Excellent location in Condado, walking distance to beaches and restaurants
Tidy rooms
include narrow balconies and flat-screen TVs
Some rooms
offer separate sitting areas and full-size fridges
Free
breakfast of fruit, cereal, and pastries
Coin-operated washer and dryer available for guests
Free Wi-Fi throughout
No direct beach access
No parking
on-site
Creaky, old
elevator
El Canario by the Lagoon is a modest two-and-a-half-pearl hotel located in San Juan’s fashionable Condado district. It's less than a 10-minute walk from scenic Condado Beach, and there are plenty of dining and entertainment options in the area geared toward all budgets. The hotel’s 44 rooms are inviting, if relatively generic, featuring mini-fridges and flat-screen TVs. On-site amenities are limited, but the hotel does offer a basic light breakfast and free Wi-Fi. Guests would do well to compare rates with the nearby Holiday Inn Express San Juan Condado, which has additional on-site features including a pool and a fitness center.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
A down-to-earth budget hotel
There isn’t
anything particularly remarkable about El Canario by the Lagoon, but its clean
rooms offer solid value for budget-conscious travelers. Although the hotel’s
exterior is drab, the lobby is a little more colorful, with burnt-orange and blue cushions and pillows. But the elevator is rickety and outdated, and feels like it could break down at any moment. Most guests don’t seem interested in lingering around the hotel’s
common spaces, but the sitting area in the lobby is a nice enough place to use
the PC and printer. The hotel is set in a fantastic location -- particularly
for the price -- and most guests spend their stay taking advantage of the
nearby beaches and entertainment. Aside from breakfast, there are no dining
options on-site but plenty of restaurants and bars are found within a 10-minute
walk.
Location
Central location in the stylish Condado district, less than a 10-minute walk from Condado Beach
El Canario
is set in San Juan’s buzzing Condado district, with casinos, restaurants, bars,
and clubs all found within reasonable walking distance. The area directly
around the hotel isn’t particularly appealing, and it's dominated by other budget hotels,
apartment buildings, and parking lots; however, the upscale
shops Avenida Ashford, Condado’s main thoroughfare are a few minutes' walk away.The hotel is a two-minute walk from La Ventana al
Mar, a lovely oceanfront park with fountains and contemporary sculptures, which
often hosts live outdoor music events. The picturesque sands of Condado Beach
are found just beyond the park. Old San Juan is 10 minutes away by car, while Luis
Munoz Marin International Airport is a 20-minute drive away.
Rooms
Pleasant rooms with mini-fridges and private balconies
Guest rooms
are bland but bright, and decorated with cute beach artwork and pillows bearing the
El Canario logo. The taupe-and-blue bed linens are attractive, but the
honey-colored furniture looks dated. Narrow, unfurnished balconies have unfortunate views of the surrounding high-rises or nearby parking lots. All rooms include mini-fridges,
flat-screen TVs, and small dining tables. Large closets offer storage space and
personal safes. Suites have spartan separate sitting areas with full-size refrigerators, microwaves, coffeemakers, and sinks. Bathrooms
are small and plain, with walk-in showers and round sinks with no counter space.
Little baskets hold packets of body lotion and shampoo as well as
bars of soap.
Features
Free, simple breakfast, coin-operated guest laundry facilities, and free hotel-wide Wi-Fi
El Canario by the Lagoon offers a lean list of amenities. A free
breakfast is served each morning in a small, no-frills dining room in the
lobby. The simple spread consists of coffee, juice, toast, fruit, pastries, and
cereal. Just outside the dining room is an appealing sitting area with some
comfy chairs and a sofa, along with a flat-screen TV and magazines. There’s
also a single PC and a printer available for guest use. Around the
corner, there’s an ice machine and vending machine, along with a coin-operated
washer and dryer. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. No parking is offered
on-site, but there is some limited street parking as well as a large lot across
the street where guests can park for a daily fee.
