Historic Area Old San Juan Studio

This is the best located property in the Old San Juan. Landlord keeps the property in good shape. Clean and cozy. Landlord is available 24/7 and ready to help in any request. I fully recommend this property.

There is so much wrong with this studio, it's difficult to know where to start

The wi-fi did not work and was still not working by midday the following day - this was a serious issue for us, as we both do a lot of on-line writing, me with a travel blog and my partner with some writers festivals, and it was one of the main reasons for booking the studio

The air-conditioning did not work properly and barely gave any cold air at all. There is a note about the air-conditioning in their handbook and how it is an “eco” system but in reality it just doesn’t work

There are no opening windows in the place, in fact, only one window high up above one of the doors; there was one other window/shutter but the blind in front of it was broken and the wooden shutter was barred. The place was suffocating at night as the air-conditioning and fans were just pushing around hot air. There were 2 doors that could be opened but, of course, could not be left open at night

The Satellite TV had around 4 channels as far as I could tell - a small point but a little annoying

The patio was indeed large but was shared with the adjoining apartment, occupied by two adults and three children during our brief stay. It also formed a right of way for the apartment upstairs, occupied by several visitors, so not entirely the usual definition of quiet

And now to the main issue - how on earth the sofa-bed can be described as new is a complete puzzle. The sofa itself may be new or recovered but the mattress is probably several years old and completely unusable – it is so bad that they had even put a layer of foam on top of it and it’s still useless. My partner weighs next to nothing and even she could feel springs and lumps. We had to sleep on the floor – it was completely unacceptable and so due to all of these things (that were not fixable), we decided to leave the following morning

Unfortunately for us, the original booking was for 5 days and since it was around Christmas/New Year, we were not able to find other accommodation and had to cancel the rest of our holiday and fly back to Australia

So many good things to say in so little time! This studio apartment was an enjoyable experience. Ralph and his wife are lovely people. Upon arrival, they gave my fiancée and me the keys and explained a few things about the apartment. We stayed for five days, and if I had a question about ANYTHING, Ralph was only a text or phone call away.

First, the studio apartment is beautiful. It is very historical. If you want to live like a native, this is the apartment for you. The home is huge! However, our apartment was in a secluded area in the back of the house. The apartment is extremely clean and small. Only 4 TV channels. This was a romantic vacation, so we didn’t care. You have access to a huge private and serene patio! I don't think that they posted the photo online, but the patio is GOREGOUS!!!!! We ate outside day and night.

You will need to bring all of your own personal items, as expected. If you forget something, there is a Walgreen and Puerto Rico pharmacy about a block away. Ralph provided some bath towels, glasses, plates, cleaning supplies, etc……….. but you will need to bring more if you plan on staying for longer than 2 or 3 days.

The apartment is located in an extremely quiet section of Old San Juan. We were close to all of the activities and stores, but we didn’t have to hear the loud music and people at night. It is a very safe area. There is a video camera on the property. In addition, there are two locks on the door. I didn’t feel scared walking around at night. I didn’t rent a car. I just used the free trolley and taxies. However, if you have a car, parking will be difficult from my observation.

Lastly, my only complaint is that the apartment can get extremely hot. This is an eco-friendly building without an air-conditioning system that I am used to. BUT, do not let this deter you from renting this lovely studio apartment. There are two ceiling fans, and when you open the doors it gets really cool. Also, the air conditioner gets cool, but not freezing cold. You just need a small fan. It is not anything major, but I did need to mention it.

The location is perfect. I loved Old San Juan, and this apartment. The apartment is EXTREMELY affordable, and you won’t regret renting it. I left the apartment today, and I miss it. It felt like my home for a few days. This is a great place for a couple! It was very romantic, and I will remember it forever. I would recommend it to anyone who want the real Puerto Rico experience.