Posada De San Juan, San Juan Bautista

My fiance and I have stayed at this hotel for the past three years during repeat visits. In fact, we've made a few friends in the town. The hotel rooms are dated, but clean the times we've stayed. No, it isn't a 5 star hotel, nor is the town a 5 star vacation getaway. But part of the charm of both town and hotel is the small town feel. Unfortunately, management isn't small town friendly. We have been planning a party in the town and are hoping for out-of-town guests to stay at this hotel. However, management didn't seem very happy with our proposal. I was assuming she would enjoy having 20+ guests stay here during the off season. We've yet to hear back from management regarding reservations for our guests. Perhaps what this diamond-in-the-rough needs is a formerly trained hotel manager to smooth over guests' complaints.

I had heard mixed things about this place but decided to try it out myself. My friends always raved about the girls at the front desk, the big bathtubs and the location but I guess thats because those were the only good things the hotel has to offer. I had double and triple checked my reservations but by the time I got there, the older woman who owns the place told me an employee had erased everything and deleted all reservations so I could not have the room I requested. She was very rude the entire time and I felt like I was being scolded by someones very unkind grandma. And come to find out, the room I requested hadnt been cleaned because she doesnt believe in having a maid in every day. I was looking forward to taking a bath before dinner with my boyfriend but the tub looked dirty and had mold in every corner, the water also dripped out and couldnt quite get hot enough. By the time we went back to talk to the owner, one of the younger girls were in charge and said they could not do anything and we needed to talk to the owner! We left before we got too heated and went to eat at a very nice Mexican restaurant, with gorgeous gardens. We laughed and had fun and forgot all about our room issues, then by the time we got back the same younger girl told us she had tried fixing up our room for us but didnt have much luck with the water. We were still pleased once we got back to our room, she had cleaned the tub, gone over every surface and sprayed something nicely scented. If you ever go, make sure Sara is the one to help you, she made our experience a good one and shes helped the majority of our friends. The owner was back by the time we got back from the bar and was already setting up breakfast, she kept an eye on us and made us feel unwelcomed when all we did was walk back to our room. We tried to forget the breakfast we saw the night before and indulge in it anyway but everything was stale, the milk was warm and curdled, the jam was warm and the plates looked like leftover food shoved together. We left quickly after that so we wouldnt be charged a late check out fee and so we could actually eat a quality breakfast. After explaining our issues to the owner while we were checking out, she told us it was not her issue because this is a historic building, she could not control the pipes or water pressure. I recommend only going to stay if you want to waste your money paying for amenities you arent able to use or to sit a room that isnt entirely cleaned.

I agree with all the negative reviews especially about the owner. I worked for that nut and had to quit a few years ago. I agree with the gentleman that said you got to give respect to get respect in return. As everyone can see she is awful and I really feel for the people that have to endure so much just to earn a living. I heard her husband died not too long ago. I don't mean to sound cold or wish her harm but you would think she would be more mellow and a nicer person.

my husband and stayed one night along with our two children, it is very convinient located in the heart of the town the hotel has a spanish feel to it, yes it could have been a little cleaner, but for 80 bucks it wasnt bad. i will go back to visit again.

Stayed there at least three times over the past 10 years. Beautiful foyer and atria. Stay on the second floor, north side. But the rusting roof next door needs to be painted adobe color! Jacuzzi tubs and gas fireplaces are a nice touch. Fabulous location. Very romantic.

Like going to hotel run by your mother in law. The owner lives in ahotel room down the hall and keeps an eye on things. -made us feel uncomfortable.

A clean, attractive hotel, the Posada De San Juan was loaded with extras. A fireplace in the room, a large hot tub for two, added to the comfort of our stay. The lobby has an attractive curvaceous balcony, and many touches of Mexican art and architecture, including an interior courtyard with live plants, an outdoor sitting area with a fountain. The breakfas was mor than adequate, though not billed as a B and B. Family owned and operated. Great location. I will go back.

We weren't sure about booking a room, after reading these reviews. But, when I saw that they had fireplaces in every room and a jacuzzi bath, I just had to find out for myself. It was the most romantic night I have spent in a very long time. The room was decorated beautifully with a cast rod iron bed, old fashioned furniture and an awesome jacuzzi bath. The fireplace just added the extra touch, plus the warmth that it gave off. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we plan on staying once a month. The rooms are large, and quiet. The staff was very helpful and kind. We recommend this to anyone that wants to just get away and be alone and enjoy what each other has to offer.....

My husband and I travelled with my mother and her friend to San Juan Bautista in mid-December 2008. We booked two connecting rooms at the Posada San Juan Batista. This hotel is not well-managed and the appearance I get is that they do not care. Both rooms had very serious problems – there was only a trickle of water in the morning from the sink and tub faucets, and absolutely nothing from the shower heads, so none of us were able to take showers or baths and, of course, there were problems flushing the toilets. This, alone, was completely unacceptable to us. What's funny is that the tubs are huge, jacuzzi style jet tubs, with dual shower heads. All of that was just a waste. The hotel is on an energy saving system and they put the room lights on motion sensors so you can’t read in bed without having to get up several times to turn the lights back on from the wall switch. Very annoying and very cheap on the hotel's part. We had to choose between freezing and dealing with extremely loud heaters. My husband and I decided not to freeze, but had a sleepless night. My mom and her friend couldn’t deal with their extremely loud heater and they chose to freeze. Both rooms that we rented had the same problems so I assume it’s the whole hotel. While the reception desk staff were nice, we got no sense of urgency from them; they were unable to help us and, at times, were not honest. When I called them to tell them we only had a trickle of water coming out of the tub and sink faucets, they responded that they had received a call earlier from one of the other guests and they did not know what the problem was. That's it. The first time we called them regarding the lights turning off, they initially told us they didn’t know why but could not do anything until the morning. They acknowledged the motion sensors when we called again. At check-out, we were told that our complaints needed to go to Ms. Lopez, the manager/owner who, of course, was not there and would not be in until the evening; we are still waiting for her call. I'm very surprised that the manager of a hotel would not immediately go to the site when her hotel guests are out of water. The lady at the desk did deduct the taxes and 10% off our $100/night per room, but, we still are not satisfied and had to write this review to warn potential guests. It is just unacceptable to have no water in your hotel room (and, in reading the reviews from previous hotel customers, this was not the first time; and unless more people complain about their experience in this hotel, it will not be the last.). The owner can’t get away with this. True, this is not a $500/night hotel, and there are certain services you have to give up, but never a shower or bath.

They always say those that are unhappy about something are many times more likely to be vocal than those who are satisfied, hence I suspect some of the reviews here and the reason it may seem unbalanced. We have stayed here several times. To put this in perspective, we typically stay in higher end hotels (Omni being our current favorite). However, there is no high end hotel to be found anywhere in this area. After adjusting our expectations with the rates here, and considering that the area is more akin to Mayberry than a larger metro, I'd say the Posada de San Juan is not a bad place to stay. But I will conditionalize this. If you expect spiffy modern and everything perfect, this is not for you. In fact, this entire region is not for you. Head for the city and leave history and charm to folks who appreciate rough around the edges and nostalgia. As for the staff here, I never found any to be slightly unpleasant or unaccomodating. It's entirely possible I suppose that someone might have a different experience. But in reading some of the negative reviews, I can't help but detect in a few cases a bit of attitude, which is likely to be reflected back by those serving us depending on how we treat them. Needless to say, we will return again to the Posada de San Juan, because we love the charming area and the hotel has always served us sufficiently. As they say, your mileage may vary, but if you are easygoing and have basic expectations, then this is very likely to meet your needs as well.