The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico

Character and identity

Set on a former sugar cane and coconut farm at the edge of El Yunque rainforest, this 139-room oceanfront resort fronts a two-mile beach about 35 minutes from San Juan airport. The look, by local designer Nono Maldonado, runs to dolphin-gray and sand-dollar-white interiors with cavernous bathrooms, rain showers, soaking tubs and private terraces. Dining splits between casual poolside fare at Seagrapes and upscale Mediterranean at Paros, with nightly Champagne sabering in the lobby bar beneath a restored Arnaldo Roche Rabell mural. The Iridium spa, Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course and Audubon-certified grounds round out a polished, white-glove operation.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for here is seclusion and a finely calibrated service register, on one of Puerto Rico's most expansive beaches and beside the El Yunque rainforest. Rates run high and the resort fee adds up, so it makes most sense for couples or families staying several nights and using the spa, golf and boathouse. Book an ocean-facing room with terrace.