HotelChatter

The 100-room, 14-suite haven is located in the chic Dorado community, on 1,400 acres of a former Laurance Rockefeller estate and three miles of Caribbean beach. Plus, the resort has partnered with Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of Jacques, with an Ambassadors of the Environment program. Specializing in education and eco-adventure, guests will have access to showcases of the island’s Taino Indian culture, forest preserves, as well as hiking and snorkeling in the coral reefs. And we can’t think of a better place to explore the sea than the area’s turquoise-blue Sardinera Bay.

The Ritz will command a whopping low-season starting rate of $1200 per night (high season rates begin at $1900). That price will get you a beachfront room (everyone gets a view!) private plunge pool, and butler service. The property doesn’t slouch when it comes to amenities either, it seems with a five-acre “botanical spa” and the culinary stylings of gourmet restaurant wonder chef José Andrés. Still, we were shocked at the rate which tops the St. Regis Bahia by $600 a night, and that hotel is considered the creme of Puerto Rico.

We hope to be on the scene when the Dorado opens its doors, but for now it’s still at construction site. Now, if we hear some news that the Turks and Caicos property is back in business, this will be one terrific Caribbean trifecta!