If you can, go somewhere else in the Caribbean. Ponce, as a town, is pretty awful, with nothing to see, many abandoned buildings and little to do outside of going to the beach, which definitely has some shady people loitering around. As for the hotel, I'm sure it was nice... 25 years ago. Currently, it's tired and doesn't deserve the category 5 rating it gets from Hilton. As a caveat, I don't have a family, and this hotel is big on kid-friendly activities, and I didn't play golf, so individuals with those travel requirements may feel differently. But in a word, I found this hotel disappointing.

I have stayed at Hilton's in Hawaii (Hawaiin Village) and Barbados, as well at other hotels (Marriott & Sheraton) in St. Thomas and Bermuda. I found all of those hotels far exceed the quality of accommodations and service at the Ponce Hilton. The rooms here have turquoise industrial-quality tile (think nursing home), turquoise walls and 2 rugs on each side of the bed that look like they are from wal-mart. The luxury bathrooms you expect at such a hotel are non-existent. The bathrooms are utilitarian at best (think HoJo) - and were far exceeded in luxury and comfort by the hampton inn at which we stayed in San Juan. Room service plates sit outside doors all day and into the night.

Although the grounds are pretty, the only medium-sized pool does not have a seperate area for adults only (as they do in Barbados) and it is overrun with kids, both on vacation and local kids who presumably belong to Hilton's beach club. There is also no supervision - we literally saw a group of kids screaming profanities at each other and egging on two little girls to hit one another. No one intervened. Towels are hard to find and gone by noon. The one hot tub, which holds 6-8 people, had pineapple rinds both inside and surrounding the tub. The work out facilities, like the hotel, are outdated with only 2 rickety treadmills.

All of the Hilton's I stay at for work (52 nights in this past year alone) are superior to this hotel. Luckily, we used points to stay here and although we are disappointed, at least we did not pay hundreds of dollars a night.

IF you do stay here, one very bright spot is Nadine, the concierge who is extremely helpful, candid and friendly. Also we had a good meal at La Cava and although expensive, the quality of the food befits the price.

Beware. This hotel pretends to be considered 5 stars, but at best they are a 3 star with ocean view. The service ranges from OK to mediocre, and the food is very expensive. The rooms are nothing to die for, and the main lobby is way too dark considering the extremely elevated crime rate of the area. If you are driving to the property you'll have to pay a parking fee. The interesting fact is that they have no personnel at the gate because a bunch of crooks assaulted them with shotguns and took all the money from their petty cash (a hotel employee actually told me this fact). So yes, crime will be at your doorstep, so be extremely careful and on the lookout.

Some of the hotel staff are nice, but in general they don't make you feel welcome to the place.

Just got back after 4 night stay. The hotel itself is great , exceptionally clean, well maintained and quiet. There are staff members that need to be trained in hospitality and being cordial. They have a little casino which caters mostly to locals and unfortunately theres a lot of nepotism. Customer grievances are handled hap-hazardly and unprofessionally. The wait staff really try to treat customers like family and do a fantastic job. The casino rates players but All I was able to get after 4 days of blackjack at $10 a hand was 4 virgin pina coladas, I took them. The slots are just tight . Since its that nicest hotel in the area I don't have much to choose from. Since my family lives in the area I have to deal with it. If you come here hope for a positve experience but remember youv'e been warned. It's in a isolated spot, there plenty of sun but beach is like volcanic ash. They charged $4.50 for guests to park overnight even thoough I was in the casino playing but locals have parking validated. They charge a $11.90 resort tax and there are no boats, kayaks or beach toys. They have a little gym and restaurants I did not patronize. A day trip to Ponce area can be done in three hours.

This is our third visit to Ponce Hilton. In addition to its excellent staff, Ponce Hilton offers many amenities at a reasonable rate. We walked around the grounds (kept very clean) in the morning and used the fitness center and the pool in the main hotel. We did not have time to use the pool at the Clubhouse, but we highly recommend it to those who prefer a quieter setting. Mosquitoes were not a huge problem. The hotel sprayed at night and kept the grounds free of debris. As for food, we had the continental breakfast and lunch at the hotel. The cold breakfast buffet offers numerous choices including fresh fruit, yogurt, soy, juices, cheeses, cereals, pastries, etc. You have the option of a hot breakfast as well. Ponce Hilton is an excellent choice if you plan to explore historic Ponce and Puerto Rico's southern beaches, forests, and other natural preserves. Before you venture out, make sure to stop at the front desk to confirm travel routes and other important information. We were planning to visit Gilligan's Island during our stay but changed our plans based on the information the consierge obtained from the boat operator when she contacted the company on our behalf. The main dock at Gilligan's had been damaged by recent period of heavy rain. The boat was still operating but accessibility was more difficult.