Vacation Rentals by Owner

Beautiful Ocean and Beach Front Condo at Playa Azul [#140742ha] | View Property

Luquillo
- 2 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, sleeps 7 adults
$107
Write a Review

Traveler Reviews (12)

• Beautiful Beach and View!

  Beautiful Beach and View!

  • Guest Chris R.
  • Date of stay 02/06/13
  • Review Submitted 02/18/13
  Overall, a good value for this 2 bedroom condo right on playa azul beach! The beach has soft sand, good swimming (especially for younger kids), and is not crowed at all. The 10th story views of ocean, beach, and El Yunque are incredible. The condo itself is adequate, but really needs some updating. If updated, this condo would probably go for $400-$500 per week higher, the beach and views are that good! I would highly recommend this condo for those looking for a great location, beach, and views and are on a budget. Pros Beach-right on an outstanding, sandy, uncrowded beach (great for young kids too) Views-beautiful 10th floor views of the ocean and El Yunque rainforest from the balcony. Location-only 40 minutes from SJU and 15 minutes from Fajardo Ferry Terminal (to take ferry to Vieques and Culebra) Local Food/Beaches-minutes from Luquillo Beach and Kiosks (do to #42…. Great food) Good value Clean and simple Secure-super friendly condo complex security… and felt safe Shopping-10 min drive to Wal-Mart… 5 min to Walgreens Communication-easy to communicate with host Kids beach toys and boogie boards-a great unexpected perk Washer/dryer in kitchen Quiet Residents-friendly (mainly retired) Cons Condo needs updating and some minor fixing Condo complex is adequate Internet use-could only use one device at a time Occasionally loud at nigh (due to out of complex noises) Black out shades/blinds would be nice Hot water for showers lasts for 3min tops… than cool water (never extreme cold) No dishwasher

  Owner response: Thank you very much for the review Chris, they are greatly appreciated. Paul

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Hard decision

  Hard decision

  • Guest Jason C.
  • Date of stay 10/09/12
  • Review Submitted 10/17/12
  o.k. I usually do not write reviews however feel like I need to... First of all the view was breathtaken.. Also the condo was very clean. but it kinda stops there. You only get one set of keys and that is fine but you can not get into the building with out a key.. theres a security gaurd that gets really annoyed after the 2nd or third time having to unlock the door for you. Theres no ac in the living room and you know that going in but it is hot.. I mean hot... Theres suppose to be an ac in both rooms however It is still out in one of the bedrooms and has been since the beginning of the year... also there was very little hotwater if any at all.. and the dishwasher was broken. Saying all of that... our stay was nice and the hammock was a hit.. however you knowning this going in if you are o.k. then you will have a nice stay.. it is very cheap for what you get it would have been alot nicer if the other things was fixed.. i would probally stay there again but i think if I got back i will splurge on a little more and get ac in all the rooms.. but good trip and the very clean...

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/3

• Beautiful views!

  Beautiful views!

  • Guest Robert S.
  • Date of stay 03/17/12
  • Review Submitted 03/28/12
  Absolutely 100% worth every penny! Pictures don't even do the view from the balcony justice! Literally right on the beach, any time we spent inside not sleeping was spent on the balcony. I was a bit concerned since I didn't see any reviews in the past 2 years, but my fears were unwarranted. Everything went very smoothly. The inside is a bit dated, newer washer and dryer which worked excellent, but older stove and TV. Only turned TV on once to check weather, kind of crackled and smelled of ozone, but who needs TV with the view there and the sound of the waves rolling in! Never even turned on the AC, not sure why some people complained about the whole unit not being air conditioned. Opening all windows and leaving the breeze blow through kept the unit quite comfortable day and night. Also a few tiles loose on the floor, but not a big deal. I've spent the same amount for a place with comperable features near the beach in the main land, and this is only steps the ocean! I saw some complaints about the noise level here. Sunday was voting day, and the street in front was packed with locals cars visiting the beach. Some people had radios playing in their cars rather loud, but it actually went very well with the atmaosphere in my opinion. Normally I'd find loud music at the beach irritating, but it was modern Carribean style, and it just really fit with the vibe going on. Weekdays were calm and quiet, with maybe 5-10 people on the beach until noon, and it never got crowded at all. A half mile walk to the east is a surfing beach, and another half mile past that is a completely deserted stretch with no buildings or development. Saw some wild iguanas there. Brass cactus is 2 blocks away, $9.99 steak dinner but be careful if you order drinks, the margaritas were more that the dinner! 10-15 minutes to El Yunique rain forest, beautiful! Don't bother with the visitor center, nothing really there, just drive in and explore. The Bio Bay tour was amazing, but be warned, it's madness to get to the bay with other kayak tours coming out as you go in, pile ups are inevitable! Diving is also a bit chaotic, 1 hour to San Juan during the day. All in all, an incredible week in paradise, would absolutely stay here again! Hope to do so next year! Rob Pennsylvania

  Owner response: Wow! what an experience.. I'm very glad you guys had fun. That in all is what is important to me. Thank you for the review and especially the review of other reviews. We will be waiting for your return...

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• Basic Accommodations

  Basic Accommodations

  • Guest John
  • Date of stay 06/30/10
  • Review Submitted 07/14/10
  I want to say that the apartment was exactly as I had expected. Nothing fancy, but comfortable and well equipped. There is no AC in the living/dinning/kitchen/bath and I new that. I was a little surprised out how hot it got during the day, but you can just hang out on the balcony and get a breeze. The bedroom AC was great. The entire place could use a little updating but for the price it was fine. Here is the reason I will not stay here again. Not sure if it was the 4th of July or if this happens all the time, but the noise from the surrounding neighborhood was too much. Nearly impossible to sleep between the really loud music and the cars horns and alarms. The morning of the 4th there was a traffic jam below on the street starting at 5 am. Really loud music and loud people. Felt like I was sleeping on the streets of NY. I am guessing it was the holiday, but there were trucks on the 30th driving in front of the beach with speakers in the back blaring music and advertisements all during the day. Anyway, the noise is to much even for the 26 year old person with us. The windows are paper thin, so even if you had AC in the whole place with the windows closed, the noise would still be out of control. Location. The view and the beach in front are great and beautiful. Spent a lot of time out there. Water is nice with good waves. If you walk to the left around the peninsula you can get the the beach at the park which is really beautiful. One of the reasons we stayed here was the proximity to Farjardo. We wanted to be able to get up and go to the ferry each day and spend time on Culebra or Veiques. Unfortunately because it was the weekend of the 4th all the tickets for all the ferries were sold out all weekend. We ended up flying over and spending the night on Culebra. On the night of the 4th we decided to drive into San Juan for dinner and some fireworks. It took 2.5 hours to drive 30 miles. The owner is very nice. Only had to call once for a question I could have answered myself if I had spent 5 minutes looking around. He quickly responded. So in summery. If you go during the holiday you can expect a ton of noise outside and I would not recommend this unit. The other side of the building or building 3 may have been better. If it is not a holiday I would still be concerned about the noise. Music trucks, etc... Maybe putting in better windows and central AC would help, but that would increase the price too. I would have gladly paid to sleep.

  Owner response: Thank you so much for the review. I am sorry that your stay was not comfortable due to the noise. Being a native from Puerto Rico I can tell you that we are merry people and like to party long and hard especially during any holiday. During the holidays, the locals enjoy to party and often visit the beach. This beach is a popular beach for tourists and locals alike. Although we are on the 10th floor, it seems that during some holidays, it can get loud outside. I understand how the noise made your stay a bit uncomfortable. I appreciate the heads up on the ferry issue, since I have had other tenants stay at our condo due to the proximity to Fajardo, it is nice to be able to give them a heads up about this issue during holidays. Once again, thank you for your honest review and suggestions. I will keep them in mind as we upgrade the unit.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 3/4

• great condo

  great condo

  • Guest Karina
  • Date of stay 06/14/10
  • Review Submitted 07/01/10
  I stayed at this condo with 5 other college friends, who had just graduated. We wanted to have a little getaway before everyone went on their separate career paths. It was wonderful! Everything was clean and neat and the view from the balcony was nice. It got a nice breeze in the living room so it wasn't a problem that there was no AC in that one room. There was a Walgreens and there were fast food restaurants within walking distance. Parking was convenient. The only problem I had was that the hot water didn't last more than a few minutes but it wasn't a big deal. I would definitely come here again!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Thank you very much for your review which is very much appreciated. You are more than welcome to return any time.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 0/0

• Wonderful spot in Luquillo!

  Wonderful spot in Luquillo!

  • Guest junglehiker beachbum
  • Date of stay 05/29/10
  • Review Submitted 07/06/10
  Our family had a simply enjoyable stay at the beach condo of the Exum family. It is ideally located right on the Playa Azul beach just across a small street. It has a private keyed gate access right from the building. There is a large balcony overlooking the ocean that with the door open allows the sound of the surf to lull you to sleep everynight. All the appliances in the condo worked, the fixtures were in good repair and everything was clean. The condo is spacious and the beds were comfortable. There is a nice outdoor pool, beach swimming area and reef just beyond which had a nice assortment of fish and the visability improves once you are far enough out. The security staff onsite were very friendly and even helpful with restaurant suggestions. From the side balcony you can see El Yunque and from the the top of the mountain(El Yunque) you can see your condo! Just across Hwy 3 off where the condo is located there is a supermarket, small department store and Walgreens along with some fast food locations. Just down that street is a small neighborhood bakery with great pastries and sandwiches. This rental experience was above our already high expectations and with such great accomidations just an elevator ride away from a fantastic uncrowded beach we will surely return in the future! P.S. Do not leave without going on the night kayak trip on Laguna Grande. The trips leave from Las Caribes about a 20 minute drive away and the bioluminiscent experience my kids said reminded them of the movie Avatar!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

  Owner response: Wow! you guys just left me without words. I glad you enjoyed your stay and hope to hear from you soon in a near future. Thanks for the great review.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• March vacation for two

  March vacation for two

  • Guest BeachCouple
  • Date of stay 03/06/10
  • Review Submitted 03/17/10
  Rented this condo for 9 days in early March 2010 with my fiance and had a GREAT time. It was spacious and had all the linens and cooking appliances we needed. The balcony had a great view of Playa Azul and El Yunque and we could hear both the waves and the coqui every night. You can open up the windows and have a constant breeze from the ocean or lay in the hammock on the balcony and take a nap. There is a supermarket and walgreens right across the street and Luquillo Beach is only a few blocks away. Close to El Yunque and Fajardo Ferry which takes you to Vieques and Culebra. Would consider this one of the best vacations we've had, would recommend this rental to others, and would stay here again in the future. Thanks Paul!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: I really enjoy a review like this. This gives me a chance to improve even more what we have to offer to our tenants. I'm glad to read of tenants whom had a chance to appreciate and enjoy what the island has to offer, as is, in all its enchanted beauty. You are more than welcome to pay us a visit again in the near future. Thank you for your kind attention.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE- Renovation hazzards

  TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE- Renovation hazzards

  • Guest disapointed
  • Date of stay 02/17/10
  • Review Submitted 07/07/10
  We were disapointed to find the condo un-usable, due to building renovations and we had to leave immediately. The owner did not disclose the building was being renovated so BEWARE! They also would not refund even just part of our money so BEWARE! I rent a home too, and I could not beleive they would want me to stay and endanger our child there - or expect that I would return again- this was our anniversary trip- we dont go to puerto rico every year. No one else could have stayed there that week, so it was not just a satisfaction issue- it was a safety issue. Just plain greedy owners - shameful. We feared lead paint poisoning for ourselves and daughter from the paint chips so we departed promptly. I cant imagine the paint dust is gone so watch out!!! The lobby was a mess, tiles in wheel barrel almost fell on my 3 yr old daughter. Painters surrounded the actual condo unit and required windows to stay closed, creating intolerable heat - since no AC. The balcony had so much paint chip debris on it, it was not usable so no view to enjoy and unsafe. At night there was drag racing noise all night disrupting sleep, not a sound tight unit and no one did a thing to stop it. I couldnt understand why security did nothing- other than they were elderly women without much force to be done I suppose. Dont beleive that it is a safe secure complex, it is not. The unit is overall very low budget which could be fine with just a few inexpensive improvements, other units are probably much better that have been upgraded in the complex. The bathroom disgusting- we didnt even use the shower and it smelled like a porta potty for some reason. The dishwasher was broken for some time, overall shabby kitchen and cheap linens -wished I brought my own sheets. They could have better closing windows in bedrooms so the AC units there could function more efficiently and keep noise levels down.

  Owner response: As is common with everything in life there are good reviews and bad reviews. Unfortunately, this customer was not pleased with her stay at my condo as other tenants most often are with my unit. As of 1978, lead paint became illegal in our nation and manufacturers no longer include it in their paint products. The paint that was being used to paint the outside of the condominium did not contain lead nor was it of any danger to any of the other tenants staying in the condominium during the paint process. Our home owners association assured the residents and tenants a safe environment while the building was being painted, as can be attested by the tenants of the previous week to the complainant and the tenants that stayed the week following complainant. While I rent this unit to total strangers so that they may enjoy their vacation, my family and I stay at this condo as it is our only home in Puerto Rico. We often visit our family and friends in the island and stay at our beautiful beach view property. We take special care of our home and sanitize the condo after the departure of every tenant. This is a home, it is not a four star hotel and we do not claim it to be. It truly is unfortunate that our unit did not meet the expectations of this person as we are able to do with the majority of our tenants to this day. This tenant clearly expected different accommodations than our lovely home was able to provide and for that I am truly sorry. The tenant decided to abandon the property, and it was later, after she found different accommodations and relocated, that she informed me of her issues with the property. Abandoning the property without giving us an opportunity to rectify the situation does not entitle the tenant to a refund. It is only after reading this review by the tenant that I am informed of some issues that she did not bring up in our conversations or email exchanges after the fact. She told me she relocated because she could not sleep and felt unsafe there because the painters were”hanging from the building”. Our home is a clean and safe environment. When I receive a complaint by a tenant (day or night), I work diligently to resolve the problem so that the tenants have a comfortable and worry free stay, it is only after all attempts to rectify the situation have been exhausted that I grant full or partial refunds to tenants on a case by case basis. This tenant was offered a reschedule for a week of her choice at a later time.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 4/4

• a wonderful vacation setting close to the ocean

  a wonderful vacation setting close to the ocean

  • Guest cushie
  • Date of stay 02/04/10
  • Review Submitted 02/16/10
  My daughter and I found this apartment on the 10 floor of Playa Azul I to be everything we wanted plus more. It was clean, spacious, and well cared for. The view from the balcony of the ocean and beach was uncluttered by parking lot, swimming pools or tennis courts. We felt completely safe and had easy access to grocery stores, restaurants or other stores. I would go back in a heart beat. Anne

  Recommended for: People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: I am very grateful for the kind words of your review. You are more than welcome to return and stay at our condo. Thank you for taking care of it for us... and thank you for your kind attention: Paul

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• beautiful beach front

  beautiful beach front

  • Guest Sonja N.
  • Date of stay 04/06/09
  • Review Submitted 04/15/09
  we loved our stay at playa azul! if you are looking for a 5 star resort go to a 5 star resort. the location of this condo cannot be beat. truly beach front. we could hear the waves crashing all day and night, every window you look out has a beautiful view. lots of space in the condo with great breezes coming in every direction. i traveled with teenagers and this was a really great place for them, they had a blast. lots of towels, sheets and blankets.it's great having the washer and dryer as well. you will need a car in luquillo if you plan on going shopping or sightseeing. there is a lot in walking distance, fast food, walgreens, grocery store. great restaurant around the corner called the brass cactus, american food. if i was to say anything i disliked it would have to be that you only get one set of keys and well that may work out at other places, it's kind of a pain in the butt here because you have to have a key to come in or out of the gated complex, have a key to go out to the beach, a key to go out to play basketball, so if you do an activity everyone has to do it at the same time. just a pain in the butt, maybe give out 2 sets of keys to parties of 4 or more. i would recommend this place for anyone looking for a great beach vacation on a beautiful island, and paul's price is really reasonable for this location. we really had a great stay at playa azul

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Hi and glad everything work out for you and your family. I really appreciate the Review. It gives me a chance to improve. Sorry about the key situation, and would have liked you to call me to have a second set delivered to you: maybe next time remind me to leave you a second set. As you have notice, it is a gated community for your safety. Keys are registered and controled by the complexs' assn.. It is somewhat expensive to replace lost keys and creates lots of problems for us owners. Loved your review and looking forward to having you back again. Paul

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Beautiful View

  Beautiful View

  • Guest aesonrisa
  • Date of stay 12/13/08
  • Review Submitted 12/23/08
  This was an ideal spot to get to everything. Centrally located. The condo could use a little updating. Some appliances were very old and grubby looking, rusting even. But everything worked. We loved having a washer and dryer to wash all our clothes before going home. Thought it could have been a little cleaner, but we did our own cleaning. Otherwise we enjoyed it very much. It does have a beautiful view and you can hear the waves hitting the shore at night. Very peaceful. Internet did not work. Apparently the modem was broken. But we enjoyed our stay here. Much more affordable than staying in a hotel.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, sightseeing.

  Owner response: As always we welcome and appreciate your reveiws. The condo was updated two years ago. Being an open ocean front condo things seem to look old and sometimes grubby looking but its not because they are. The condo is completly open, with that said the mist from the ocean brings sand and beach dust. Its a very fine dark looking dust that over hours speaking does accumulate. Modem problem is a surprise and will be replaced by the service providers. I'm very pleased that in general you did enjoy your stay and really hope for your return and stay at our condo the next time you visit the island.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 8/8

• Beautiful Ocean/Beach Front Condo at Playa Azul

  Beautiful Ocean/Beach Front Condo at Playa Azul

  • Guest Pat & Erick
  • Date of stay 07/01/07
  • Review Submitted 12/27/07
  Overall I think this property met my expectations. Even though I did know beforehand there was no air conditioning in the living room/kitchen area it was a bit uncomfortable sleeping with just several fans. If you only need the bedrooms to sleep which could accommodate 5 people you will be fine. But we needed the futon in the living area since we were 7 people. All in all it was bearable. I was told there were beach towels but there were only a couple. I would recommend this property to family/friends.

  Recommended for: People with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

  Owner response: Thank you for the reveiw. I believe that feedback always give me the opportunity to impove and make our condo a better place to stay. As always, towels are an issue and we constantly give it our best to maintain the proper inventory level. Regretefully, electricity in the island has more than tripled. A/C the entire unit in the island would be quite expensive. Your feedback is always wecome and your return visit appreciated. Thanks again.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 21/22