These Places to Stay in Puerto Rico Will Make Your Trip Unforgettable

Looking for the best places to stay in Puerto Rico but feeling overwhelmed by the options? It’s no wonder! With beaches, jungles, and colorful towns, figuring out where to base yourself in Puerto Rico can be surprisingly tricky, especially when each spot feels like a destination in its own right.

And once you nail down a location, there’s still the hotel question. Do you want a resort-like hotel with beach access and pools? A boutique hotel where you can walk in history’s footsteps? Or a rental big enough to fit the whole family?

I’ve been on four trips to Puerto Rico, each time exploring a different corner of the island. Each place had its own vibe and totally changed how I experienced the island. (And honestly, all of them were amazing!)

So if you’re wondering which area and hotels are best for your travel style, I’ve rounded up my favorite stays across the island with honest insights and personal picks, plus a few spots I would love to book next time I visit!

Areas of Puerto Rico To Visit

Puerto Rico is an island that truly has endless possibilities for exploration! I’ve been on four trips to the island now, and there are still so many things on my Puerto Rico bucket list!

So let’s talk about the main areas you might want to visit in Puerto Rico.

San Juan: Best for First-Time Visitors

If this is your first trip to Puerto Rico, you’ll likely want to base yourself in San Juan. This capital city is on the north coast of the island, and it’s where you’ll fly into or where your cruise ship will bring you.

San Juan has SO much to do, from just strolling the colorful streets to enjoying nearby beaches to learning about the history of the island. So this is a great place to start your adventures in Puerto Rico!

Rio Grande/El Yunque/Fajardo: Best for Nature Lovers

If you have time outside of San Juan, I definitely recommend heading east to the Rio Grande area of the island. This is where you’ll find El Yunque rainforest, which is so much fun to hike through! If you don’t have your own transportation, you can even take a guided day trip from San Juan to El Yunque.

Nearby you’ll also find Fajardo, home to one of the more popular bioluminescent bays on the island. Again, if you don’t have your own transportation, you can book a trip to the bio bay from San Juan.

Southeast Puerto Rico: Best for a Peaceful Escape

This isn’t a super popular tourist area, but I wanted to include it because we took a family vacation here and had a great time. We rented a house on the beach and spent most of the week just chilling with family while exploring some of the nearby areas.

If you want to get away from it all, the southeast area of the island may be the area to explore!

Ponce & Lajas: Best for a City Without the Crowds

Ponce is the second largest city in Puerto Rico after San Juan. It’s not nearly as popular as San Juan, but it can be a fun spot to visit!

Gerrit and I spent a day exploring downtown here and I especially enjoyed the main square with lots of fountains (it was a HOT day so that mist felt good) and their unique Parque de Bombas, a red-and-black firehouse turned museum.

Nearby you’ll also find the town of Lajas, where tours for La Parguera bio bay go out of. (Spoiler alert: This was our favorite bio bay tour!)

Rincón: Best for Surf & Sunset

Rincón is actually one of the areas of Puerto Rico I haven’t gotten to explore yet, but it is high on my list!

Rincón known for its beach towns and for being the best place on the island for surfing. So if you really want to spend most of your days soaking up the sun and sand and waves, you might decide to go to go here.

Vieques & Culebra: Best for Remote Island Vibes

Vieques and Culebra are two islands off the coast of Puerto Rico that are very popular with visitors.

Vieques is home to some beautiful beaches as well as one of the brightest bioluminescent bays in the world. When we visited I loved the relaxed feel of the island, which somehow feels even *more* chill than Puerto Rico, as hard as that is to believe.

Culebra is a slightly smaller island known for its beautiful beaches. This is another place I haven’t been able to explore yet but hope to one day soon!

Best Places to Stay in Puerto Rico

So now that we’ve talked about all the areas to visit in Puerto Rico, let’s talk about where to stay in Puerto Rico! These are all hotels or rentals that I have either stayed in or places that I would love to book on my next trip!

Best San Juan Hotels

Hotel El Convento

If you want to stay in the heart of Old San Juan, this is would be my top pick! This is housed in a historic building built in 1646 that was once a convent (hence the name!) and it is pure luxury.

This is a great area of town – walkable to all the major San Juan attractions. And while I haven’t stayed here, I have spent a little time in their courtyard and it is SO lovely!

Caribe Hilton

Caribe Hilton is located just outside Old San Juan near the Condado area. I’ve actually stayed at the Caribe Hilton twice and have loved it both times so much! It has a great pool, beach access to a peaceful swimming area, and lots of fantastic amenities.

It’s about a 10 minute Uber ride into Old San Juan from the hotel, so it’s still very convenient to all the historic sites and great restaurants.

If you want to be near San Juan while also having a pool and some of the more beachy experience Puerto Rico is known for, this is a great pick!

Condado Vanderbilt Hotel

If you want to up your luxury game just a bit while still staying near San Juan, the Condado Vanderbilt Hotel would be my pick!

This hotel is right on Condado Beach, one of the best beaches near San Juan. The area right in front of the hotel is a rocky area, but there is a path that leads to the swimmable beach next to the hotel. Plus it’s still just a 10-15 minute ride away from Old San Juan.

They also have a spa here that looks amazing and I would 100% be booking a massage if I booked a stay here!

Sheraton Puerto Rico Resort & Casino

One of my trips to Puerto Rico was for a conference, and I’ll be honest…when I realized we would be staying at this hotel near the Convention Center, I was a little disappointed. No beach? No Old San Juan?

So I was surprised by how much I actually REALLY liked this hotel! The room was very comfortable and walking into the lobby out of the island heat was always so refreshing.

It’s also right next to Distrito T-Mobile, a huge entertainment complex that always has something going on (including ziplining across the fully screened ceiling?!?).

While this wouldn’t be my top choice to return to (beaches are always going to win in Puerto Rico!), if you’re looking for something near the Convention Center this is a great choice.

Best Rio Grande & Fajardo Hotels

Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico

Gerrit and I stayed here for an anniversary trip we took to Puerto Rico. This was our base for exploring El Yunque and we loved it SO MUCH.

It’s a Hyatt property (which I’m a big fan of) and everything about this place was so lovely and serene. (Except for the couple that brought their own music to the pool…y’all. Don’t do that.)

The rooms here are clean and bright. Our room had a HUGE tub that I fully soaked in after getting poured on in the rainforest. And the bed was so comfortable.

I also loved the open-air concept of the lobby and common areas.

It’s a bit out of the way of everything else, so this is one of those places to go if you mostly want to stay at the resort. And honestly, you will! Because the grounds are beautiful, the food is fantastic, and the pool is one you can easily spend all day at. (You can read my full review of the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve here.)

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico

This one is next on my bucket list of romantic places to stay in Puerto Rico. It is pure luxury (and the prices show it)!

Everything about it looks absolutely beautiful, from the pool to the airy rooms. Plus there are on-site restaurants, golf, and of course a spa.

This is another one that’s not close to much, but would still be a great spot if you want to explore El Yunque.

Fairfield by Marriott Luquillo Beach

If you’re looking for something that’s a little more on the main drag and also a little more affordable, this would be a good pick.

It’s not as luxurious or beachy (it’s just a standard Fairfield Inn). But it’s a great location close to Luquillo Beach, which is one of my favorite beaches in Puerto Rico. It’s got nice calm shallow water for the whole family, and a huge street of amazing food stands right next to the beach.

El Conquistador Resort

This independent hotel looks amazing! It has multiple levels of pools and an on-site water park, plus access to golf, on-site restaurants, and rooms that bring the beachy vibes inside. And it’s on the marina, so perfect if you’re into boating.

This is also right next to where you go kayaking to visit one of the most popular bio bays in Puerto Rico: Laguna Grande. So if you want to visit a bioluminescent bay and don’t want to have to make the drive to and from San Juan or another hotel that’s a distance away, it would be a great idea to stay here for a few days.

Best Places to Stay in Southeast Puerto Rico

Vacation Rental

There aren’t just tons of hotel options in the Southeast area of Puerto Rico, so generally a vacation rental is going to be the way to go.

Linked below is the one we stayed at when we travelled to Puerto Rico with Gerrit’s family and we absolutely LOVED it. We spent so much time in the backyard pool, plus we were able to walk down to the beach (although the waves were a little rough for swimming).

We also really enjoyed that there was a food stand right around the corner (we were there regularly for empanadas).

Wyndham Palmas Beach and Golf Boutique Resort

Although Southeast Puerto Rico is pretty tucked away from everything else, there are some resort and golf areas. The Wyndham Palmas Beach and Golf Boutique Resort would be my top choice here!

It’s in the Palmas del Mar area, which is really nice. We actually spent some time here when we stayed at the rental listed above dining at the restaurants in the area.

This resort has beautiful rooms, is on the beach, and has an adults-only infinity pool – perfect for some relaxation away from the kids! (But kids are still welcome at this resort!)

Best Ponce and Lajas Hotels

Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort

I’ll be honest. I’m not exactly going to give this one a glowing review. But at the same time, hotel options in Ponce are somewhat limited and if you want to go with a trusted brand, this is a solid choice.

We stayed here on a visit to Ponce and it definitely had some pros. The rooms were clean and spacious, and I thought the outdoor pool area was great. I also loved the beach views.

However, this hotel is definitely a bit dated in the common spaces especially, so it felt a bit drab.

But like I said, this is still a solid choice for a beach stay near Ponce, especially if you have Hilton points to use (which is how we stayed here)!

Parguera Plaza Hotel

While we stayed at the Hilton Ponce when we did our bio bay tour in La Parguera, if I had to do it over again I would stay here! It’s a boutique hotel in a small Puerto Rican town by the water and it’s really lovely!

We actually stopped to have dinner here after our bio bay tour (it’s super convenient to the marina!) and I definitely was a little jealous of the boutique feel of this place compared to the massive hotel we were staying at.

One thing that’s important to note: This is adults only!

Best Rincon Hotels

Rincon of the Seas – Grand Caribbean Hotel

Rincon is one area of Puerto Rico I don’t know as much about, but when I eventually make a trip there this would probably be my top choice! The rooms are colorful and bright and there’s a huge beach area.

It gets excellent ratings and it really just looks like such a lovely tropical oasis on the beach. (See the pictures here.)

Rincon Beach Resort

Here’s another Rincon option I’d love to stay in. The rooms look bright and airy, the pool overlooks the beach, and the food looks great.

It’s also a little further away from town, so it’s great for a bit more of a remote location.

If you want a more low-key vacation, there are even units with full kitchens so you can stock up on groceries and cook your own meals instead of paying for resort food.

Best Places to Stay in Vieques & Culebra

Vieques Rental

Because Vieques is such a small island, there aren’t a lot of hotel options. There are, however, many vacation rentals to choose from.

We traveled to Vieques with Gerrit’s family so we needed a spot with lots of space for lots of people. We chose this one near Santa María (the town you’ll likely enter the island from) and really enjoyed it. (Minus the mosquitos, but those would be a problem anywhere I think.)

It had an infinity pool that looked out across the ocean and two main bedroom areas: one in the kitchen and living space and one downstairs in kind of a cellar area (which was SUPER cool…as in literally cool…which was really nice in the Puerto Rico heat.)

El Blok

El Blok has maybe some of the most interesting architecture of any boutique hotel I’ve seen. It’s a curved concrete building with cutouts designed to let in light in. See the pictures here!

This is an adults-only hotel in Esperanza (the other main town on Vieques). It’s across the street from the beach and very close to Mosquito Bay, the brightest bio bay in Puerto Rico.

I think this would be a great stay for a couple’s trip. The only drawback is they don’t have a pool. But with all the beaches of Vieques around, you don’t really need one!

Blue Horizon Boutique Resort

Blue Horizon is another adults only resort, but this one has a pool and is right on the beach. It’s also located near Esperanza, just a little bit outside the main drag of this small town.

I think this would be a great place to go for a honeymoon or romantic trip while also getting that vibrant Puerto Rican feel.

The rooms look very comfortable, more like a guest room in someone’s house than a hotel. (Which I guess could be a pro or a con depending on your preference.)

Finca Victoria

Finca Victoria would give you a completely different kind of stay on Vieques. This retreat space is tucked into the forest up on the hilltops of Vieques. This would be the perfect space for relaxation!

I love how modern yet inviting the spaces look here, and they clearly have incorporated their surroundings into the designs of their hotel, using lots of natural material to make it an oasis of calm.

They offer lots of different types of rooms here, from regular rooms to treehouses to cabins. And every room has a kitchen.

And they focus a lot on wellness, offering a full spa, yoga, and even wellness retreats.

Club Seabourne Hotel

Culebra is an even smaller island than Vieques, so the accommodation options are a bit more limited. This would probably be my top choice though. It’s a boutique hotel that offers breakfast, a pool, and a private dock.

It’s just south of the main town on Culebra, and it’s about a 10 minute drive from Culebra’s small airport. But of course, everything on Culebra is pretty close to everything else. From Club Seabourne it takes just 15 minutes to drive to the North side of the island to visit the popular Flamenco Beach.

FAQs About Staying in Puerto Rico

Is it safe to travel to Puerto Rico?

Yes! While any time you travel you need to remain aware of your surroundings and keep safety in mind, Puerto Rico is a safe place to visit. There are some areas to avoid, particularly La Perla in San Juan. But I’ve walked through there with my husband during the day and felt perfectly fine.

I’ve been to Puerto Rico four times, exploring different areas each time, and I have never felt unsafe.

Do I need to rent a car for Puerto Rico?

Unless you only plan to stay within San Juan, I would definitely recommend renting a car! You’ll want to be able to drive around the island to see different parts of it, and many places don’t offer ride share.

For example, if you want to go to El Yunque you will absolutely need a car (unless you book a guided tour) because there isn’t even service to call an Uber to come pick you up.

What’s Next?

After you book your stay in Puerto Rico, you’ll want to keep planning your trip! Here are some posts that might help!

• Use This 4 Day Puerto Rico Itinerary
• Plan Your Time in San Juan
• Find Tips for Visiting El Yunque Rainforest
• Plan Out Beaches to Visit in Vieques
• Learn How to Take the Ferry to Vieques
• Find the Right Bio Bay to Visit on Your Trip

You might also want to plan on reading some of these books about Puerto Rico before you go! Reading about a place before a trip always enriches the experience!

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