Blue Boy Inn

Named for a 1770 Renaissance painting by Thomas Gainsborough, the Blue Boy Inn is a true retreat. It's close to the beach, bars, and restaurants yet when inside the thick walls of the custom-built property, the atmosphere is private and serene. Tiled terraces and hallways are lined with terra-cotta pots filled with palm trees and ferns while gardens are consumed with various shades of flowering hibiscus and other colorful plants.

The entrance to the hotel leads to a small lobby cluttered with pamphlets, flyers, and information about the various activities available in Rincon -- everything from reminders about the local farmer's market to paddleboard rentals and horseback riding excursions. A small breakfast room, the scene of made-to-order omelets and pancakes, is an air-conditioned sun room with an arrangement of tables for two and blue chairs.

The heart of the property is the massive pool and its surrounding terrace, where guests prone to self-catering can cook a feast in the outdoor kitchen, prepare cocktails to be enjoyed at the swim-up bar, or simply sit at the fire pit after the sun sets. The hotel offers ample room for guests to find privacy. A lounge-like covered terrace overlooking the pool features private pod-like chairs and nooks with candles and reading lamps (and bug spray). A private garden is designed for reflection. Guests can wander the maze-like pathways past a bubbly water feature, watch turtles eating hibiscus flowers, or sit on a bench beneath the shade of a pergola.

The popular Ship Wreck bar and grill is a few steps from the Blue Boy, while other restaurants, such as the beachfront La Copa Llena, are a five-minute walk. Rincon's downtown area and Plaza Square, where a farmers market is held on weekends, is about a 20-minute walk.

• Two-minute walk to Marina Beach
• Five-minute walk to Steps Beach
• Five-minute drive to the Rincon Lighthouse
• Five-minute drive to downtown Rincon
• Six-minute drive to Domes Beach
• 50-minute drive to Rafael Hernández Airport, Aguadilla
• One-hour, 30-minute drive to Mercedita Airport, Ponce
• One-hour, 30-minute drive to Bosque Estatal De Guánica
• Two-hour, 30-minute drive to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
• Two-hour, 30-minute drive to Old San Juan
• Two-hour, 45-minute drive to El Yunque National Forest

The hotel's eight rooms all follow the same design style with a subdued, mostly ivory, color palette accented by dark wood furniture, colorful vases of fresh-cut flowers, and floral-themed canvas artwork. Privacy and comfort are the main priority  --  the queen-size beds are fitted with high-quality sheets, extra pillows, and fluffy duvets, while thick window treatments can released from their tie backs to block daylight for those sleeping in.

The rooms also come equipped with flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, bottled water, and daybeds or wicker sofas for additional seating and lounging. The hotel's two Pool Studios, tucked beneath the second-floor terrace, overlook the pool and have kitchenettes with microwaves, toaster ovens, and mini-fridges.

The bathrooms are simple but functional with white tile floors, pedestal sinks, and walk-in showers. The private terraces and balconies feature wicker lounge chairs, small tables, arrangements of potted palms and greenery, and frequent visits by Paco, the resident cat.

The hotel's massive pool area overreaches the scale of the intimate inn. The custom creation is surrounded by columns, trellises thick with colorful hibiscus, and neat rows of brown wicker lounge chairs with coordinating umbrellas. Peppy striped hammocks rock above low-lying greenery at one end of the courtyard while a sunken lounge area surrounds an oval-shaped fire pit at the other. There's an outdoor kitchen and dining table for at least 10.

The pool is an L-shaped space with a set of swim-up bar stools (although no bartender). A bubbling hot tub is in one corner of the pool, shaded by a pergola. In addition to the multiple places to lounge and relax around the pool, the Blue Boy has two additional covered terraces and a secret garden with benches, a water fountain, and pet turtles.