Our family of four stayed at the El Canario in San Juan for three days and had a wonderful time. The hotel is centrally located and within walking distance of many shops, restaurants, and attractions. We were literally a few steps from a gorgeous beach with very few tourists. The neighborhood was safe and clean. There was a decent continental breakfast with fruit and some excellent pastry.

That being said, the rooms were below par. The walls were paper thin and my children were exposed to very profane noises coming from the honeymooners in the next room. The view from the lobby is of the ocean but the view from our room was an alley and a seedy apartment building.

I would recommend this hotel to younger couples or singles due to the downtown location and the questionable occupants.

El Canario by the Sea is just that, a few steps from the beach. The front desk clerk allowed me to check in right around 11:00 when I arrived. I definitely appreciated that since I was tired from traveling and had just arrived on an early morning flight. As soon as housekeeping had the room cleaned up I was allowed to check-in. The elevator was being repaired and I voiced concerns about lugging a 43 pound bag upstairs. He gave me a room on the first floor, eliminated that problem, but I was concerned with lobby noise or patio noise. This hotel was quiet during the day and at night. I slept wonderfully sound and I felt safe. Very basic amenities, but enjoyed the location and the staff was very friendly.

I stayed at El Canario with my mother for the weekend of March 29-April 2. The hotel was exactly what I expected.

Yes, it has its bad points:
-Age: It is an older hotel, and it shows. The rooms are outdated and open to outdoor hallways surrounding a courtyard.
-Size: The rooms are small, and the bathrooms are cramped.
-Breakfast: Limited options. If you are planning on using the breakfast as a full meal, forget it. For a cup of coffee and a pastry, it is perfect.
-Insects: We saw a few palmetto bugs, but this is a tropical location. The bugs disappeared after the first night and we never saw them again.

However, the plusses outweighed the minuses for me:
-Price: About $200 cheaper than nearby hotels
-Location: The beach is just steps from the door. It is in the middle of Condado with shops, restaurants, and a bus line to Old San Juan within 3 blocks.
-Staff: The second shift staff was FANTASTIC. They were able to book a snorkeling excursion for us and reccommend the best ways to go to Old San Juan (the bus), the Bacardi Factory (the ferry and a publico), and El Yunque (car rental on Ashford Avenue). Add to that, they were very friendly and seemed to recognize everyone staying in the hotel (a plus for security!).

In summary:
This is a fine place to stay. If you expect a luxury experience, you will be disappointed. If you are on a budget and do not mind an older hotel (with its inherent problems) you will enjoy El Canario.

It is right next to the beach as promised, but we had to go buy a bottle of Feabreaze to spray the room as it smelled so bad. The stairway smelled like chlorine the whole time we were there. And you can hear every single noise in neighboring rooms.
If I could make the decision over I would have never stayed there again.