We absolutely loved our experience at Casa Lilla. This 500-year-old home sits directly across from the Cristobal Fort and faces the ocean in historic Old Town. The location could not be any better...just minutes from the historic sights, restaurants and watering holes. Each of the rooms is beautifully decorated. The house also has a first-floor courtyard, second floor balcony and rooftop entertaining spot for morning coffees, sunbathing, and sunset cocktails. We mainly dined out but used the kitchen and dining room for breakfast and evening board/card games; the kitchen has everything you need to prepare full-on meals, if you wish. We took a car hire from the airport and used taxis/Uber to go to Santurce, Condado and nearby beaches. There are parking lots nearby for rental cars, but we were glad to avoid this as it really was not necessary to have a car. We booked about five months ago and found communicating with the owner to be a high-quality experience; she was so positive and answered our questions with quick, informative replies. We stayed here three nights before then traveling to the south side of El Yunque to stay in a villa house with a pool for the next five nights. Casa Lilla was the perfect way to kick-off our trip to Puerto Rico; the home is truly enchanting.

Casa Lila is a beautiful well taken care of property. My family and I loved it. The accommodations and amenities were top notch. The house is a 500-year-old Spanish colonial, and it still has that charm with fully updated comforts. The bathrooms (3) were all updated and fully functional. The kitchen had all the major appliances that provided comfort and functionality. The beds were all spacious and comfortable. The host provided very clean linen and we had our own a washer and dryer. The place was spacious and practical. Superb location for walking in Old San Juan, to Castillo San Felipe Del Morro, Paseo De La Princesa, art museums, San Juan proper, etc. In one of the rooms, you wake up to the sunrise over looking Castillo San Cristobal. It’s literally across the street. We will rent this property again come our next San Juan, PR vacation.

Very cool space, excellent location, amazing views, great host!

Casa Lila is a charming historic house with a wonderful ocean view. Close to everything. Beds and pillows were comfortable. Plenty of hot water with large bathrooms (no bathtub). Great Washer & Dryer with plenty of towels. Kitchen also well stocked with cookware. Rooftop was amazing (yoga in the AM/sunset & cocktails in the PM) Tips: WiFi - if you need it, make sure to get the correct password upon arrival. Upstairs Bedrooms - not easy to carry heavy luggage up to the bedrooms! Bakery - most closed at 5:00 pm vs websites/Google of 6:00

Had a wonderful stay in this beautiful old home that hi-lights the history to old San Juan. Location is perfect views of ocean and access to restaurants.

Rosa’s Casa Lila is very much an oasis of art pieces, tastefully decorated and a beautiful place that exceeds your needs. It’s in Old San Juan where you have a beautiful view of the ocean. The ocean breezes were so nice-and the waves breaking were therapy. We sat on the balcony and listened to the waves for hours. Rosa was great with communication, always tending to our needs. We were a bit needy because of the Coronavirus outbreak during our stay. We had to navigate PR under the rules the Governor set in place and Rosa was more than helpful with everything. We will definitely go back as there is so much beauty to see. Driving a car in PR is fine and easy to navigate (we are from CT, USA). The parking garages are low priced. The beds were comfy. The towels are superior. There is no TV, WiFi signal was good-we had no problems. Work space for laptop. Large dining space. Beach chairs/towels. Plenty of lighting, powerful ceiling fans in main floor and a/c throughout. There is a spiral staircase to go up to bedrooms and bathroom...be mindful when you need to carry your suitcases up-the carry on wheelies are easier. Looking ahead to definitely return. ♥️

We had a wonderful experience at Rosa's home in Old San Juan. You will not find a better location and view of the ocean. The close proximity to restaurants and shopping made exploring the area so fun! A historic fort is literally steps away. Rosa gave us many great suggestions for food and activities in the area which we thoroughly enjoyed, including Rosa's own amazing cheese and wine tapas bar which we dined at twice during our stay. I spent most mornings enjoying my coffee on the wonderful rooftop patio. The views from up there are second to none! The house was so beautiful that it was hard to leave! We plan to return to Old San Juan again in the future would love to stay at this house again! The only downside was the steep spiral stairs leading to the bedrooms, I almost didn't make it with my heavy suitcase. Otherwise, a perfect experience! Thank you so much for the hospitality Rosa!

Excellent location for access to local events and shopping. Fantastic view of ocean. The home could use a main floor half bath. Overall you will not be disappointed with this rental.

This historic home is so unique and well-kept. I loved just walking around and looking at all of the items on the walls. Rosa is clearly a world traveler and dedicated to your comfort. We enjoyed incredible views of the ocean and were with in steps of some of the best restaurants in Puerto Rico . I intend to stay there again!

Casa Lila is a beautifully appointed, historic home conveniently situated within walking distance of all the attractions, shops, and restaurants in Old San Juan. The proximity to the ocean is a bonus, not only for the spectacular view from the bedroom balcony, but also for the breezes which freshen and cool the house and back courtyard patio. This is an ideal property for a romantic vacation or for a small family with older children. Both bedrooms are on the second floor which can only be accessed by a steep spiral staircase and this would likely be difficult to manage for toddlers or older adults with mobility limitations. At the top of the stairs are two ample bedrooms each with a full bathroom. The master bath is beautiful with a large tiled shower. The owner of Casa Lila, Rosa Avalo, made the rental process simple with prompt communication during the booking process. She also provided an exhaustive list of her favorite activities and restaurants both in Old San Juan and throughout the rest of the island. Her recommendations for dining never disappointed, and all were accessible with no more than a 10 to 15 minute walk. Since parking is quite difficult on the narrow streets, walking around Old San Juan is the preferred mode of travel, and I never felt unsafe at any time of the day or night. For guests with a car, parking garages are located a few blocks away from the property and are reasonably priced. My wife and I had the good fortune of meeting Rosa as we checked out. She is a gracious and welcoming hostess whose elegance is reflected in Casa Lila. I would stay at this property without hesitation the next time I travel to San Juan.

This is truly one of the most memorable houses I have ever rented. The view from the back bedroom is breathtaking. We loved opening the dining room french doors to the charming outdoor courtyard. The house was uniquely decorated, and couldn't have been better equipped. The only negative is the steep metal staircase to the bedrooms, but was not an issue for myself, husband, or teenage daughters. All that being said, what really made our vacation was Rosa. Not only was she extremely helpful answering numerous questions before our trip, but was just as attentive during our stay. There was a lot of construction going on next door, and we ended up losing power (and a lot of our groceries) the last couple of days of our stay. It was Easter and Rosa was on a cruise. Despite it being something out of her control - and the fact she was on her own vacation - she still responded immediately and helped us remotely. I hope we will be able to return someday, meet Rosa in person, and take one of her cheese classes! She is a very classy person, and most gracious hostess!!!

What a charming home! My husband and I found Rosa’s vrbo online, booked it and exchanged some detailed emails with Rosa prior to our arrival. Rosa was so helpful, suggesting sites to visit and recommended restaurants. She made it clear that we were to fully enjoy her “second home”. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay - and her homemade cheese which was left for us in the fridge. We even made a return visit to Rosa after our cruise so that we could participate in one of her amazing cheese-making workshops! We know that any future plans to visit Old San Juan will mean an email to Rosa to book another stay. Highly recommend!! Thanks Rosa!

On March 28, 2014 the four of us arrived at Rosa Avalo’s home for a much needed retreat from Nova Scotia’s long winter. We had corresponded with Rosa via “vrbo” and looked forward to our stay based on photos and the wonderful extra information Rosa had provided about Old San Juan and her neighbourhood, which she obviously loves. We were so excited to discover that Rosa’s beautiful home was exactly as advertised…and more! A warm and personal interior…a breathtaking view from the rooftop patio…wonderfully appointed bedrooms and ensuite baths that would rival those of any high end hotel…homemade cheese in the fridge and a repeated invitation from Rosa to “make ourselves at home”. We were enchanted. We roamed the cobbled streets and courtyards of Old San Juan knowing that we could look forward to returning to “our home”, climb to the roof with a bottle of wine and look out over turquoise waters and the Castillo de San Cristobal. And after supper drinks were enjoyed from the same perch…listening to the surf, staring at the stars and watching the cruise ships disappear into the night. What more can I say? The experience was an absolute treasure that we all look forward to repeating.

Have just returned from 5 nights in this lovely home in Old San Juan where I stayed with my son and daughter-in-law. I would highly reccommend it with the provision that if you are a senior person you might find the circular stairs a little challenging and the 2 bathrooms on the 2nd floor. Otherwise this home is outstanding. The furnishings, linens, art work, antiques, A/C, kitchen with dishwasher and enclosed patio are top quality and only superceded by the view from the 2nd bedroom. The location of 423 Calle Sol is also very convenient to any where in Old San Juan, including a nice beach just below San Juan Park/Plaza, just a bit away from San Cristobal, which is 1 building and across the street from Rosa's lovely home. you are not renting an apartment/house but are staying in a welcoming, comfortable home. The owner has great taste in her decor and as an artisan cheese maker you will find her cheeses, left for you to consume,also have great tastes! Hopefully I can return to this place again and/or sned others there to enjoy this slice of paradise. Thanks, Rosa, for sharing and caring!!!

We stayed in this property last week. Rosa was very helpful by notifying us about the IRON MAN PR event that was going to take place in Old San Juan the day of our arrival, so we got to the house late that afternoon to avoid the crowd and traffic. Though we paid a cleaning fee and I was told that the house was going to be cleaned the morning of our arrival day, we found a refrigerator with a used bottle of wine, several cheeses and decomposing mandarin oranges inside. Needless to say my wife decided that she was going to clean the property before we use it. The floors were not clean at all. Additionally we were surprised to see what we thought was personal belongings of the owners (clothing items) occupying the drawers, which made us unconfortable enough not to get our items out of the luggages while we were there. I must say that the house is beautiful and has great potential but not well kept at all. There was a leak either from one air conditioner of from the refrigerator that kept the floor wet on/off. Also there is no bathroom in the first floor and to get to the secong floor you have to take a 22 steps spiral staircase which is unconfortable to say the least. In an attempt to be fair I must say that I didn't call Rosa to complaint about the cleaning disaster because I was so frustrated that didnt know how to approach the issue without being confrontational and at the end we were starting our vacation and wanted to be as relax as possible. Overall Old San Juan is magical, the house is beautiful but unconfortable and the cleaning lady needs to be fired ASAP. I wouldn't stay there unless I ensure that those critical items are taken care of.

I rented this house in Old San Juan for a month in July with three of my girlfriends. This house was a great find for us for the amount of money we paid, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a beautiful old Spanish Colonial house which is very well maintained and excellently located - view of the ocean and one of the historic garitas (sentry box) of Castillo San Cristobal, in historic old san Juan. Awe inspiring just to think that there have been people living in it for more than 300 years! Of course, the down side of any old house is that you need to work around its little glitches, like the front door needs to be pushed, lifted and pulled to open, or might get stuck, etc. The house is a lot bigger than it seems in the pictures. On the first floor are the living room, kitchen and and the dining room, and the two bedrooms are on the second floor accessible by a lovely iron staircase. One of the bedrooms has a balcony looking out to the Atlantic, and the view of the famous garita. You can sit on the balcony and stare out into the view forever. Rosa, the owner of the house went out of her way to accommodate us. I told her that we were all women and not too keen on sharing beds, and she bought two inflatable beds and left them in the bedroom for us. Any questions about the house I had, I was able to communicate her via text message, e-mail and phone. The house was one of the best things about staying in Puerto Rico. Very clean, beautiful, historical, well located and comfortable. Excellent value for what you pay. If I had the fortune of going back to Puerto Rico, I'd stay there again.