The only Relais & Chateaux property on the island, this hideaway remains Puerto Rico's most select retreat. The operating principle still proudly touts "No Activities." Forget about crab races or limbo contests. Reading seems to be the primary occupation of guests, though there are some complimentary sea kayaks for exploring the coastline. Accommodations still lack TVs, but the owners have finally broken down and put phones in many of the guest rooms. A computer in the main building provides free Internet access as well. (The hotel still forbids radios and cellular phones in public areas, and guests will find neither children under 12 nor pets here.)
Named after a breed of sheep raised at the owners' New York farm, this hotel may have few facilities, but they are all tailored for the tastes of solitude-seekers appreciative of lofty standards, fine cuisine and tranquility.
The beautiful extensive grounds teem with exotic plants and specimen trees and are
fired up with cascades of bougainvillea, hibiscus and frangipani. A curving split staircase fronts the colonial-style hacienda. Its first floor houses the stunning lobby and lounge, the small open-air dining room for breakfast and lunch, and the charming wicker-furnished library.
Beyond the lounge, the porch cantilevered over the sea makes a great spot for a glass of champagne at sunset. Upstairs, a fabulous five-course menu is offered at dinner in the glamorous restaurant, whose French doors open to a wraparound seaview balcony. The stairway also sweeps down to a gigantic fountain abloom with water lilies and to the pool area, where breakfast and lunch can also be taken.
The lushly planted pool area features a wide deck dotted with Italian umbrellas and chaise longues. A second pool and a gym add greater appeal for those who want to keep in shape. In June 2007, a new wellness center with spa and yoga pavilion will open. The dark-wood pavilion, set high amongst 
the trees and adorned with a single, stain-glassed chandelier, is serenity in itself. Fishing and whale-watching can be arranged, and golf is 30 minutes away. There is a new heliport on premises and car parking is free.
Guest rooms, each unique, match the standards of the plush public rooms, with Persian rugs over tile floors, jalousies and mullioned windows, and vast well-equipped baths with brass fixtures, bidets and gray marble surfaces in many. The only noise pollution at this hotel comes from the hair dryers; even the air conditioning is exceptionally quiet. Many units have queen sofa beds in sitting areas, roomy armoires, and furnished seaview balconies. Four-poster beds and clawfoot tubs add to the antique look in many. Rooms 1-9 are superb choices featuring studio configurations right on the water. Each of the four suites in Casa Escondida boasts a plunge pool, and Villa Mirador's extremely private plunge pool is just steps from the surf.
The new Primavera 
Suites are clustered in a village-like configuration and boast new, beautifully styled Moorish interiors. Marble floors, domed archways, and handcrafted Eastern furniture create a luxurious yet sacred atmosphere on the first floor. Dark-wood jalousies open to private plunge pools set into small terraces facing the ocean and sleek, stainless steel kitchens provide all the modern appliances. A marble staircase winds up to the bedroom where a four-poster bed sits before a raised area where guests can indulge in their own personal spa. The renovated bathing areas include extra large baths, nine-headed showers, separate marble toilets and bidets, and serene views through the jalousies.
The staff is as well-polished as the silver here, and standards are uniformly high. Horned Dorset Primavera has little need to advertise, for word has gotten out, and although no horned dorsets populate this Puerto Rican paradise, many very lucky vacationers do.
