Tres Palmas Inn

With colorful signs reminding guest to relax and breathe, the laid-back Tres Palmas Inn is part hotel, part beach house. The mid-range property sits behind a tidy white fence beneath a trio of tall palm trees (hence the name), across the road from a slice of Ocean Park Beach, appealing to couples and stop-over travelers embarking on cruises or flights from the nearby airport and cruise terminal.

Beside rows of flowering hedges, and within earshot of crashing waves, colorful aquamarine Adirondack chairs give guests a spot to settle, or they can swing in rope hammocks. For the more ambitious, there's a windsurfing shop next door. Bikes and beach chairs lean against the wall outside the small lobby furnished with retro, lime-green sofas and weathered coffee tables decorated with driftwood. Around the corner, an open-air dining room is the scene for the daily continental breakfast where guests can sit in the shade or in the sun, in sight of the ocean.

The hotel is a two-story white stucco, Spanish colonial style building with arched doorways and a red barrel-tile roof; rooms are set along the courtyard hallways bordered by small palm trees, twisting vines, and potted bougainvillea. A rippling fountain invites guests to peek in at the animated Koi fish while a lounge area with wide teak furniture outfitted with cobalt blue cushions is ideal for reading and socializing. The courtyard pool is an alternative cooling off spot to the ocean across the street while the spacious two-tier roof deck offers a variety of seating opportunities from hammock chairs to loungers to a bubbling hot tub all with ocean views.

Tres Palmas Inn is set on a somewhat busy, two-way road that separates the hotel from a sliver of golden sand beach. While there's no restaurant or bar on-site, guests can embark on a 10-minute walk to reach a local market and a few restaurants. The resort-minded stretch of Condado and Isla Verde, along with the lively scene of Old San Juan, are all within easy reach via a quick cab ride. When it's time to head home, the airport is just a 10-minute drive away.

• 10-minute drive to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
• 10-minute drive to Isla Verde Beach
• 12-minute drive to Condado Beach
• 15-minute drive to the San Juan Cruise Port
• 20-minute drive to Old San Juan
• 35-minute drive to El Yunque National Forest
• 60-minute drive to the Fajardo Ferry Terminal
• 90-minute drive to Arecibo Observatory
• 2-hour 30-minute drive to Rincon

The rooms at Tres Palmas range in size from tiny, closet-like spaces with double beds pushed up against the wall and a narrow hallway separating the bed from the wall and bathroom to spacious suites with king-size beds, kitchenettes, and ocean views from private terraces.

Most of the rooms are located on the ground floor, offering views of the covered patio or the ocean over a fence. Each room has its own distinct style, evoking the feel of staying at a friend's beach house. White walls are decorated with branches of driftwood and framed and canvas artwork, with prints of everything beachy from palm trees to starfish and seahorses. Colorful melamine trays serve as the backdrop for basic items such as a plastic ice bucket. Glass vases are filled with sand and bleached starfish rather than flowers, and bedside and accent lamps feature bases that replicate coral, painted vibrant red and shiny silver.

Beds, set off with tufted or simple wooden headboards or dark wood sleigh-bed frames, have full, queen, or king mattresses wrapped with basic white linens and accented with pillows in colorful ikat prints. All of the rooms feature flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, free Wi-Fi, and open closets with safes. Bathrooms are small and some are outdated and have broken tiles. Most come equipped with white pedestal sinks and white-tiled walk-in showers draped with printed shower curtains.

The outdoor space at Tres Palmas delivers a variety of opportunities to help guests relax. The courtyard pool is tucked at the back of the walled property, offering lounge chairs and a colorful L-shaped nook with cobalt blue cushions. In the front of the hotel, within ear-shot of the crashing ocean waves, rope hammocks are strung between leaning palm trees. Up on the roof, a two-tier terrace finished in terra-cotta tiles, offers shaded areas with hammock chairs and sunny space for sunbathing as well as a hot tub where guests can soak and take in the views of the ocean. Daily continental breakfast is served in an open-air space. While there is no restaurant on site, guests can schlep for 10 minutes to the nearby market to stock their mini-fridges or try one of the local restaurants. Wi-Fi throughout is free.