Holiday Inn Ponce & Tropical Casino by IHG — Hotel in Ponce

To summarize: • The most unfriendly hospitality staff we have encountered in over 20 years of traveling. Not a single hello, welcome, or thank you for choosing them. Staff members would pass by without acknowledging guests and only spoke when spoken to. There was no warmth or professionalism—just indifference. • Extremely outdated and rundown hotel. We booked two separate rooms, and the moment we walked in, we were hit with the overwhelming stench of dirty, old carpet. The smell was unbearable—like a mix of wet dog and something worse. Unfortunately, we carried that odor with us, forcing us to wash all our clothes and disinfect our luggage and bags after leaving. Black mold was visible around the balcony doors, ceilings, and walls. A large gap under the balcony door likely contributed to the humidity issues. There was also an odd piece of furniture serving as a “closet,” but the moldy stench that poured out when we opened it made it unusable. The drawers reeked of mold as well, contaminating anything placed inside. Both my husband and I developed severe respiratory issues after our stay, with mine becoming so bad it affected my left ear. The carpet smell intensified unless we kept the AC at 66°F—absolutely unacceptable. • Most disturbing incident: A balcony door malfunction left me locked outside for over 10 minutes. A hotel employee saw and heard my repeated pleas for help in both Spanish and English—yet chose to ignore me. He had just finished his shift, carrying a lunchbox over his shoulder, and rather than assisting or notifying someone, he simply walked away. This level of disregard for guest safety is appalling. Had my husband not returned from dropping off pool towels, I don’t know how long I would have been stuck. Even worse, the hotel did nothing about it—the employee’s car remained in the same spot throughout our stay, meaning there were no consequences for his actions. • I was born and raised in this town and chose this hotel because I once considered it an institution. However, I am so disappointed that I deeply regret my decision. Additionally, I’m an IHG club member, and while the hotel offers exclusive parking for members, locals who come to gamble at the casino take these spots. The hotel does nothing to enforce the signage or verify whether these individuals are actual club members entitled to this benefit. These spaces are more accessible to the hotel’s front entrance, yet paying guests with loyalty status are left without priority. All in all, I will stay somewhere...

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY.. This was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime. We traveled all night and arrived around 4:30am and the guy at the front desk was inhospitable and did not want to help us with our reservation that got double booked under 2 different companies. I informed him that I had already prepaid and was charged over $1,600 for our stay and that I would like to check in under that reservation. I tried to show him our confirmation email and he said he was not able to go by ANY of this. I am not sure why you offer this service then. We were exhausted and ready to get a few hours of sleep. He then proceeded to charge my card again for another $1,300 on top of charging us extra for a view of the ongoing construction on the pool. There was not a manger to speak to and she only reached out to me after we had called booking to complain. She called while we were trying to enjoy our vacation and interrupted my proposal. After we thought we had this situation figured out we had to deal with ROACHES, a room that smelt like wet dog, getting stuck in the elevator, UNSAFE conditions when the construction crew was lifting the AC units onto the roof and the hotel not temporarily closing the doors. We thought we had made it to the end of our trip after all of this we had to check out at 2am to make sure we made it back to San Juan for our flight for the worst part of our bathroom flooding at 11pm. The hotel basically just said that the kids above us probably left the water on and that we could switch our rooms. By then we were done… then at check out it was the same clerk that checked us in. I asked him to give me something in writing stating that we would not be charged for any of the damages due to the bathroom above us flooding. He of course couldn’t offer an apology, any kind of peace of mind NOTHING. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A TRIP OF A LIFETIME TO GET ENGAGED AND BE ON CLOUD 9 AND THE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS DISASTROUS HOTEL WAS A...

For raving reviews…. I’m not sure what people are accustomed to. I have a Jr suite and the price is ridiculously expensive for what I’m getting. My flight did arrive after midnight so our arrival was after 2am. Miguel was very friendly when I called and when I arrived. I didn’t feel like a nuisance arriving at such a late hour with questions. (This accounts for 1 star). We got to the room, immediately dissatisfied. Carpet stained, room not cool, dusty furniture. At 2 am that’s what we noticed. Morning came and there construction before 9 am. It seemed like next door??!!! There’s sunshine beaming through the heavyweight curtain in little spots and slits, turns out it’s an awfully old, ratted thing. Room service never came. Called. Was told we’ll get them up soon. Sorry. Later that evening, still no one. Next day, no one. Next day I stop at front desk and speak with Melany. I could tell she was annoyed with all issues i was bringing to her attention, but she remained pleasant. She told me I had not had a full service card completed…. I discussed how unsatisfactory the room condition and she told me she’d tell the hotel manager and have her call me and go through the room together after 2pm. (.5 star for this info). Never heard from the manager. Room service came, those things noticeable were dusted. Bed linens and bathroom linens changed. I have plenty of pics coming….day 7 still nothing from the manager on lowered rate or anything. Microwave a mess and horrible odor. Bird poop all over the balcony chairs—- it’s been a while since cleaned. The casino is cleaner. Someone cleans pool 7am every morning. Not too packed. Not too noisy. I could see pretty ocean. (.5 star). I’ll not return which is unfortunate. Great place for families- if you get the newer remodeled rooms I suppose. Oh the breakfast food horribly bland. It was so bad didn’t try lunch or dinner. Laundry...