At first glance, the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino doesn’t look all that impressive. Located in San Juan’s Convention Center District, it lacks the glossy brochure panache of Condado’s beachfront resorts or Old San Juan’s enchanting boutique hotels. But after spending two days getting to know the rhythms of this charming 503-room property, which began a $10 million renovation in 2019, I found a new favorite.
The newly renovated guestrooms — which are being remodeled one floor at a time to ensure they meet the Sheraton brand standard — eschew closets in favor of open spaces, so guests can find belongings quickly during short stays. An upholstered bench is purpose-built underneath the television for luggage and items to be laid out instead of tucked in drawers. In many rooms, a single credenza-style unit also incorporates the work desk, giving the accommodations a more spacious feel.
"It was time for a remodel,” said Roberto Mosquera, general manager for Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino. “The property had been open for 15 years, and the Sheraton brand palette had changed.”
Renovated guestrooms feature new furniture in neutral grays and blues — a replacement of the yellow and orange palette that Sheraton favored when the hotel was first built in 2009. Event spaces have also been refreshed, including the addition of a new top-floor space with an expansive rooftop, and public spaces will follow next year once guestroom renovations are complete.
A newly renovated guestroom
Credit: 2022 Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & CasinoAs its name suggests, the hotel features an attached casino, and it operates several global restaurant brands as concessions. Among the property's self-operated food and beverage outlets is The District Lounge & Sushi Bar, which serves tapas and sushi to the thrum of live music on weekend evenings. Choices Urban Bistro, meanwhile, is a sunny breakfast restaurant offering a buffet or a la carte dining, and The Cafe provides coffee and grab-and-go items. The Bay Pool Bar & Grill, located by the fourth-floor infinity pool, is the perfect locale for snacks, salads, burgers and fruity cocktails.
The rooftop infinity pool, with its sunset views of San Juan Bay and Old San Juan, proved popular throughout the day and well into the evening with visiting families, many of whom were local residents enjoying a getaway. (Mosquera told me that Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino's popularity with local patrons is a source of pride among the hotel staff.) There are plenty of lounge chairs and shade, and the hotel is situated so that the pool deck takes full advantage of ocean trade winds.
What to Do in San Juan
Outside the property, the Convention Center District and nearby Distrito T-Mobile event space keep the energy vibrant. Revelers slide through the urban park on ziplines throughout the day, and live music, bars, restaurants and the Distrito T-Mobile movie theater keep things going into the wee hours.
Travelers who want to venture to some marquee sights in San Juan — such as Old San Juan and Escambron Beach — can take the hotel’s free beach shuttle. It runs in a continuous loop between the Sheraton and several adjacent hotels, making the full circuit about every half-hour. It’s a convenient way to get to the city’s top attractions without having to arrange other transportation.
In Old San Juan, visitors can explore Castillo San Cristobal, the largest Spanish fortress in the Americas; stroll along the Paseo del Morro boardwalk to see the seawall and ramparts of Castillo San Felipe del Morro; or poke through the districts narrow streets, perhaps listening to street music in Plaza de Armas or browsing street vendor booths on Paseo de la Princesa on weekend afternoons.
When I returned to the hotel from my adventures each day, the place seemed alive from within — whether from the action of the casino, the live music at District Lounge or the steady thump of the pool DJ.
Although on the surface, this property first appeared to me as yet another convention hotel, Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino truly surprised me. The hotel is a hidden gem that so completely captures the excitement of the neighborhood and the energy of San Juan.
