A refreshing new alternative to large chain resorts, San Juan's Water Club is the only beachfront boutique in the Caribbean's liveliest city. It is the Caribbean's first and only candidly contemporary design hotel.

This 84-room boutique is 5 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes to Old San Juan. It overlooks the finest beach in Isla Verde, palm-bordered and uncrowded. The rooftop pool is like swimming in the sky. In a one-of-kind luxury environment, there are constant surprises for even the most sophisticated travelers. All rooms have water views. Beds and work tables face ocean and sky. The outdoor beauty is conveyed indoors with waterfalls, unusual theatrical lighting and, in guest corridors, sounds of gently breaking waves.

Don't let the serenity fool you. The sensuous main bar, Liquid, is San Juan's trend-setter rendezvous, where partying is non-stop until dawn. The open-air rooftop lounge, Wet, offers dazzling views of the tropical Atlantic and capital city. Restaurant, Tangerine is "The Ultimate of San Juan's best dining," judged by international food critics.