Looking at this a bit early, we are flying into San Juan the end of February 2009 for a cruise on the Carnival Victory. Looking for a hotel in a good location that is not too expension. So, any advice will be of help.
We have stayed several times at the Hampton Inn near the airport and really liked staying there. It has breakfast etc, nice pool with bar/grill. It is only a block from the beach. Over behind the Intercontinental beachside there is a neat bar/restaurant on the water. It's a great place to hangout and have a few drinks and the food is good also. There are also a few other good restaurant choices nearby depending on your taste.