Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve feels singularly exclusive as you first approach its open-air arrival pavilion, which frames the Atlantic Ocean and rises out of a modern-day moat teeming with water lilies, and it is. Occupying 50 beachfront acres first developed by a Rockefeller conservationist, the resort was the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Americas and only the second in the world when it opened in December of 2012. After a property-wide refresh in 2018 that was overseen by Wilson Associates, the property boasts an even cleaner, more sophisticated look today.With a staff of personal embajadores ready to fulfill any request and a secluded stretch of swimmable beaches, it delivers on the brand’s vision of a hyper-luxurious boutique resort steeped in its unique location. At once family-friendly and romantic — the grounds and paths were planned in a curved design so you glimpse less people on your private escape — Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve is perhaps above all a haven for discerning nature lovers. This is where high thread counts meet an evening chorus of coqui frogs, and where you can control your TV with your iPhone while watching a merry band of lizards dart around outside your room. Indulge in flame-grilled fare with a side of ocean views at brand-new signature restaurant COA, and then hit the 11 miles of nature trails that circle the resort. Dorado Beach is the best of both worlds.