Puerto Rico Hotel Review: El Oasis in Aguada

Overview of El Oasis

Secluded, peaceful, and comfortable, I would definitely recommend staying here if you’re looking a hotel in the Aguada/Rincón/Aguadilla area.

With just 26 rooms and its hidden-away location, El Oasis is an awesome choice if you’re really looking to unplug and recharge, a.k.a. avoid other people. 

It’s been around since 1993 (its original name is Villa de la Aguada), and was founded by an Aguada local. It’s under new ownership now (I tried to do some digging because I prefer to stay in locally-owned spots, but I unfortunately couldn’t confirm who the current owner is) and I could definitely see why it’s been around for 30 years. 

El Oasis also apparently offers a bunch of wellness services including massages, hot stone therapy, reiki, breathwork, meditation, and yoga sessions — we didn’t try any of these services out, so I can’t personally attest to them, and I can’t find any reviews mentioning them, so it’s possible they aren’t all currently available. 

But nonetheless, it was the perfect jumping off point for exploring the western side of the island during our week in Puerto Rico.

There’s also apparently a lot of hiking in the area, which wasn’t surprising considering it was literally on the top of a mountain surrounded by jungle. 

We got our fill of hiking during our time in El Yunque National Forest, but either way, El Oasis is really the perfect location for a nature-filled stay.

What I loved about El Oasis

When you choose a more “budget” accommodation, you never really know what to expect, but El Oasis ended up being an all-around great choice.

1. Location close to Puerto Rico’s prettiest beaches

For me, one of the most important things is location.

I was initially looking to stay right in Rincón, but there was nothing in my budget available for our dates. 

El Oasis is located in Aguada, which is right between Rincón and Aguadilla, two gorgeous beach towns that I knew I wanted to visit. 

While you did have to drive up a mountain to reach El Oasis (more in that in a bit) it overall had a very central location ideal for exploring the overall area, which included Rincón and Aguadilla. 

It would take 20 minutes or so to get down the mountain and then another five to 10 minutes to get to the beach. 

So that’s not great if you’re looking to be right on the beach, but it worked well for us, since we were planning on exploring different areas anyway, so driving would be inevitable. It also probably made for a much more peaceful and quiet stay, which is definitely a pro, in my book.

There were also a number of food options just within a five to 15-minute drive of the hotel (we ate at Kaplash and Dos Vistas Restaurante in Aguada and both were affordable and had great food), and plenty more if you’re willing to drive an extra few minutes to get fully down the mountain. 

2. Beauty and comfort

The property was beautiful, with lots of greenery everywhere, and it was very quiet and peaceful. 

The room itself was also great.

Most importantly, it was clean, but apart from that, the bed was also really comfortable, and I appreciated how each side had its own nightstand with a built-in power strip. 

The shower worked well, and had some shampoo, conditioner, and body wash stocked.

There was also a nice TV that you could connect to your Netflix account or other streaming platform, and it would automatically log you out during your day of check-out.

The room had a fan as well as a well-working air conditioning, plus tea and coffee.

While not a dealbreaker at all, I also appreciated how the room was decorated. Oftentimes more affordable accommodations miss those details, but I loved El Oasis’s warm color scheme and its matching art on the wall. 

😌 Need a relaxing getaway? Recharge at El Oasis Hotel, where serenity meets affordability in the heart of Puerto Rico’s lush jungle.

What I didn’t love

While all in all, my husband and I enjoyed our stay at El Oasis, here’s what you should also know before booking.

1. Also … location

If you’ve never been to Puerto Rico before, you should know that renting a car is pretty much non-negotiable if you’re planning to go beyond San Juan. 

While this is all well and good, I’ll start off by saying that I’m a nervous driver — and I’ll be honest here — getting to this hotel was stressful.

In this case, it was my husband behind the wheel (he kindly drove our entire week in Puerto Rico) but I was still on the verge of a panic attack. 

El Oasis prides itself on being secluded — and little did I know that that meant you literally needed to drive up a dark and windy mountain to reach it. It didn’t help that we first arrived here at night, when the roads were literally pitch black. 

On top of that, the roads were extremely narrow, windy, and for some reason, two-way. We’d have to put our high beams on and just turn them off as soon as we’d see another vehicle, and hope the incoming car was going slow. To add to the chaos, animals would periodically cross the road — as if we needed another challenge.

As we continued to drive up and down this mountain over the next few days, it got easier, and I managed to not have a panic attack every time. 

However, I think this is definitely something to be aware of if you’re also a less confident driver like me. But with all that said… take this all with a grain of salt.  As I mentioned, my husband was the one actually driving, and he seemed pretty unfazed the entire time. 

So it will probably be totally fine for you if you’re less anxious than I am and are used to slightly treacherous driving situations like he is.

And of course, I realize none of this is the fault of El Oasis — but it’s just something I wished I’d known beforehand, and think you should know too before booking!

Is it worth it?

For three nights, we ended up paying $325.91 USD — $99, per night, plus some tax. This was for the smallest room option, the “compact single queen,” so prices will of course be higher for larger rooms. 

I think we definitely more than got our money’s worth — it felt simple but still really nice, and more than met our needs for a pretty affordable price.

In general, it seemed a lot harder to find budget-friendly accommodations in this area of Puerto Rico compared to in San Juan, Puerto Rico’s biggest city. So I think this is definitely one of the best choices for travelers looking for something more affordable than a five-star stay that’s still on the nicer end.

And in all honesty, I think it was worth a higher cost than what we paid!

With its comfort, cleanliness, proximity to all we wanted to see in the area, plus its free parking, El Oasis is a steal. 

Plus, it really is beautiful and peaceful, which as a budget traveler who has stayed in some questionable places over the years — is not something I take for granted!

It’s not just me, either — while it doesn’t yet have many reviews on Booking.com (I’m guessing because of its name change, since it’s been around for over 30 years now), the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, especially thanks to its overall beauty and tranquility.

🌟 Hidden gem alert! El Oasis Hotel is a peaceful escape in the mountains of Puerto Rico. Stay where nature and comfort meet!