This architectural jewel had its luster restored in a 2013 renovation that completely remade the property’s guest rooms and spruced up public areas. First opened in 1895, the hotel remains Puerto Rico’s oldest in continuous operation and lures guests with its marble floors, beautiful woodwork, high decorative ceilings and distinctive doors and balconies. The recent renovations boosted the comfort-level of the guest rooms (with new and antique furnishings), and now each has a balcony overlooking Ponce’s historic core. The Meliá also added new restaurants: Mocha Coffee Bar and Bistro and Panorama Sky Lounge on the hotel roof (that rooftop also holds the wonderfully chic pool area; it’s a real scene). Historic note: The hotel was expanded by three architectural masters in three different eras: Alfredo Wiechers Pierett in 1915, Francisco Porrata-Dori in 1940, and Enrique Soler in 1960.