Horned Dorset Primavera Hotel

Guests of this 16-suite compound on Rincón’s western coast will experience a unique fusion of Puerto Rican service, Moroccan décor and French food, making it a beloved spot for many, but not for everyone.

• The main villa’s second floor dining room with formal antiques, including a grand piano sitting atop a checkered black-and-white floor
• The four Casa Escondido rooms have access to spectacular star gazing on the third floor
• Live concerts (usually classical or Jazz music) hosted every month

The only luxury hotel in Rincón, on Puerto Rico's western coast, the Horned Dorset Primavera can feel hidden, even for those staying there. But something about its loyalty to the aesthetics of North Africa and France so unexpectedly displayed is utterly appealing. At the end of a treacherously steep driveway, past a seemingly untouched swimming pool, dogs nap by a trickling fountain at the entrance of the white-washed Colonial Spanish villa.

Ten of the 16 suite accommodations are housed in buildings just to the east of the main villa overlooking the water. A short but steep uphill path accesses six upper-level rooms, while the gym and yoga pavilion sit towards the far east end of the grounds. The air-conditioned rooms have a king-sized bed, living room, full bathroom and kitchenette. All are adorned with Moroccan accents and no two rooms are alike. Whitewashed stucco walls serve as a display for everything from the carved wooden canopy beds and embroidered fabrics to delicate mirrors and ceiling fixtures ornately carved in wood.  Contemporary amenities like steel refrigerators and showers with Jacuzzi-jet style outlets balance out the ‘shabby chic’ design elements, elevating the Horned Dorset accommodations.

Unit 19 (also known as the presidential suite) is best for couples. A fence surrounds its sizable outdoor plunge pool next to the entrance, and unlike any others on property, it has a second bedroom on the ground floor. A smaller, more decorative pool sits nearby along with the outdoor yoga pavilion and gym, whose contemporary exercise equipment looks misplaced sitting in the grand, dusty room it occupies.

Across the asphalt path, double wooden doors open into Casa Escondido, a building with four rooms grouped around a common space lit by a grand, antler-shaped chandelier. (The Casa Escondido rooms can be booked individually or all together to accommodate larger groups or families.) The stark wooden floors and stained-glass windows above evoke a chapel-like feel.

The reception-cum-concierge team is a one- or two-man show, and staff members often seem surprised to see guests. However, with connections to the best local service providers from manicurists to boat charter companies, it seems they can, eventually, meet most requests.

Breakfast is served in the Blue Room, a restaurant with walls covered in hand-painted, dazzling blue tiles. These common spaces would feel like stale captain’s quarters were it not for the always-open doors leading to a large terrace overlooking the beach and sparkling water. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available à la carte, and a locally sourced four-course special menu is offered each night at dinner.

Independent, flexible travelers who prefer to be left alone (couples or families with older children) and are looking for something out of the ordinary. Those traveling with young children and highly active vacationers should book somewhere else. Though Suite # 9 does not have stairs and features an accessible bathroom, people with mobility issues might be more comfortable staying elsewhere.