Our Luxurious Staycation And Review of Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort in Puerto Rico

I believe we meet everyone for a reason and we had a wonderful experience of how this manifested in our lives the other day. While we were anchored in Gilligan’s Island in Guanica, Puerto Rico, a random guy came over to the boat and offered to fill up our drinking water tank on the sailboat. This happens to be Rafa, a professional boat delivery captain. We had a little chit chat and he ended up driving us to Sam’s Club– a members-only wholesale store in Ponce so we can re-provision the boat. We saved a lot of money because of this!

We eventually left Gilligan’s Island to sail to the East of Ponce but our engine overheated right outside the cargo ship port entrance to Guyanil. We were just there floating alongside massive container ships! It’s quite complicated that we needed to call Rafa. The same guy we randomly met offered to come in his boat and towed us back to Ponce!! My faith in humanity is completely restored because of him.

Not only that. Because we had a couple of days to spend in Ponce to fix our boat issues, Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort hosted us for a luxurious staycation. Everything happens for a reason, indeed! Our sailing mishap turned out to be a blessing– we met a very nice person and this ended up as a staycation. And mind you, this is not an ordinary staycation, it’s a Hilton-kind-of-staycation! 🙂

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THE ROOMS AT HILTON PONCE GOLF & CASINO RESORT

Through their perseverance, commitment, and hard work throughout the years, the brand Hilton now equates itself with luxury & comfort– providing each guest with a glorious stay at their property. The rooms were made with their guests on the mind– bright and light, airy, and a tropical view for each one of you.

Choose between 225 Guest Rooms, Suites, and Accessible Rooms— some offering the view of the beautiful ocean and some offers a private patio with a tropical view. Whatever room you pick, expect an equally beautiful view, a huge living space, a squeaky clean room, crazy comfortable beds and pillows, a coffee maker to brighten up your day– all of which live up to the sky-high Hilton standards.

THE 1ST CLASS AMENITIES AND SERVICES AT HILTON PONCE GOLF & CASINO RESORT

Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort wouldn’t be complete without its 1st class amenities which is probably why they are one of the best hotels in the world!

For recreation- Staying at Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort doesn’t only mean luxury. It also means LOTS OF FUN! Guests can just literally go out of their rooms and enjoy one of the largest Casinos in Puerto Rico, a 27-hole Golf Course, Beautiful Free-Form Pool (which is where we stayed the whole day), Whirlpool, Beach, Full-Service Fitness Room, Four Tennis Courts, and Meeting and Events Space. They also have a Driving Range, Jogging Track, Mini Golf, Paddle Tennis Table, Pool Table, Putting Green, Spray Park, Wading Pool, Walking Track, Water Slide. Within the property, you can also do Basketball & Bicycling.

For your business- Here, they take your business seriously. Have a hassle-free meeting or conference as they have everything you’ll ever need– Audio/Visual Equipment Rental, Business Center, Business Phone Service, Complimentary Printing Service, Express Mail, Fax, Meeting Room, Photocopying Service, Video Conferencing, Video Messaging, and Video Phone.
For those traveling with kids- I can only imagine that it could be difficult when traveling with kids but with their Cribs, High Chairs, and Playground, you’ll be more at ease. There’s also a Children’s Menu and a Family Package being offered.
For your comfort and convenience- They have an Automated Teller (ATM), Baggage Storage, Bar Area, Coin Laundry, Concierge Desk with Multilingual Staff, Digital Key, Electric Service, Elevators, Gift Shop, Guest Activity/Recreation Desk, Laundry/Valet Service, Local Area Transportation, Luggage Hold Services, On-Site Convenience Store, Room Service, and Safety Deposit Box.

THE RESTAURANTS AT HILTON PONCE GOLF & CASINO RESORT

One of our favorite things here are the restaurants. They have a perfect mix of Puerto Rican and International Cuisine that whenever you wake up craving for something from the other side of the world, you’ll surely find it within the hotel premises.

1) Sancho’s Sushi Bar- For Asian Food lovers (like me!), head on to this restaurant and have a gastronomical experience with the contemporary fusions of Chinese cuisine and the freshest and most complimented Sushi and Sashimi dishes in Ponce. What’s best is that it is overlooking the pool and the ocean!

2) La Terraza Restaurant- Start your mornings with a delicious breakfast at this airy restaurant. They also offer daily lunch, special holidays service, “al fresco” dining or themed dinners every evening.

3) La Cava Restaurant- We spent one fancy night in this restaurant where a simple dinner ended up to be a 5-course meal, thanks to the wonderful chef who kept on sending samplers of appetizers and desserts! The “Picaderas to Share”, Grilled Fillet Mignon, and the Ponce Sampler instantly made it to our Eat List! Apparently, this is a Puerto Rican excellence award winning restaurant so no wonder everything is so delicious!

4) El Bohio Sports & Pool Bar- The sun is out and so should you! Head on to the pool and grab some refreshing cocktails and light snacks from this Sports & Pool Bar. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete without your favorite football match playing on-screen.

5) In-Room Dining- If you’re feeling a little lazy to get out and you just want to munch on their delicacies while sitting on the patio on your pajamas, then feel free to order anything you want and everything will be delivered right at your doorstep!

AREA GUIDE: WHAT TO DO AROUND PONCE, PUERTO RICO

1) Go on a day tour to Caja de Muertos / Coffin Island- Unless you have your own boat, you can easily go on a day trip with Island Venture company on their high-speed catamaran. They will leave the La Guancha terminal at 8:30 am and will stay on the island until 3:30 pm. They will provide the light lunch and snacks aside from all the drinks and beer during the entire trip. While on the island, you can go on a hike to the Lighthouse, enjoy kayaking or paddle boarding or just enjoy this beautiful beach in South Puerto Rico,

2) Head on to the Museum of the History of Ponce in Casa Salazar- One way of understanding the Puerto Rican culture is to have a glimpse of its past. This museum traces the history of Ponce since the time of the Taino Tribes. Not only that, the museum building is an old art deco house and admission is for free!

3) Visit the Castillo Serralles- This is one of the best things to do in Ponce. This is the estate of the founders of the finest rum in Puerto Rico– the DonQ Rum. It is a beautiful Spanish mansion nestled on top of the Cerro El Vigia Hill which overlooks the downtown of Ponce Pueblo. This now serves as a museum with tons of information about the sugarcane and rum industry in the country.

4) Go to the Old Firehouse Museum or the El Parque de Bombas- One of the City’s most photographed building is this striking red and black museum which happened to be the headquarters of the brave men of the Ponce Firefighter Corps from 1883 through to 1989. They transferred to a new building and turned this into a museum. Head out and find yourself in a nice park with lots of food choices.

5) Take a stroll around the premises of Hacienda Buenavista- This used to be a coffee plantation in the 19th Century but is now transformed into a museum. You’ll have plenty of space to stroll around with its massive 468 acres of fertile land.

6) Admire the Art Collections at the Ponce Art Museum- Here, you’ll see the finest collection of European and Latin American Art in the Caribbean. With over 5,000 art pieces, this trip is surely going to be a feast for the eyes!