Ponce renaissance

By Sophia Banay

updated 4:43 p.m. ET April 27, 2005

Known as la perla del sur--"the pearl of the south"--Puerto Rico's second-largest city, Ponce, was founded in 1692 by Loiza Ponce de Leon, grandson of Juan Ponce de Leon. Today, Ponce is home to Puerto Rico's main shipping port, which is one of the busiest in the Caribbean.

Ponce has traditionally been less well known to tourists than San Juan, its big brother to the North, but that may be changing. More than half a billion dollars has been spent preserving the city center's beautiful colonial architecture, including the city's town hall Casa Alcaldia, which dates back to 1840, with the intention of making Ponce's past accessible to today's visitors.

But tourists aren't the only people Ponce is hoping to attract in droves. The Hilton Ponce Golf and Casino Resort, on the city's southern shore, has been the city's top hotel catering to business travelers since it was built in 1992, attracting corporate conferences and execs from around the world. A $120 million construction project finished just this year added, among other things, a 100-room executive tower and a 27-hole championship golf course to the property.

Forbes

First-time guests shouldn't expect to see the kind of Old World charm of the Casa Alcaldia at the Hilton, however. In fact, you'd be forgiven for mistaking this modern property for a huge convention center. A concrete parking lot leads up to the sprawling main building, which towers over the tropical landscape. But the white golf carts zipping to and fro and the sound of the Caribbean Sea lapping at the shore are clues that you should give the place another chance.

Inside, buttoned-up consultants, business people in mufti, golfers and gamblers mingle in the wide lobby. The hotel's open plan, with breezes blowing in from the beach, makes you feel like you're outside all the time. At the back of the lobby, a wide staircase leads down to the lagoon-style pool, framed with landscaped palms, patches of green lawn and glowing lights.

To the left of the lobby, the on-site casino blasts live music every weekend, and the noise of slot machines competes with loud conversation. To the right, the retail gallery stays open late so guests can put their winnings to good use. The hotel's two restaurants and two bars are also open late. With all this, you'll never take the building for a convention center again.

The hotel has 253 guest rooms, each with a private balcony overlooking the beach or the garden. But there's a big difference between standard rooms that start at $230 a night and the hotel's ten suites. The suites start at $325 and include a living-dining area, a separate bedroom, two bathrooms with whirlpool tubs and a generous terrace.

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