Where should you go when it’s time to take your next beautiful, affordable, family-friendly vacation? A top suggestion of mine is always the Marriott San Juan in Puerto Rico.
The island of Puerto Rico is the perfect vacation destination, and if you want an excellent resort there, I have 5 reasons to share why the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino is the best place to stay. </p>
Where is the best area to stay in San Juan, Puerto Rico?
The Condado Beach area is one of the most highly recommended places for people to stay when visiting San Juan.
It’s a centrally located area that’s beautiful, vibrant, safe and offers lots of things to do in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Condado is only about 15 minutes away from the San Juan Airport, and also Old San Juan.
Right in the heart of this area is the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. When it comes to San Juan hotels, the Marriott Stellaris San Juan, is a place we always return to and will continue in the future of travel, thanks to its location, service, amenities, activities, variety of delicious food options and so much more.
My family has been staying here annually for the past 6 years (since our daughter was 3), especially for a long weekend getaway, because there is so much to do even if you only have 72 hours in Puerto Rico.
You can often find cheap airfare, especially from NYC to San Juan.
Also, the San Juan weather is absolute paradise with its consistent summertime-like feel (minus the humidity), excellent food, exciting culture, plus it is rich in history.
Once you step foot on this beautiful island it makes it very hard to ever want to leave.
If you easily sign up for my newsletter (at the bottom), you’ll be instantly directed to a free “healthy travel checklist”. You can download and print it for all the important travel essentials to pack in your carry on travel bag before your next trip.
5 Reasons To Stay At The San Juan Marriott:
1. Condado Beach
The San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino is situated directly on beautiful Condado Beach, which has some of the softest sand I have ever felt and aqua colored water that’s warm and usually pretty calm.
During our last visit here we had the opportunity to stay in an ocean front room, and the San Juan beach views from up above were breathtaking. One morning we were even treated to a rainbow that seemed to disappear right into the turquoise tinted ocean.
Our whole family appreciates never having to choose between going to the pool or beach for the day because at this resort you can easily hop back and forth between both.
If you are into things to do in San Juan like, water sports, rainforests or exploring, the concierge at the Marriott San Juan Puerto Rico can provide recommendations, activities and even set up reservations for excursion (my son took surf lessons during one of our trips).
2. Two Fabulous, Fun Pools
The zero entry pool is perfect for families, especially with small children, while the adjacent pool (which is my favorite) features a swim up bar plus a waterslide. My kids could spend all day long swimming and sliding here.
Somedays free shaved ice is served by the pool (coconut was my favorite flavor), along with a side of live music. Then kids can cool off with a sweet treat, while you enjoy a tropical cocktail at the pool bar.
Even though the weather is pretty much always warm and sunny here, I appreciate that the pools are heated, especially for those early morning and late night swims.
Both pools at the San Juan Marriott offer plenty of fun in the Puerto Rico sun, so you can’t go wrong no matter which one you choose.
3. Delicious Food Options
The San Juan Marriott resort offers everything from delicious buffet breakfasts to sweet treats, poolside snacks, eats and more.
The buffet breakfast can be a great value for your money, especially if you time it right. We were able to skip having to get lunch most days, since we would eat breakfast around 10:30 and then a snack (or poolside pina coladas for the adults) to hold us over until dinner.
If you are a more of a coffee and pastry type of person, then La Panaderia (which is located right inside of the hotel lobby) is where you want to visit. This quick serve place has fresh-brewed and locally sourced Puerto Rican coffee along with a variety of on-the-go foods.
My kids love that they always have fresh fruit. We often stop by here in the evenings to purchase some snacks and drinks to take up to the room or even sit and enjoy poolside.
For late-night food, drinks and fun, the Red Coral Lounge inside of the San Juan Marriott is the perfect place to hang out. There is nightly live entertainment, and we have made many wonderful memories dancing together here.
4. Gelato & Co.
We happened to be visiting when Gelato & Co. Authentic Italian Cremeria, which is literally steps from the front entrance of the Marriott San Juan Resort, opened. My kids immediately wanted to be repeat visitors right after our first visit.
We all love the bright, beachy feel of the place, plus the staff is super friendly. They will provide you not only with flavor recommendations and combinations, but they’ll also let you sample the gelato too. My favorite things here are the gelato pops!
If you want to enjoy gelato poolside during the day, Gelato & Co. often has a small cart parked outside of the La Vista Latin Grill & Bar, right across from the pool area.
5. Perfect Location
The San Juan Marriott Resort is located less than 20 minutes from the San Juan, Puerto Rico airport. That means it’s only a quick and inexpensive taxi ride away.
Out of all the times we have visited Puerto Rico we’ve never rented a car because it is such a walkable town.
There are so many great shops, restaurants, other San Juan resorts to explore, as well as open grassy areas to relax and hang out at all within an easy walking distance from the San Juan Marriott. The best part is you can either walk along the street or along beautiful Condado Beach.
Make sure to save some time for exploring the historic side of Puerto Rico. Old San Juan is about a 20 minute taxi ride away from the San Juan Marriott and so very worth the trip.
Everyone time we visit Old San Juan, Puerto Rico we make sure to eat at one of our favorite restaurants called, Pirilo. I highly recommend you don’t skip eating here.
You can walk up and down the cobblestone, colorful streets to check out performances, shops and restaurants. There are also historic places such as Castillo San Cristobal, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Paseo de la Princesa and Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery.
Is the San Juan Marriott all inclusive?
If you’re looking for all inclusive resorts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, then the San Juan Marriott might not be the right place for you. Yes, it’s a stunning resort with incredible amenities and a fabulous view, but it’s not all-inclusive.
Another option when booking a stay at this resort is to first check and see what special packages they’re offering. Sometimes you’ll be able to get a deal that includes breakfast each day with your stay, or a credit to use at the resort each and day.
All inclusive or not, Puerto Rico consistently tops the lists of best vacation destinations, so if you haven’t visited here yet, you need to add it to your travel bucket list now.
