The Ponce Plaza Hotel and Casino in Ponce, Puerto Rico, offers a compelling mix of historical charm, modern amenities, and a vibrant downtown location. While many guests praise its spacious rooms, friendly staff, and convenient access to local attractions, some experiences highlight areas where service and amenities could be more consistent.
Location & Accessibility 📍
One of the hotel's strongest suits is its prime downtown location, often described as the "best spot in old town." Guests appreciate being able to walk to a variety of good restaurants and explore the city's offerings. Its proximity makes it very convenient and easy to get to. A minor point of inconvenience noted by some is the process for validating parking tickets, though this isn't an issue for those without a rental car.
Accommodations & Comfort 🛌
Rooms at Ponce Plaza generally receive high marks for being very spacious and clean. Guests staying in the modern building at the back of the hotel have found rooms to be well-maintained with very nice amenities and no signs of wear and tear. Specific highlights include:
- Room Size & Cleanliness: Consistently noted as spacious and clean, contributing to a comfortable stay.
- Amenities: Rooms are equipped with good amenities, ensuring a pleasant experience.
- Views: Junior suites can offer fantastic views of the Cathedral from their balconies, providing a unique backdrop to your stay.
However, a recurring issue mentioned by some guests is the difficulty in controlling the room's air conditioning temperature, which sometimes requires calling the front desk and has not always been successfully resolved. Additionally, one guest reported issues with the shower water never getting above lukewarm.
Staff & Service 🛎️😊
The staff at Ponce Plaza Hotel and Casino generally receives positive feedback for being friendly, helpful, and understanding. One guest lauded the staff and manager for their quick responses and ability to make accommodations for an emergency cancellation, demonstrating excellent customer service. However, there has been an instance where staff responsiveness and competence regarding in-room issues like Wi-Fi and AC temperature control were lacking, with "IT guys" and managers being unavailable to address critical guest concerns.
The Casino Experience 🎰
As a key feature, the casino is conveniently attached to the hotel and operates 24 hours. This makes it easily accessible for guests looking to enjoy gambling and entertainment at any time, adding significant value for those interested in a casino stay.
Dining & Connectivity 🍳🌐
The hotel offers breakfast, which is described as basic but good. While most amenities function well, a significant concern raised by one guest was the complete lack of functional Wi-Fi following a power outage in Puerto Rico, coupled with an inability from the staff to resolve the issue or offer satisfactory solutions like a refund.
Points to Consider 🤔
- Temperature Control: Be aware that controlling your room's AC might require assistance from the front desk, and consistent comfort cannot always be guaranteed.
- Wi-Fi Reliability: While likely an isolated incident related to external factors, the hotel's ability to restore and support Wi-Fi services could be a point of concern, especially during power fluctuations.
- Parking Validation: If you have a rental car, be prepared for a potentially inconvenient parking ticket validation process.
- Shower Temperature: There have been reports of showers not getting sufficiently hot.
Overall Recommendation ✅
The Ponce Plaza Hotel and Casino stands out for its excellent downtown location, spacious and generally well-maintained rooms, and a welcoming staff that handles many guest requests with understanding. Its 24-hour attached casino is a definite plus for those seeking entertainment. While certain technical issues like AC control, Wi-Fi reliability, and shower temperature have presented challenges for some, the overall positive experiences, especially concerning location and room comfort, make it a strong contender for a stay in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's particularly ideal for travelers looking for a centrally located base with gaming options.
The room was very spacious and clean. The hotel breakfast we purchased with the room was basic, but good. The location is right downtown. The only inconvenience is getting your parking ticket validated. If you don't have a rental car, no worries! You can walk to all the good restaurants!
Best spot in old town. We had the largest room on the floor in the modern building at the back of the hotel.Friendly front desk staff. Helpfull. Very nice amenities and no sign of wear and tear in the room. Couldn't control the Ac. that's the only thing I can find to say that wasn't optimal.
I had an emergency and had to cancel last minute. The staff and manager were very understanding , quick responses and were able to do accommodations for me. I can't wait to visit them in a couple of weeks! Thank you Plaza Ponce Hotel !
Very convenient location and easy to get to. The casino is attached to the hotel and is open 24 hrs.We stayed in a Junior suit and had a fantastic view of the Cathedral from the balcony. Booked an extra night to stay for the Carnival. Another gem we didn’t expect to experience. We had a fantastic time.
As a disclaimer we did not go to the casino, so my review does not pertain to that part of this hotel.We had a terrible time here. First issue was the room was very cold, and you are not able to adjust the temperature yourself. There is a note next to the control panel saying to call the front desk to adjust the temperature. Unsure if the person working at the front desk was incompetent, lazy, or both, but they were unable to change the temperature in our room, and the person they sent to do it did not know how to do it either.We then noticed that the wifi wasn't working. This was a couple days after the blackout Puerto Rico suffered, and since the electricity was otherwise working in the hotel I assumed they just needed to reset the router. When I called the front desk person to ask they do this they said they do not know where the router is, and the "IT guy" is gone for the day and cannot be contacted. When I asked to speak with his manager, again I was told they are gone for the day and are unable to be contacted. I asked for a refund so we could move to a hotel with wifi, but was told the room is nonrefundable.Another negative was the temperature in the shower never got above lukewarm.I advise you to find a more responsive and customer-centric hotel to stay at.