Barbara N.
Yelp
Booked an ocean view room well in advance, and paid over $477.00 for the night. Received a "city view" instead that was actually overlooking the derelict hotel across the street, the slums, and the flat roof of the lower level of the Condado Plaza. I spent my last day and evening in Puerto Rico listening to jackhammers, construction men yelling, and traffic noise. Of the three elevators in the hotel, one was out of service the whole week I was there and the other one worked every now and then. That left one elevator for the entire hotel. I was placed on the 7th floor which was serviced by the intermittent elevator and under construction so there was no thoroughfare/hallway to the rest of the hotel. I was not directed by the front desk at the time of check in that I had to use the elevator at the other end of the building, so I was riding up and down the elevator trying to figure out how to get to my room. When I went back to the front desk to inquire the rude, arrogant, and condescending staff members (employee and manager) that I had just been complaining about my room to earlier smirked and told me I used the wrong elevator. As I was walked away, they were laughing and saying that would teach me to complain and called me an ignorant American. I guess they didn't realize I speak several languages including theirs.
When I was finally able to get to the 7th floor I was greeted with a stench I can only compare to a wet, dirty cat box. There were feces and other fluids and debride ground into the carpet of the hallway. The carpet was frayed, torn and dirty. The room was comparable to a 1- or 2-star hotel with rust and mildew everywhere, including the ceiling. There were curtains but no sheers on the window. The elevator left me stranded on the 7th floor for over an hour as I cannot take long flights of stairs. When an employee finally did come out of the stairwell, I explained I was stuck, and he contacted another employee on his walkie talkie. He then told me that an employee was in the elevator and on their way up and he walked away. He let himself through the door at the end of the hallway, and I am guessing he used the elevator located in that section. The 7th floor was under construction so you could not access the rest of the hotel without going through that locked door. He never offered to escort me through or walk me down the stairs or anything. He just walked away. The elevator showed up 37 minutes later.
You can't really call this a resort even though you will be charged an additional $35.00 per day as a resort fee, it's more a hotel with a pool. There are no open restaurants in this hotel and no entertainment, just a gift/snack shop that closes around 8 pm. You will have to walk a minimum of .5 miles to get anything other than a Starbucks and the food is mediocre at best. Even tried the Ole Cafe in the Vanderbilt and was completely underwhelmed by the whole experience. The only beach at the Condado is the size of a postage stamp and is actually public access so you will be vying with the local population for space. The area of water access is a lagoon, not ocean so you have the stink comparable to a river or pond, not the fresh ocean breeze you may be anticipating.
The group of 500 that I attended a convention with during my stay also had many problems at this Hilton chain as well as two other Hilton chain hotels, while we were there. It is doubtful that my issues will be addressed by either corporate or the staff at The Condado Plaza Hilton. I doubt I will ever receive any compensation for the treatment I received from the desk staff and manager during my stay from June 11, 2023 - June 17, 2023, and the fact that they charged me an outrageous amount of money for a disgusting room. When I told the manager and front desk staff that my group would not be staying with them on our next visit the staff member said "not with that attitude" under her breath. I confronted her about it and she just smirked. I had just been robbed of $500.00 and I my attitude was the problem?! What I do know for a fact will happen is the next time we contract our event on Puerto Rico (bi-annual event) the Hilton chain will not be considered in the bidding, that much has already been decided by our leadership. And while $550,000.00 may not seem like a lot of money for a week of guests for the Hilton chain it is a lot of money for that area that they just lost.
It should be noted that while I was having a conversation with the manager about my room being incorrect, another guest was explaining that her toilet still had not been fixed in her room (out for 2 days at that point) and another didn't have air-conditioning in their room (5 days). They would not refund their money so they could find other accommodations, nor would they move them to another Hilton hotel or give them any money back on their stay at the Condado.
Avoid this hotel at all cost!!! Have pictures
