My husband and I just returned from a 5 night stay at Numero Uno. We had a really nice time. The hotel staff were very friendly, nice, easy-going, professional and helpful. The front desk managers gave us directions for our sight-seeing trips, made sure we had correct change for the bus, called taxis for us and arranged a rental car for us.

This guesthouse is located in a gated neighborhood right on the beach. The location is outstanding. The restaurant, Pamela's, offers lovely meals and dining right on the beach. Not to mention excellent, professional, friendly service too.

We've been to Numero Uno many times in recent years. The beach setting is magnificent and Numero1 is like a throne perched on this popular public stretch of soft sand and friendly locals. That said, there are a number of issues which you should know about:

1. The rooms are absolutely minimal, very fundamental furnishings, more like the spare kid's room at your house than a hotel. The mattresses are thin and worn, the bathrooms are basic and in need of rennovation. But everything is always very tidy and clean.

2. There are two places you can stay, either in the main house or across the street where they have a few rooms in a condo. The advantage of the condo is you have lots of private outdoor space. The advantage of the main house is you're among people, and I might add, very nice people-----you will always be well taken care of at Numero Uno.

3. The neighborhood is not exactly savory. Next door is a vacant former guest house property--and across the street, on the beach, is a completely neglected building where squatters live. Nothing bad seems to come of this...the beach seems to make everyone friendly and happy; but you're not sharing the beach with the Ritz!
Additionally, the retail offerings in the area are very limited. Pinky's is a fabulous but simple lunch/breakfast joint; the bakery around the corner has amazing offerings. Pamela's at Numero Uno is excellent food in a very simple setting.

It takes a day or two to get over the fact the accomodations at Numero Uno, but once you put that behind you, it's a really great setting. I always find myself wishing it was twice the price so they could afford to provide really fabulous rooms, but at their price, you won't complain too much.

Final thing----you will need to walk quite a bit, not a bad thing, to get to decent restaurants and shopping down the street in Condado, about 20 minutes away. Or, you can easiy take a 10 minute cab for $10 or less to Condado or Isla Verde. Old San Juan is about 20 minutes away and under $17 cab fare. The airport is 5-10 minutes away. Numero 1 is in a really central location, and again---the beach is the thing. If you aren't a beach person, there would be absolutely no reason to stay there.

We spent our first night in PR at the Numero Uno GH and were very satisfied with the place. The location is terrific. Its close enough to the airport and on the beach. We booked the most basic room (because that was the only one available) and while the room was small it had a very big and clean toilet. The toilet did not have a ventilation fan and this made it very musty. We needed to open the doors and windows after use and since its PR and this place is on the beach, everything was back to normal pretty soon :). We didnt eat at the restaurant but I did check it out during dinner time and the food looked good. The location of the restaurant is awesome. Its right on the beach.

One of the highlights of the place is the friendly staff. My wife started throwing up in the evening and they were extremely helpful. We came back to the beach a week later and because we had stayed there, they let us use the outdoor shower even though we weren't staying there.

Overall, I recommend this place. It was reasonably priced and the location is unbeatable.

This is a fantastic place, right on the beach, and could not have been more charming. I have stayed in larger hotels in San Juan, and what makes Numero Uno so amazing is the level of service and personal detail. The front desk staff were helpful, the food at Pamela's was the best we had when on the island (no lie, and we had some really good food). The only thing that could have been a little better was the weather. We had some clouds and some rain for three days, but what can you do?

If I ever get back down to Puerto Rico, I will be sure to reserve here again. I recommend booking at least 3 months ahead if you are planning to travel in winter. Things can sell out fast. We enjoyed our rooms, but saw one of the ocean view rooms, and the view can't get better.