Major ongoing renovations have kept Las Brisas from looking like a 50s relic, so while Bob Hope and Neil Armstrong have stayed here, so have Bill Clinton and Bono. The white, gray, and pink decor is refined and light, elegant without taking away from the blue skies and sea through the glass doors.

Large flat-screen TVs with DVD players also feature streaming "romantic" or "chill-out" music and continental breakfast is delivered each morning to an indoor/outdoor box by the door: sleep in as late as you want. Toiletries and the minibar are both extensive and these are some of the roomiest quarters in the region.

Alas, the dramatic hillside location is both a plus and a minus. To get virtually anywhere, a jeep must pick you up for a ride to a restaurant, the tennis courts, or the lobby complex with boutique and cigar shop. For now the business center by the lobby is the only spot for Internet access, though WiFi will spread in the new year.

The beach club, with its own seaside restaurant, requires a longer excursion on a shuttle bus. For hanging out on a private pool terrace and acting like you own the place, however, having to summon a chauffeur at your beck and call can be viewed as a minor inconvenience.

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