Puerto Rico: Ponce Plaza Hotel and Casino renovation and expansion exceeds $10 M

The remodeling included the two buildings that make up the hotel owned by the Puerto Rican company Muñoz Holdings Inc., specified the general manager of the property, Ramón Muñoz Grajales.

As this medium reported in mid-2022, the work on the old Casa Sauri, the main building of the hostelry, preserved its historical appearance, while adding several contemporary elements.

In the second building, meanwhile, the architects in charge of the project opted for a minimalist and modern concept, in which white and cream colors stand out in the furniture and decoration.

They also remodeled the Lola Eclectic Cuisine restaurant, as well as the Casino de la Plaza, which now has 16,500 feet of entertainment and will soon open a sports betting room.

Likewise, the hotel improved its offer for the corporate segment, with a new business center called "Corporate Room" designed for holding business meetings and presentations. It has capacity for six people.

For business visitors, the hotel launched the “Corporate VIP Program”, which offers complementary breakfast at Melao Coffee Shop, parking, bottled water and coffee in the same room, unlimited high-speed Internet access and free local calls.

According to Muñoz Grajales, the property already has the necessary permits for the construction of a parking lot with about 90 spaces and the cogeneration power plant.

Both projects will be located on a plot of land that the Hotel Plaza Las Delicias LLC entity acquired in 2019 for over $300,000, according to the Digital Cadastre of the Municipal Revenue Collection Center (CRIM). Located between Unión street and Reina street in the urban center of Ponce.

“We are making the investment so that people arrive and maintain the property. The difficult thing is not that they (tourists) come, but that they stay," said Muñoz Grajales in an interview with El Nuevo Día.

He specified that the average occupation of the property is around 68%, which, in his opinion, is a healthy number. At the island level, the average hotel occupancy rose to 72% last February, according to data from Discover Puerto Rico, the destination marketing organization (DMO).

"Tourists are coming, not as much as in San Juan, but they are arriving," said the executive.

In addition to the Ponce Plaza Hotel and Casino, the Ciudad Señorial has at least six additional hostels. The last to open its doors was the Aloft Ponce, which houses the only Hard Rock Café in Puerto Rico.