If you’re looking a unique stay in San Juan, look no further than the Don Rafa Boutique Hotel. Blending luxurious refinement with local culture, this boutique lodging offers something unique to all who stay there. Although I loved my stay there, I wouldn’t say that it’s ideal for everyone.
Going for it
- The staff was amazing and extremely attentive.
- Beds were the most comfortable we’ve had at a hotel.
- A nice continental breakfast is included.
- The location was wonderful.
Going against it
- Storage space was limited in the room.
- Old plumbing forces an unexpected compromise.
What’s the place like?
The Don Rafa Boutique Hotel is in an older building and that imparts quirky design elements that may subvert our modern expectations. For example, the elevator is quite small and can only hold 1-2 with luggage. While that may be a more common experience for Europeans, it’s unusual for those in the US. Yet the differences the structure’s age create, offer far more character and charm than they cause in inconveniences.
Your room will be on appointed with modern, elegant furniture and equipped with a refrigerator, ice maker, and capsule-based coffee machine. The bathroom we had was comfortable, with enough counter space to comfortably place toiletries. Our shower was quite spacious, with a highly effective rain shower head.
The bed was divine. I slept perfectly. I’m rather sensitive to beds as I have scoliosis, and this caused me no troubles at all. It was easily as comfortable as my bed at home, where I’ve spent good money on a mattress. I know everyone has their own preferences for sleeping accommodation, but I really can’t imagine how someone could complain about these beds.
Yes, the bed at the Don Rafa Boutique Hotel really is THAT good!
Most importantly, the staff was remarkable. As everyone knows, there’s nothing that makes a place special quite like the staff. Here too the Don Rafa excels. Whenever we had a difficulty or need, they helped us address it. They got us towels for the beach, they fixed the safe in the room, made sure fresh coffee was always ready in the morning breakfast. Of course, these are things we expect to be done, but there was a relaxed yet prompt approach that put us, not only, at ease, but made sure that we didn’t wait.
Unique is Chic
There are a few things that really set the Don Rafa apart from much of the competition. The most notable is the rooftop restaurant, Canvas. We dined there the night we arrived. Tuesday nights in mid-March are not the busiest for them, so it was quiet while we were there. It’s a pricier menu, but hardly unreasonable or out of the ordinary for hotel dining. In fact, I would say, given the quality of food, it was a far better deal than most hotels that I’ve dined at.
For my money, there’s hardly a better way to while away an evening than a great cocktail and a stunning view. Canvas is worth the money.
Canvas’ menu and ambiance caters to a refined experience. Dining a number of stories above the street gives a romantic nighttime view. With both indoor and outdoor seating, you can choose your preferred atmosphere. The restaurant isn’t the only thing that sets this establishment apart, though.
On Wednesdays, there is a live piano player who will serenade the lobby in the evenings. You can sit at the bar or relax on a sofa and take in the music and enjoy a drink before you head out for the evening. It’s gentle and sophisticated, like something out of film noir. Martinis and piano go together so nicely after all.
We were even fortunate enough to be staying at the hotel when their monthly Flamenco demonstration was scheduled. Flamenco is a style of dance and music entertainment popular in the southern regions of Spain. It’s often a ticketed event in that country, which we know because we’ve booked it for others. At this demonstration, it’s a shorter time, but it’s just part of the stay. I’d never seen flamenco performed before and it was highly enjoyable.
The lobby is very classy.
Obviously, those sorts of things are just down to luck. You might not being staying the night when those are scheduled, but just knowing they happen may entice you to book.
It’s Not All Roses
As the saying goes, nothing is perfect, and that holds true for the Don Rafa Boutique Hotel. Although there wasn’t much worthy of criticism, we did find some fault in the furniture, specifically the storage space.
For a place like this, it surprised me that all our room had in the way of clothes storage was around eight hangers and one drawer beneath them. The drawer was a small one at that. If you wanted to include the even slimmer drawers in the nightstands, we had a total of three small drawers. When I’ve stayed at places like this before, they typically provide more storage than that, especially closet space.
That’s the sum total of actual storage space…
Our stay lasted several days and the reality of it was that we had to live out of the suitcases for that time. It’s not exactly a dealbreaker, but it was slightly irritating. Especially because there was plenty of room to have a dresser without impacting the flow of the room at all.
I did raise this issue with the establishment in my Google review and I received a response that said they will look into it. Perhaps they will, and by the time you stay there it may be different. I sincerely hope that they do add something to the room, since it may have just been ours, because this feels like an easy thing to solve. There was plenty of space, it just needs to be used.
The more difficult (nearly impossible) problem to solve is their plumbing. We had a sign in our bathroom, right in front of the toilet, that indicated that, to protect the plumbing, we should not flush any paper down the toilet. Any paper. It’s commonplace to see a sign reminding people to not flush hygiene products down the toilet, like tampons, but this was all paper.
We followed the directions, but it was an odd habit to take up, even temporarily. I understand that plumbing in old buildings, which this is, can be a bit of a struggle to maintain. We’ve heard of this same requirement from other establishments in Europe, so Europeans may be more used to this. Once again, this quirk wasn’t a deal breaker for me, but I can see why it might be for some people, which is why I mention it.
Who Is This For?
If you are the type of person that seeks out the more culturally enriching places when you travel, The Don Rafa is for you. That’s the first type of person that comes to mind for me. When you travel, you like to stay at places that get written about in magazines or perhaps you love to have a good story about this incredible thing you got to do.
Romantic getaways or long vacations are another type of trip that comes to mind as the target guests. The refinement and elegance of the Don Rafa are clearly inspired by that sort of traveler.
You better beleive that I would eat at Canvas again. Just look at it!
I wouldn’t recommend this place for a simple overnight stay. We happened to fly into San Juan several days early because it saved us money, similar to this other post I wrote. We were there for a Virgin cruise and I feel like an overnight would be wasted on such a short visit – not to mention they don’t allow one night bookings. Taking young kids here is also not something I recommend. It didn’t appear to be disallowed, there was a couple with a baby in the room next to us, but I’m not sure that a child would really like it here.
This is a place for you to take your time and get to know the city a little bit. Stay for a few days and explore. That’s the type of journey that belongs here and it’s wonderful. I hope you get the chance to experience San Juan like this.
