriott is their Coffee Merchant and Bake Shop.  Being Seattlites, we needed our morning caffeine pick-me-up.  As self-proclaimed coffee connoisseurs, we found the espresso to be perfect.  It was dark, rich, and sultry- just like we like it.  Our recommendation would be their white chocolate mocha, the perfect blend of sweet and savory.

The extras.

One of the favorite parts of our stay was the turn down service.  It’s a service that we rarely ever take advantage of (read: never) but we loved that every evening a woman would appear at our door with a handful of chocolates and ask if there was anything she could do for us.  This is just one example of how attentive and helpful the staff at the San Juan Marriott is.

Another great perk of the San Juan Marriott is its close proximity to fine dining, beaches, and nightlife.  Be sure to check out Budatai, a five minute walk from the hotel.  The food there is fantastic and one of the only places that Tawny’s genuinely enjoyed eating tuna tar tar.

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the San Juan Marriott Resort and Diamond PR for hosting us and showing us the best time on the island.  We will definitely be back in the near future.