Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve: The Art of Living Well in Puerto Rico
Images by The Ritz-Carlton - Luxury Hotels & Resorts
Dorado Beach has a history that gives it a character unlike the typical Caribbean retreat.
When Laurance S. Rockefeller opened his resort here in the 1950s, he approached the former plantation with unusual restraint. Buildings were kept below the height of the palm trees, nature was allowed to remain prominent, and access to the ocean was left unobstructed. Today, Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve occupies 50 acres of that Rockefeller estate, and those early ideas about living gently within the landscape remain part of its identity.
It is a place particularly suited to unhurried days. There is breakfast with an ocean breeze, time on the sand, and afternoons that can remain blissfully unscheduled. For those who want to explore more deeply, the resort’s destination experiences look to Puerto Rico’s natural environment. Naturalists lead guests into the Pterocarpus forest in search of the island’s beloved coquí frog, while other experiences include wildlife walks and stargazing. The East Course offers seaside golf, with ocean views from 15 of its 18 holes.
The five-acre Spa Botánico makes nature part of the wellness experience, incorporating Puerto Rican ingredients and indigenous traditions into its treatments. It feels less like disappearing indoors for an afternoon and more like extending the landscape experience.
Dining can be equally intimate. COA centers its cooking around a custom wood-burning oven, while the resort also arranges dinners beside the ocean, private meals in a treehouse, and dining overlooking a century-old ficus tree. At the Culinary Center, cooking classes and wine dinners unfold in a residential-style kitchen.
To us, Dorado’s appeal is not simply the Caribbean setting. It is the feeling that everything has been given a little more room: nature, conversation, meals, and time itself.
Guests of Huffman Travel enjoy extra VIP amenities when staying at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, including:
VIP status before and throughout your stay
Complimentary daily breakfast
$100 resort credit
Upgrade upon arrival (subject to availability)
Early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability)
Complimentary internet