It is hard to sum up in words the experience my boyfriend and I had at Horned Dorset; magical, euphoric, pure joy, untouched beauty all don't quite suffice. It's one of those places that you feel "in the know" for experiencing, like it is a long kept secret, a hidden door and that you somehow found the key.

I came across the Horned Dorset website after a few days of extensive searching for a great place to take a quick, romantic vacation. It was not easy to find and I assume that is how they like it. However, once I did find it I knew we had to go. It can be a bit pricey but once you are there you realize it's a bargain for the price per night. Most 4 or 5 star vacation resorts, especially in the Caribbean will cost around $500/night (the disneyland-like Atlantis in the Bahamas does and all you get is a single, cookie cutter room with horribly cheesy bed spreads.) That being said we paid $420/night during off season for a two FLOOR garden villa with a private outdoor plunge pool and it was gorgeous. Working in real estate I can tell you this place is worth well more than that...but being that it is located on the west side of Puerto Rico I think that may bring the cost down. We seriously couldn't believe we had this all to ourselves. A living room, dining area, small kitchen (no stove), two full bathrooms one with a free standing tub and the most gorgeous wooden, 4 poster bed I have ever seen!

The villa was meticulously appointed and fit in perfectly with the rest of the property. Decorated in a Mediterranean hacienda style you truly feel transported to another place in time, where there is no rush and relaxation is your only goal. Most of the property is crisp white surrounded by manicured palm trees and other vegetation. The main building where you can eat lunch, dinner or just play chess has red tiled floors and is decorated with hand picked ornaments and furniture. Pelicans fly by on a daily basis swooping down to grab a fish or two. These gorgeous birds are right at your fingertips putting on a show seemingly just for you.

Okay I am rambling. The two pools on the property are great, the infinity pool which is visible from the entrance is smaller and not very deep, but when we were there we were the only people who sat by it so the size or depth didn't matter. We had the pool to ourselves! The pool by the main building is much larger and is very private and pretty. Most vacationers sit by that one. The beach is very small, almost non-existent on high tide days and you can't really swim in the water as it's quite rocky under the surf, but it's just so picturesque you don't really care. We spent a few hours each day after breakfast sitting out on the grass above the beach just reading and watching the birds. Again, it truly feels like your own secret hideaway.

The best meal served there by far is breakfast. Sittting outside with linens, surrounded by sculptures eating from quaint dishware we felt like royalty. The creole french toast was out of this world and the service is more than accommodating. Lunch and dinner are served only in the main dining room and lunch on the porch of the main building as well. While the food is good it's a bit pricey and we didn't eat there for every meal. It'd be great if they expanded where they will serve you and the hours of service during the day a bit. But still not really worth complaining about.

The location of Horned Dorset is a bit tricky to find as it's tucked away on a narrow, residential street but once you get acquainted with the small neighborhood it's easy to get around. Rincon is a small surf town and everyone there is laid back and LOVES their home. People from Rincon stay in Rincon. And while we were there we didn't want to leave either. It's a 2 hour drive to San Juan the bustling capital of Puerto Rico but we didn't care to make the drive, the west side of the island has culture, history and great driving roads.

The whole experience was just phenomenal. The service at Horned Dorset was warm, welcoming and laid back. Everyone seemed genuinely happy. The atmosphere was the definition of peace and the style and appointments were pure sophistication.

Horned Dorset is a truly special place that has a stolen a piece of my heart. We can't wait to return and hopefully one day own a villa on the Horned Dorset property to call home, aka paradise.

If you are thinking about planning a trip to Horned Dorset and have any questions, do not hesitate to send me an email.

Best, SKS.

Everything about this hotel was wonderful. The details in each suite were impeccable and promoted relaxation and romance. It felt like we found a special little hidden gem. I would highly recommend the shower near the beach, it's incredible. We had a wonderful dinner at the restaurant and enjoyed sitting in the bar area overlooking the ocean in the evening. Everything truly was perfect from the dipping pool in each suite, the wonderful staff, the sweet dogies who greeted us, the smell of mahogany, the peaceful beach.... We can't wait to return!
Thank you!
LL

This hotel is a bit challenging to find if you're driving yourself in, but that definately has its pluses once you've settled in under the watchful eyes of GM/Owner Wilhelm Sack. The setting is tranquil. The service spot on. The comforts of the villas are just enough and perhaps then just a tad. I found the bed here to quite honestly be the most comfortable feeling and freshest smelling that I have EVER had the pleasure of sleeping on. So much that I chose to nap in the villa rather than under the sun at the pool. Amazing combination of comforts. Nothing is perfect, right? If I had to find one critique it would be the food and wine offerings. For a Relais & Chateaux, I found both leaving a bit to be desired. Dinner was a 9!! course tasting menu which was a bit overbearing and just above average. There was no offer either to pair the courses with selections from their cellar. Okay it's lame to pick on, but the rest of the resort and its staff were truly memorable. I encourage you to look past the nightly rate, because this place truly delivers value to its guests.

C.

My wife and I stayed for 3 days / 2 nights for our 15th anniversary and wish we had booked longer.

We expected nice accomodations and a pleasant setting. Reality lived up to our expectations.

We were most surprised by the awesome sunsets, temperate breeze flowing through the suite, the bed so comfortable it was hard to get motivated to get up, and the quality of the restaurant.

The giant bath tub was perfect.

There were a few glitches at check-in but nothing that was not immediately resolved by the efficient staff. Also, our room's ice maker didn't seem to make ice. An in-room coffee maker (we are not expresso drinkers) would have been nice.

The absence of phones, TV, radios, clocks, was a really big plus. It is hard to truly decompress with all of those distractions. Plus, we were so busy relaxing we didn't have time for these items anyways.

We stayed in a non-ocean front villa (#49) but the view from the bedroom was clear out over the water, the sound of the surf was as if it was lapping up on our back door, and the gentle breeze lasted all night. We did not miss out on anything and we saved a few dollars. The villa was large, clean, beautifully decorated and easily meets expectations for 5-star accomodations.

Breakfast on the beach is an over-the-top nice touch. It is an amazing way to start the day and feel good about life. There is just something special about a rising sun, warm breeze, gentle surf, fresh crusty bread, and a warm cup of terrific coffee. Just add your favorite loved one and life does not get any better!

We are typically pretty thrifty when it comes to food so we planned to eat at local restaurants. The first evening we were tired so we decided to try the resort's restaurant. Our expectations were low. How good could it be with there being only a few guests at the resort? We both had different specials of the day and...ooohhhh my gosh...we said forget about eating local, let's save our appetite and enjoy our dinners at the resort. (to put this in perspective, I travel 75%+ for work and eat out all the time, all over the world, at some of the "finest" restaurants...and this was really good food! I think their formula is a good chef + only 5 to 10 tables per night = lots of special attention to quality). The restaurant atmospere is A+++ romantic and the food we ate was 5-stars (the potato leak soup and the lamb were the best, the lobster and halibut were way above average, and always order the soufle for desert at the beginning of the evening. The soufle of the evening + a nice decaf is the ideal conclusion to a perfect day in paradise).

All the other guests we bumped into around the pool (maybe 6 total in 3 days) were raving about the food as well. I only heard one complaint and it was about the fetuccini - I think she expected Alfredo and it was actually something else. She admitted that the mistake was hers for not reading the menu well.

The wine list is extensive. We were able to find a favorite at an OK price and stuck to it. It was a crisp Pinot Grigio from Trentino that was served nicely chilled. It went down easily as we watched the incredible sunsets from the bar / lounge / patio area while tasting the tapas of the day.

The two resort pools we used were great. The fitness center looked like it needed some attention so we did not use it. The beach was fine. The dunking pool at our villa was very private and became our favorite spot to hang out. A 6-pack of Carona at the local store was $6 and goes well with the dunking pool and a warm afternoon in the sun.

The drive to and from San Juan was enjoyable for us. We like to explore a bit so we did not even consider it an issue. We arrived via the northern route accross the island and returned via the southern route. It provided us with an opportunity to see the entire island and check out some attractions. It is 2.5 hours from San Juan no matter which way you drive.

If you're a little tight on cash...we suggest you save up, its worth every penny. If you have the money for a top-notch vacation, you would be crazy to overlook this resort. It is a gem.

I did not read the reviews until after I returned. Most I see are equally favorable. The unfavorable comments...well, to each their own. You have to make your own judgement on the type of vacation you desire. All I can say is it would be tough to be miserable at this resort...it would take a "special" type of person to depart after a few days and somehow feel unsatisfied.