La Concha Resort, Puerto Rico, Autograph Collection — Hotel in San Juan

DO NOT STAY HERE. My partner and I checked in on the 6th of February, and we booked a 1-bedroom partial ocean view suite on the top floor for 9 nights. We requested a feather free room with hypoallergenic bedding since I have allergies, and accessibility features in the bathroom due to my disability. When we arrived to the front desk, we were told the room was not ready yet and housekeeping needed more time to set up the feather free room. We waited in the lobby for a half hour until we received a call that the room was ready. When we arrived to the room, it had not been cleaned at all. The bed was made, but the sheets and duvet had not been changed from the previous guests' stay. There was hair in the tub, trash on the floor, and the toilet had not been cleaned or flushed. There was hair and stains all over the bed. Why did the hotel call us and tell us the room was ready when it had not been cleaned? My partner informed hotel management of the issues, and they sent housekeeping to clean the room and to set up the hypoallergenic bedding. I explained to the housekeeper, Dallinarie Gonzalez, the issues and showed her the bed, and she said she would take care of it. She began talking on her personal phone to someone, and she was talking about my partner and I in Spanish. She called us "annoying guests" and that I was "nitpicking" at the issues in the room. As an Afro-Latina, I encounter this often: people assume I do not speak Spanish so I wouldn't be able to understand them. She cleaned the room and left, but did not set up the feather free bedding.

The next morning, I woke up to an allergic reaction. My partner alerted management and requested they come up to the room. Two men named Juan and Edgar/Eduardo (he's called both at this hotel) entered and inspected the room, and found that the bedding was not feather free, and that the actual pillows were dirty with urine and other stains. Edgar/Eduardo stated that outside of the issues with the bed, he did not see any other issues with the room, but by that point, housekeeping already cleaned the room. Juan was the one who confirmed the bedding was not feather free and he said he would have someone change it. I tried to explain to Edgar/Eduardo in Spanish my concerns with the room, and he refused to speak to me in Spanish and said out of respect for my partner, he would only speak in English. My partner speaks Spanish and understands everything, so that comment was an assumption that my partner does not speak Spanish (again, as Afro-Latinos, we experience this often.) I stated my discomfort staying in a hotel that treats guests this way, and that I wanted to leave. Edgar/Eduardo said that he respected that but urged us to stay and try to enjoy the vacation, and he kept saying, "Let us take care of you." After Edgar/Eduardo and Juan left, housekeeping did come and make the changes to the bedding.

Later that night, the kitchen ceiling started to leak. We informed management and asked them to fix it, but they told us they could not fix it then and sent a bucket to catch the water. We called again the next day to request maintenance to fix the leak, but they never came.

In the bathroom, the showerhead fixture fell off as I was in the shower and we had to wait for maintenance to come fix that as well.

During our 6th night, I called housekeeping 4 times over the span of 2 hours requesting cleaning services. At around 8:30 PM, the same housekeeper from the first night, Dallinarie Gonzalez, knocked on the door and I answered. She asked me in English if I needed service, and I said yes, and she said, "Are you going to be in the room?" and I said yes, I'd be on the couch. She rolled her eyes and called me out of my name in Spanish under her breath. I asked her what the issue was, and she laughed and said there are no issues. I felt uncomfortable with her in the room with my stuff alone, and she said she would have a supervisor come to the room to speak to me, but a supervisor never came. My partner called for service as well but the front desk kept...

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of staying at La Concha Renaissance San Juan, and I must say it was truly a remarkable experience. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warm hospitality and a beautiful, modern atmosphere. The location of the hotel is absolutely fantastic. Situated right on the pristine Condado Beach, we were treated to breathtaking views of the ocean from our room. The proximity to the beach allowed guest to enjoy water activities and long walks along the shore.

Speaking of rooms, we were in the Ocean Tower, room 301 to be exact. And although, we would have preferred a much higher floor, the room was spacious, elegant, and clean. The contemporary design and comfortable furnishing created a welcoming ambiance. The bed was incredibly comfortable, ensuring a restful night’s sleep. The room also featured modern amenities such as a flat-screen TV, a mini-fridge, a well-appointed bathroom with luxurious toiletries, including a plush robe. The only con with our room was the unappealing roof below us when we looked out our window, besides that, we had a great view of the pool and ocean.

One of the highlights of our stay was the adult only pool. It was the perfect spot to relax and unwind. The adult pool was well maintained, with comfortable loungers and attentive staff who provided excellent service.

The dining options at La Concha Renaissance were pretty good. The hotel boasts several on-site restaurants, each offering a different culinary experience. Some were better than others. We particularly enjoyed dining at The Loft, where we indulged in a delicious breakfast buffet each morning. There were a wide variety of choices to suit every palate. Solera, the terrace poolside restaurant, had some of the best quesadillas we’ve ever had. The Komakai Sushi Bar, located in the lobby, was ok. Nothing to write home about.

There are a few staff members at La Concha Renaissance San Juan that deserves special mention. Angel at the Front Desk did an amazing job with our check-in process. He was professional, friendly and went above and beyond to ensure our stay was memorable. Ernesto and Alondra at the Front Desk were also exceptional, especially when we needed assistance throughout our stay. Alondra made our check-out experience efficient and easy. Alex at the omelet station at The Loft was great and helpful. Angel at the adult only pool bar was beyond amazing. Words can’t begin to describe his incredible work ethic and passion for service. He led an amazing and informative, Mixology class that we still talk about today. Although our stay was amazing, we were on the receiving end of poor customer service by a few staff members. Yierel Santiago at the Front Desk was not welcoming. I asked him a question pertaining to the location of something in the hotel, he looked at me in disgust and asked “Are you even staying here?” Dismissing the mandatory wristband and the hotel’s welcome tote I was given hours earlier at check-in. The hostess, Karla, at The Loft was rude and short with guest. Kiara, also at The Loft, was also rude. She constantly had a stern look on her face and rolled her eyes whenever a question was asked. She clearly didn’t want to be bothered and it showed in her facial expressions and response.

In terms of amenities, the hotel offers a well-equipped fitness center and a casino for those looking for a bit of excitement. Please keep in mind the hotel does charge a resort fee, that varies depending on the season. The resort fee for our stay was $65 a night. We booked directly through Marriott, which clearly states the fee, so we weren’t blindsided when we arrived. They also place a $100 hold on your credit card for each night you’re staying there.

Overall, our stay at La Concha Renaissance San Juan was great. The combination of a stunning location, elegant accommodations, and exceptional service made for an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting San Juan and looking for a luxurious and...

I just returned from La Concha where I spent a week on vacation, which included my birthday. I have some clear pros and cons for potential visitors:

PROS Access to the beach is unmatched. It's literally just outside the property so you can get your sand and sun-loving on right away. No charge for the beach loungers or umbrellas. Many properties do charge for loungers so it was nice to not have to deal with that. Using them was first-come-first-serve with a guy who would take it to any spot on the beach you wanted and set everything up for you. Adults-only pool. I liked being able to hang out at the adults-only pool away from children and families and just relax. There was also a poolside bar so guests could get cocktails and small bites. The pool water was so warm and it stayed open late. My oceanfront room had great views and I could literally hear the ocean in my room when I cracked the sliding door open a little each night. It was a great way to go to sleep and wake up. Location. La Concha is well-situated on Ashford Avenue so I often walked to other restaurants or to Walgreens if I needed anything. I rarely took an Uber. Friendly staff. I found everyone I encountered at La Concha to be friendly and helpful.

CONS The cost of food and drinks. I expect for there to be an upcharge for food and beverages at a resort but I wasn't expecting $20 rum and cokes or to spend $26 for a Caesar salad with salmon. A medium iced coffee and a pastry were almost $16. Frozen drinks were between $22 and $25. The resort fee. $65 a DAY seems steep to me. I wasn't certain what I got for the money. For $65 a day, a stocked minifridge would have been a nice show of goodwill. Housekeeping. I really hate singling out housekeeping because I know how hard they work and that they have the least glamourous but one of the most important jobs imaginable. La Concha doesn't change bedlinens every day for environmental-friendliness reasons, which I'm usually fine with, but I just couldn't get in sync with housekeeping to be out of the room so they could do their job. I had housekeepers show up at 10am when I was still enjoying the room to 4:30pm when I had been gone all day and just wanted to take a shower because it was so hot out. Once, the housekeeper didn't actually change the sheets but just re-made the bed. I dropped my purse on a part of the top sheet that left a smudge. Even though the bed was made, the smudge was still on the top sheet so those weren't fresh sheets. A second time they didn't bother tucking the sheets under the mattress so it all bunched up at the foot of the bed. Also, I ordered room service on my second day there and they never took the fork and knife all while I was there (a week). Construction noise. One of the towers is undergoing renovation so even though I was not staying in that tower, I heard every bit of that construction (via echo) for five days. The work was being done right next to the adults-only pool so everyone heard it there too. The rumor was that the work was to stop at 4:30pm but many days it went on until 6:30pm. Sometimes debris from the construction fell into the pool.

Finally, when Hurricane Debby was making landfall on the east coast, my flight was delayed several times. I had already checked out of the resort but was not at the airport. I called to see if I could check back in with my old rate (I'm a Bonvoy member) for the night. I was told no, that I would be charged the day rate, which including the resort fee, was going to cost me $577 for one night. The reservations agent said to download the app and it might have a better deal. I was surprised to hear that the app had better deals than an actual live person. I left and went to another hotel for the night.

I liked La Concha but it is unlikely I will return. The other hotel that took me in when my flights were delayed turned out to be better than I expected so I'll stay there the next...