ESJ Tower and more

ESJ Towers Review and more

Our experience in San Juan, Peurto Rico was invigorating. We stayed in an area called Isle Verdes. ESJ Towers is one of the many resorts located on Isle Verdes. There are a plenty of sightseeing and fun activities to do on this island. It is a US Territory so it has all of the common fast food restaurants like the US such as Subway, Pizza Hut, Dominos, McDonalds, Burger King, etc. There are a number of people who understand and speak English every where that you go. Peurto has a lot to offer a vacationer, but ESJ is no hoopla.

There is nothing fancy about this resort hotel. It gives you your minimum accommodations both in the rooms and on the grounds. When you enter the room it has the appliances on one side of the entrance (usually to your left) and enough space to enter with your luggage. The kitchen appliances are aligned next to one another starting with the refrigerator, stove, sink, and counter with microwave and cabinets in your basic white color. Once you walk pass the microwave, you’re in the bedroom similar to an efficiency apt. The furniture is made of wicker (See pictures attached). The room is exactly like the pictures on the webpage online at www.esjtowers.com. There are small rooms off the lobby that houses one of the listed items per room: internet or writing tables, ping pong table and board games, a pool table, a small arcade room, a general store, a bar room, a restaurant for breakfast and lunch. The outdoor pool is located on the second floor. It is nice and clean with a refreshment stand. You can’t use cash at this stand. You have to bill it to your room.

You have to walk through a dimly lit parking garage to get to the small gym and beach. You exchange your towels in the gym as well. It has a treadmill, bike, little tv, and free weights. You have to have a pass code to enter the beach. This was the worst feature of the hotel. They should just make steps coming off the pool area so that you can easily get to the beach. It is inconvenient to leave your room on the 8th floor, go to the basement, out the door through the dimly lit parking garage, up some other steps, and punch in your code that you have already forgotten by the time you get to the beach.

If your room is in the south building facing the pool and beach, change rooms because it is noisy. The hotel behind you makes deliveries all day and night and uses a crane system to hoist the freights and it is loud. We had to change rooms to the other side of the building to sleep peacefully. They were remodeling some of the rooms beneath us which were noisy, but they worked on the rooms during the day.

ESJ has average resort accommodations. There is nothing luxurious or elegant. It is basic and simple in each room. The lobby and pool are its greatest features. I rate the overall hotel a “C” average on a grading scale of A-F. I rate the pleasantness of the staff an “A-.” I rate the location on Isle Verdes a “B.” The next time that I visit San Juan, I will stay at another resort for the elegance. If you’re in college then it is great, but if you have visited other resorts, it does not come close to a silver or gold star resort. I had mainly three complaints. The noise outside my room from the adjacent hotel delivery system, the hot and cold water knobs had mold and rust around them, and the entrance to the beach being accessed via the parking lot. They accommodated us by moving us to another room. I enjoyed that the resort was located in short walking distance to all restaurants, ATM, block buster, post office, San Juan Hotel with the casino inside, and a 24 hour grocery store, etc. Isles Verdes can use street cleaning, but is tolerable. I believe most people like ESJ because it is close to shopping, restaurants, souvenir shops, Walgreens, a 24-hour grocery store, the beach, public transportation, and tours. Old San Juan is a better looking part of the Island. It reminds you of San Francisco with the hilly streets and it was clean with a lot of historical sites.

Here are some of the activities that are a must when you visit Peurto Rico: Bacardi/Old San Juan tour, Rainforest tour, Kayak-Bioluminescence Bay tour, Catamaran Trip, and a ferry or plane ride to Culebra Island. You should do one tour each day so that you can relax by the end of the day and get the busy items out of the way in the beginning of your week. The Bacardi/Old San Juan tour costs $40 per person and includes a tour of the Bacardi Rum Distillery, San Cristobal Fort, and historical sites. The Distillery gives you two free drinks and a movie tour. They stopped the actual walk through of the distillery. (Big disappointment). The Rainforest Tour costs $65 per person which consists of Yokahu Tower, hike to La Mina Rainforest (the more beautiful waterfall). Kayak Bioluminescence Bay tour costs $75 per person. It is a kayak tour that all can enjoy even beginners and non swimmers. You tour a lagoon which has waste deep water that glows a fluorescent green color. Unfortunately, humans have destroyed most of the water so it barely glows, but it is done at night and is a lot of fun (nothing scary). The Catamaran trip costs $65 per person. It consists of sailing, snorkeling, and lunch. Culebra Island Trip is the beach with the white sand, tropical fish, and best beaches. The 16 minute plane ride is only $27 per person and the ferry was $2.50 for a 2 hour ride. You must arrive to the ferry by 6:30 am to get in line to get a ticket if you want the earliest ferry or you may find yourself standing outside in the sun waiting for hours for the next ferry. The plane ride is the better way to travel because it’s less crowded and guaranteed to have space available when you want to leave. The ferry not so much.

I hope this was helpful. I encourage others to take the time to print your experience. I gave lengthy details because I did not have many recent reviews before I toured. You can stay at ESJ but don’t expect luxurious rooms. Expect rooms that look like they cost $100 a night not $250 or above. Isle Verdes is one strip with basic shopping…no fine dining and a little trashy in spots. Not the entire area. The beach is okay with a lot of seaweed on the shores. Culebra has the best beach.

I've been going to the E>S>J>towers forr 20 years and each year is imp[rovements to the facility. It"S a beach atmosphere and we don"t spend our time in the apartment. It's a great place to vacation

I am sure others will appreciate your great input of ESJ. You were not on target when you said there is no fine dining. Next door is 4 or 5 places The Palm, An Italian Resturant, and for French dining. The Bistro and also a Yamotos. Ruth Cris steakhouse is also at the next hotel,a short walk from ESJ.

All the fast food places are just a few steps away across the street. In the small shopping area there is a quaint Chinese restuarant with great food and reasonable prices!! The beach is on the main level yes thru the garage and at the gate you need a code, but that is for security purposes so only guest can reenter to get access to ESJ.

ESJ are apartments(condos) not hotel rooms, yes they are not a gold star but look at all the amenities you get! I hope this helps others We have enjoyed this property for over 25 years!!

I visited the apartments for sale and was surprised to see two with one bedrooms for sale at a maintenance fee of $600 and $650 I also have a one bedroom and mine is much more than that. Whats going on, can this be right???? Anyone with the right info, let me know.

I have been going to a SJ towers for years. Last year and this year there have been so many improvements they have a new pool the bar is on the pool that the lobby is beautiful white spacious with a lovely bar in the lobby everything has changed since the hurricane so this is a wonderful place to go Now the towels I brought up to your room and then that's how it is it is exchanged it's a beautiful beautiful place to be thank you Maxine B