Midway between Condado and Isla Verde, this small 1940s guesthouse occupies the Ocean Park residential neighborhood, three blocks west of the similar Hosteria del Mar. This property, however, is even more private. Surrounded by a formidable wall, this three-story plantation-style house has a locked entrance, and the reception area at the gate looks more like a security post.
Once guests are buzzed in, though, they are met by a profusion of grace and goodwill. The first thing they see is a tiny but attractive pool with a bar and the excellent, if expensive, Pamela's restaurant directly beyond.
Continental breakfasts included in the rate are heavy on fruit. The lunch and dinner menu at the restaurant is impressive, the food aptly described as
New World Caribbean cuisine. Most guests staying here to save money splurge for a dinner but go elsewhere for the majority of their meals.
The teak chairs and tables spread out onto the beach, where umbrellas shade sunbathers. Guests can use the pool at all times except during dinner hours, but it is little more than a place to get your hair wet, and is certainly not large enough for swimming.
Thanks to 2005 renovations, the hotel's interior has modernized. A blonde slat wood staircase rises to a breezy sitting area that opens onto the shared terrace. White stucco walls have been sanded away and replaced with matte Mediterranean tones. All rooms have wall mounted flat-screen TVs, mini bars, fridges, ceiling fans, desks and chair, high-speed 
Internet access, air conditioning, safes, and arty photographs of local landmarks above the beds. The remodeled shower-only baths are small but stylish and clean, with attractive sink basins and tile work. The least expensive rooms are the two smaller economy models in back. The five moderate rooms are of average hotel size and have similar high-quality furnishings on white-tiled floors. Of the three oceanview rooms, Room 7 has only a glimpse of the water but compensates by being larger than 11 or 12, the same size as the moderate rooms. The hotel also rents two apartments half a block from the beach.
Numero Uno offers more style than the homegrown Hosteria del Mar, but for anyone seeking a quality guesthouse on the beach, either will do.
