The Coqui Inn of San Juan

A Mixed Blessing..

I want to state upfront that I really liked this place.. A laid back experience with a definite island vibe. I would stay here again, for sure.

However, its not the Howard Johnson by any stretch of the imagination. If that is your minimum comfort requirement, then this place is not for you. I suspect (but need to confirm) that the Coqui Inn is pretty much ‘average’ for much of the islands locally owned hotels.

The rooms were small from what I could see. Each had their own air conditioner, a small TV and a nice little refrigerator with mini freezer. I did not find the ice machine until the last day there… they keep some ice, loose in a big plastic cooler right next to the lobby for everyone to dip into. My room was on the second floor with no elevator.  Dragging my luggage up (then down) the steep cement stairs was a real pain. I suggest scoring a ground floor room. I did help an older gal get her oversized case down the steps to the lobby. The bathroom was almost as big as the bedroom and both had tiled floors. I would describe my room as relatively clean, but on the shabby side. The furniture was old and beat-up, but useable. The graffiti art on the outside was everywhere and gave the place a very festive feel. There are 3 different pools spread out across the facility and all were very immaculate, even though this was the ‘low season’. I used the small one closest to my room and had it to myself the few times I jumped in. It was great! I loved it.

There was wireless Internet and it worked fine from my room, but it is a very long facility so I would expect a few rooms would have issues.

Even though this was the low season, the Coqui Inn did not offer any break on costs, but it was still cheaper than the Howard Johnson’s standard open rate. Both places were the cheapest I could find on the Net. The Coqui Inn’s Web site and printed handout (in the room) said you got free coffee and a breakfast roll with newspaper, but the only thing I saw was a big coffee urn in the lobby which was just short of nasty. I solved the coffee issue by walking about a block to a local cafeteria. It was extremely clean and served sandwiches, pastries and real good espresso. These Panaderia’s are very common on the island and have very reasonable prices. Fortunately, the Coqui Inn has two different restaurants right next door and I did have a nice dinner of roast chicken, rice and beans with a small salad in the cheaper one. The other was a sushi bar which was outside my budget. It is a short walk via a highway pedestrian cross-over to a Burger King and the beach and only a little bit further to a Walgreens and other eateries.. mostly fast food chains (which I truly detest) catering to travelers from the mainland. Prices are moderately high in all the tourist areas.