For the price it cant be beat ! Typical Mid Grade Spanish/Caribbean Hotel . Cold A/C , Free Continental Breakfast, English TV, Flat Screens, Nothing fancy, but clean, safe, comfortable, and friendly for sure ! Literally 5 feet from the sand of Condado Beach. There is a Walgreen's 50 feet away with a grocery store and pharmacy, wal-mart is 5 blocks away, there is a million restaurants, souvenir shops, Casinos, Bars, and attractions all around the hotel in every direction. There is a bus stop 50 feet from the hotel. 75 cents will take you anywhere . The 21 & 53 bus run through all the tourist zones from in a loop through Isla Verde, Ocean Park, Condado, and Old San Juan all day until 9pm. Once in Old San Juan there is a free trolly that runs all thru the area.
Perhaps if traveling with small children you may need to rent a car, but for us it would be a major inconvenience, and waste of money. There is NO WHERE to park free and you will pay minimum of $10 per parking spot per 8 hours not to mention the traffic/drivers is suicidal to me modest. The Taxis are also a rip off ALL of them will try to rip you off. They will tell you $20 for a ride that should be $2.50 according to the meter rates posted on the cab. If you ask them to turn on the meter they will refuse and kick you out of the cab. If you fall into the trap they will threaten you with the corrupt police if you refuse to pay the inflated fare. The only time you should EVER take a taxi is too and from the airport. It's regulated by the government $15 + $1 each bag.
If you're looking for authentic food and atmosphere get the hell out of the hotel zones and head to old town. The Bus and Taxis all drop off in the same general area at the bottom of the hill. Old town is like a 10x10 block historic city situated on a hill. The further up the hill you get the more authentic & reasonably priced it gets.. If you are at the top of the hill and can see a small old picturesque coastal community down some stairs from the main area going to the beach DON'T GO DOWN THE STAIRS AND STAY OUT !!! This is The most notoriously dangerous barrio in all of the Caribbean ! It's called LA PERLA and dumb tourists get mugged and beat half to death there daily. There is no warning signs and looks old and historic like the rest of old town, but trust me don't go there if you're not from there ! If you are intentionally going to LA PERLA as a destination then it's only for one thing and that's drugs. If that's the case talk to the old English speaking lady at the top of the stairs at the picnic area during daylight hours and she will run in for you for a tip. Also don't ever talk to the hustlers around the Walgreen's they're all junkies.
Puerto Rico in general is not a inexpensive Caribbean destination. Everything is just as much usually more than in the states or europe, but if you do a little homework and play your cards right it can be perfect especially with the perfect location of the Sandy beach Hotel.
I'm a very experienced traveler, and PR was my last destination in the Caribbean I had yet to visit, and it's to date in the top 5 =)
For us Sandy Beach Hotel was exactly what we were looking for and is a excellent find, but if you're looking for the hilton stay at the hilton ! Don't stay at a budget hotel and then bash it for being exactly what it says it is. If you want the royal treatment go pay for it !