We’ve found all the best boutique and luxury hotels in Puerto Rico
For when it's time for island time.
One of the most popular islands in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico is renowned for its sublime landscapes and colourful heritage buildings. Whether you’re looking for a completely relaxing beach break or to improve your golf game, the best boutique and luxury hotels in Puerto Rico are sure to impress.
Discover the best boutique and luxury hotels in Puerto Rico
1. Hotel El Convento | San Juan
As you may guess by its name, this hotel hidden inside a Spanish colonial building was formerly a convent. Hotel El Convento dates back to the 17th Century and has managed to keep all of the best features while transforming into a sophisticated place to rest your head. The pale yellow exterior, columns and slowly spinning fans accentuate the property’s history, while the 58 rooms have timber ceilings, tiled floors, and marble bathrooms.
Aside from the cute Juliet balconies, which overlook the city or San Juan Bay, there are also fluffy robes, flat-screen TVs, and goose-down pillows. The hotel’s facilities range from a 24-hour fitness centre, plunge pool and heated jacuzzi, to daily wine and cheese hours, a herb garden, and access to a private beach club at their sister property.
In the evening, choose from their two restaurants for delicious Puerto Rican food such as stuffed Mofongo and alcapurrias, before retiring to Alegria Bar for a cocktail.
Discover more about Hotel El Convento
2. Dreamcatcher by DW | San Juan
Channelling Santorini on the outside and Puerto Rico on the inside, Dreamcatcher is San Juan’s first (and only) vegetarian hotel. The interiors combine rustic chic, vintage furniture and antiques with modern amenities, with every room being entirely unexpected. Running with the health theme, there are also meditation classes and yoga on offer, not to mention add-ons like surf lessons, salsa nights and chasing the island’s beautiful waterfalls.
The hotel’s 19 gorgeous rooms are the epitome of island living – suites come with outdoor showers, terraces, and gently swinging hammocks, plus locally sourced furniture and an eclectic array of prints and artwork on the walls. The veggie or vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner will make you forget why you ate meat, combining local and international flavours using Puerto Rican ingredients.
Find out more about Dreamcatcher by DW
3. Tres Sirenas Beach Inn | Rincòn
Tres Sirenas Beach Inn based its name on sirens, the mythical creatures who are so beautiful they make people forget their surroundings, and they’ve certainly done themselves justice. Set in another beautiful colonial-style house, the hotel has also integrated natural wood, terracotta tiling, and light furnishings to blend in with the landscape.
So close to the beach you’ll almost be able to start swimming from your balcony; the apartments and studios overlook the ocean and come with private verandas, dining areas, and king-sized beds, while some also have a mezzanine floor.
Although the ocean is within touching distance, there is also a sparkling cerulean pool with daybeds and loungers. Activities such as snorkelling, surfing, yoga, and massages can all also be arranged with the friendly staff, with a popular choice being a visit to La Parguara to swim with bioluminescent plankton.
Find out more about Tres Sirenas Beach Inn
4. The English Rose | Rincòn
The airy, white English Rose hotel has stood on a hilltop in Puerto Rico’s town of Rincón for over 15 years. The four-storey building looks like a large townhouse if a townhouse had a sparkling infinity pool, a fantastic restaurant, and just five rooms with doors that can be thrown open for ocean views.
Decorated with stunning feature walls full of flowers and plant life, the property also has a homely mix of furnishings from local tradesmen and artisans. Minibars, balconies and a flat-screen TV also come as standard. The pool is the focus at The English Rose, where you can enjoy lunch with a view, or do laps overlooking the jungle. The most celebrated meal of the day is breakfast, loved by everyone who visits, which offers favourites like ‘Dead Elvis’ – French toast with bananas, eggs benedict, and fresh mimosas.
Learn more about The English Rose
5. O:live Boutique Hotel | San Juan
Stepping foot into O:live Boutique Hotel feels more like being in a riad in Marrakech, and yet Puerto Rico is still everywhere you look. Bright Spanish floor tiles, carved stone baths, and spacious wood-clad patios make up the 15 rooms, which are more like villas, and you’ll also get a Nespresso machine, Smart TV, rainfall shower with massage jets, and L’Occitane toiletries.
Switching countries again, the restaurant Sage Italian Steak Loft serves Tuscan cuisine with a twist, such as crab ragú, lobster ravioli, and plantain with sundried tomatoes. The experiences on offer here are second to none – hire a floating champagne deck, get a rooftop massage, or take a tour to hidden caves whenever you choose. And that’s not forgetting the jewel in O:live’s crown, the rooftop bar, where lemon vines tumble down the walls, there’s a climate-controlled plunge pool and plenty of cocktails all day long.
Learn more about O:live Boutique Hotel
6. Royal Isabela | Isabela
In northwest Puerto Rico, Royal Isabela was founded by two tennis pros in 2012, to create a golf community on the island combined with a luxury hotel. The location couldn’t be more perfect, directly overlooking the ocean, surrounded by lush landscapes, cliffs and of course, a stunning golf course, it’s a paradise getaway if there ever was one.
There are 20 casitas in total, each coming with golf course access, clifftop verandas with plunge pools, and huge bathrooms. On the grounds, there’s a library, swimming pools, tennis courts, walking trails and a two-mile beach, while The Links golf course sits dramatically above the water and is home to rare wildlife.
All those activities are sure to make you hungry, so it’s a good thing Jota Restaurant serves farm-to-table cooking using local vegetables, meat and seafood. The Croquet Bar is also the perfect place for a light beer and a spot of tapas after a round.
Discover more about Royal Isabela
7. Dorado Beach a Ritz Carlton Reserve | Dorado
Ritz Carlton has taken the luxury hotel in Puerto Rico game to a new level at Dorado Beach, where a vast infinity pool, private beach area, and manicured gardens are just a few of the delights. Stroll between buildings on wooden walkways or stretch out underneath a palm tree by the pool – no matter where you go, you might not see another soul thanks to its elite, secluded nature.
The rooms at this former plantation property range from large to even larger, boasting outdoor living spaces and showers, while the private villas and residences have their own private pools, kitchens, dining rooms and stairs right down to the beach.
Even less expense has been spared on their dining options, which include dinner in a tree, a Chef’s Table or an Omakase experience. Their wine cellar is also a sight to behold, designed in futuristic style with sleek wood, it contains over 3,200 bottles. Outside of relaxing and eating, the spa, nature trails, golf course, water park, cruises, and diving trips should be more than enough to occupy your time.
Learn more about Dorado Beach a Ritz Carlton Reserve
8. Condado Ocean Club | San Juan
An all-adult hotel right on San Juan’s beachfront, Condado Ocean Club is the palace for an exclusive grown-up getaway. Designed in perfect Malibu beach house style, with white wooden decking, patterned turquoise furnishings, and rooms that open onto the ocean, the entire theme is beach-luxe.
Also blending into the ocean, the spacious infinity pool is backed by a white terrace for enjoying some Puerto Rican coffee, while private cabanas, a DJ and freshly mixed cocktails bring the party. All of the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows which look like paintings, but are in fact, just framing the golden sand and blue waters beyond. Some have private balconies, plus flat-screen TVs, a stocked minibar and Malin+Goetz bath products.
There are three drinking and dining options: Social, for delicious Puerto Rican plates; Detox, for light breakfasts and fresh smoothies; or Sandbox, a beach bar serving sliders and small plates accompanied by evening drinks.
Find out more about Condado Ocean Club
9. Ciqala Suites | San Juan
A luxury San Juan property designed to feel like home, Ciqala Suites has packed everything needed into its walls, from the rooftop plunge pool and saunas to the in-house restaurant. Accommodation options include suites, studios and superior rooms, all of which have king-sized beds and ensuites, while some feature jacuzzis, walk-in wardrobes and kitchen and dining areas.
In the heart of the city, their restaurant, Eter Rooftop & Lounge has one of the best views of San Juan, along with a Spanish-inspired menu of paella, tapas and lots of mojitos. The hotel’s location in Miramar is the best part, meaning museums, bars and restaurants are on the doorstep, and there’s also a free shuttle to the beach.
Learn more about Ciqala Suites
10. Puertas at el Quenepo | Vieques
In the cute village of Esperanza, Puertas at al Quenepo looks just like a beautiful Mediterranean villa, with wooden stable doors, a huge terrace, and pink flowers climbing up the walls. The best thing about this guesthouse is that it sits on top of the restaurant of the same name, so fresh seafood and cold caipirinhas are always minutes away.
Overlooking the beach, there are currently just four rooms, which have pretty tiling, four poster beds, verandas with white hammocks and colourful artwork. You can also make use of the French press, rainfall shower and a daily breakfast basket. Although the location may seem secluded, the pretty esplanade has plenty of bars and restaurants, and bioluminescence tours leave directly from the beach.
Discover more about Puertas at el Quenepo
11. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort | Rio Grande
It’s hard to find better than a St. Regis property, and the elegant, oceanfront Bahia Beach Resort would seem to agree, looking like a millionaire’s tropical island mansion. The building used to be a sugar cane plantation, but after a multi-million-pound renovation, it’s now both a luxury hotel and wildlife sanctuary.
Amenities are first-class and almost endless: there’s a spa, massage villas, yoga classes, an infinity pool, world-famous golf course, and butler service. The interiors and rooms were designed by celebrated Puerto Rican designer, Nono Maldonado, and celebrate the ocean, beaches and flora of the nation. The 139 rooms have private terraces and high ceilings, decorated in off-white with light wood floors, light blue soft furnishings and sliding doors. The larger suites have designated butlers, flat-screen TVs and showers so big you could host a party.
Greek-inspired Paros and Seagrapes, which serves an international menu in the garden, are the hotel’s eateries, while the St. Regis Bar is the perfect place for some canapes and cocktails at sunset.
Learn more about the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort
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