Expensive Retreat with Hidden Costs

My partner and I stayed at this luxury inn for three nights. The options for fine accomodation on Vieques are limited, but these accomodations didn't disappoint too much. Isabella and Neptune are the two best rooms and not surprisingly have the highest prices ($275 and $300 a night respectively). We stayed in Isabella which was the most private room at the inn. The room was furnished with antiques and the bed quite comfortable, but the view of the ocean was covered up by the foilage. The bathroom was less than impressive with mildew in the shower and very little hot water. Also, beware that breakfast is not included in the price and the options for eating on the island are few and grossly overpriced since there are no food service companies that deliver to the island (average of $30USD for an entree). Staff at the hotel were fairly friendly, but my partner is vegetarian and Nancy, the innkeeper, still sent us to a steakhouse for dinner. The only vegetarian thing they had was canned spinach! Also, the inn quoted us one price when we called to make our reservation for Neptune (the suite) and then downgraded us to the second best room and still charged us the suite rate. So beware! Get the room name and the price they quote stated in the confirmation letter they send you or you could get taken for a ride. Also, beware of the honor bar that lets you make your own drinks when the bar is closed. There is no price list for any of the drinks and you may be in for a surprise when you check out! One last thing, make sure they reserve a car for you when you make your reservation. Rental cars are in short supply on Vieques and necessary to see the island and even go to restaurants. They should run about $40USD a day.

Heaven on earth

I have spent the most memorable moments of my life at Inn on the Blue Horizon. It is equisite in every detail, physically and mentally. It is almost dreamlike in it's uniqueness. If you want a very special experience this is the place to go. You will go back. I can promise you. Visit the Inn and nowhere else will ever seem as perfect. Watch out, you will fall in love with the whole island, I did. Enjoy every extraordinary moment.

We'll be back!

We just returned from our 15th Anniversary get-away on what we both thought was a slice of paradise - Vieques, PR, and the Inn on the Blue Horizon. We stayed from Oct. 16-20, the "off season" for the island, and enjoyed every moment of the tranquility and picture postcard beauty of both the Inn and of the entire island.

Ours was the Sunrise room for our special va-ca. It is beautifully appointed and spacious, with views of the pool and meadow leading down to the ocean. We spent th early morning hours reading on the "porch" while listening to the calming rhythm of the waves. At night, we fell asleep to the island's version of our summer crickets - the cocquille frogs (I think). On our last morning there, we asked to see other rooms; we would have been happy staying in ANY of the others, honestly.

They were all lovely.

Our days were spent esentially beach hopping from one more beautiful than the last! Most of the time we had the beach all to ourselves - how very romantic! We loved them all, as each beach had something special about it, Blue, Red, Garcia, Navio, Media Luna, and the beach in front of the Inn...

We spent some lunch and late evening time at both Bananas and Amapola, the latter our first night to watch the Yankees clinch the American League (yee ha)! We felt we must have missed something special not to have been able to dine at the Blue Macaw (closed for vacation); maybe the trade-off was the peace and solitude we experienced by the very few people at the Inn. We'll just have to visit in season! We dined at Cafe Media Luna on Chef Monica's outstanding cuisine, and at the Crow's Nest Island Steakhouse for some more delicious eats! We also visited Mamasonga's in Isabel for one of the biggest sandwiches we've ever eaten!

Everyone we met was so friendly - Nancy, Maritza, Bill at Media Luna, the Professor, and Brent and Tammy all made our stay in Paradise just a little sweeter. We'll be back...

Definitely going back

My sister told me about this place, so I brought my wife to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We will be going back every year, because I think this is the most romantic place we've ever been. The staff accommodated all of the special touches I requested - provided rose petals, champagne and chocolate. There are a few caveats - this is not a place to bring children, and not appropriate if you're looking for a "partying" vacation, or a place to be able to conduct business away from home. (phones and internet are hard to come by, cellular coverage is spotty). It IS a secluded paradise hideaway with a serene, quiet atmosphere, and if that's what you're looking for, the Inn provides it, big time.

Heaven on Earth

We had the pleasure of staying at the inn a few years ago, and have been dying to go back ever since. The time we spent at the inn was truly memorable! I can't even begin to describe how magical this place is!! The bar and restauraunt are extraordinary, the pool is divine... I wish that we could have gotten maried on the cliff overlooking the ocean. What an astounding place!

What Heaven Must Be Like

Everything about this place, the pool, the open-air atrium, the beautiful antiques, the views, the food, made this the best vacation I have ever had. I have a high-pressure job, and, honestly - I didn't have a care in the world when I was at the Inn. I felt as if I had been given a small peek at Heaven, and it put a whole new perspective on life for me. I agree with the person who said that this place inspires creativity - I wrote and sketched the entire time. Next time I will bring watercolors! James Weis is a wonderful, gracious host and the staff is warm, friendly and extremely helpful without being "in your face". I will be going back soon.

Best kept secret in paradise

We stayed at the Inn on the Blue Horizon this May for only three days.

We were leaving on a cruise after our stay there or we would have definately stayed longer. This was a 25th anniversary tip for us and my husband didn't know there was no TV at the Inn. He never missed it. It was truly an incredible place. The Isabella cabana is the room at the very end of the sidewalk and proclaimed as one of the best ones. It was perfect. The bar was great and the staff was wonderful. The housekeepers prepare your breakfast and they know each and every guest - you don't even need to sign the ticket, they call you by name! There are beach chairs and coolers right in your room. Even bug spray and a flash light. The pool overlooks the ocean but watch out for Humphrey, the resident Golden Retriever, he steals your shoes.

Don't miss the BioBay while on Vieques. It is truly one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. I wasn't going to get in the water until I saw a fellow quest doing snow angels in the glowing green water! Be sure to find Blue Beach. It's a bit of a rugged drive but well worth the effort. We could barely see two other people at the end of this very long strand of white sand and crystal blue water. There were even shelters with picnic tables to take a break from the sun.

Someday, I hope to be able to return to the Inn and stay longer. We've been to alot of the islands in the Caribbean, and this is one of the few I'd consider living on and definately one I hope to return to.

Best kept secret

I couldn't agree more with the writer from san juan. my husband and I were there summer 2001 and I was proposed to...we came back for our honeymoon summer 2002. we dream about this place on a daily basis. the atmosphere, the company, the food, the dog. it's hard to put into words our experience every time we visit vieques. of all the places in the world we can visit...we keep wanting to come back to inn on the blue horizon. truly magical, and incredibly romantic.

The most inspiring Inn in the Caribbean

The Inn on the Blue Horizon defies a specific time and place. It was definitely created by the hands of an artist and the soul of a poet. It is a connecting point between modern living and a time long gone where simplicity was the rule. It evokes the times of a truly layback caribbean. The place is as if taken from a movie or a different era. The atmosphere is filled with friendliness from the staff and the visitors. No one gets in the way, yet everyone is ready to help to make the experience an unforgettable one. The emphasis is on comfort and simplicity. There is only one phone and no TV; yet neither is missed. The Inn is close to some of the most beautiful beaches in the caribbean and a quiet small town in Vieques.

Very few places achieve what they achieve, namely to make you feel as if you were at a friend’s house visiting for a few days. The details of the Inn reflect the good taste and artistry of the owner. The decoration, paintings and furniture, as well as the choice of color all go well and create a predominantly caribbean style home, with high ceilings and open spaces where the breeze can easily flow from place to place. The Inn does not even try to compete with the greater surroundings of a caribbean island. Instead it becomes part of the environment by using the textures, colors, and fabrics of the caribbean. It works within the context of a truly modest and exceptionally relaxed place. This allows for the environment and all it has to offer to be appreciated in greater detail. The rooms are also all well decorated and furnished with antiques. They are comfortable and private since each is basically a small villa. At night, the place is surrounded by the sounds of coquies all singing against the crashing waves of the ocean creating a serene and pleasing atmosphere. The pool is outside in the mist of local plants, palm trees and lawns, and it allows for a perfect, breathtaking view of the ocean.

It would be unusual not to feel compelled to either write, paint, compose or engage in some sort of creative activity since the entire place is inspiring.

Best In Puerto Rico

Over a two-week vacation travelling around PR in April '02, we stayed at 6 different hotels, including the Marriott-SJ, El Convento, Horned Dorset, & Copamarina, and the Inn on the Blue Horizon was without question the best of the bunch. We had stayed at the Hacienda Tamarindo a few years ago, also a very nice hotel, but were eager to stay at the Inn after having dinner and drinks there. Our room was outstanding: wonderful furniture & decoration, very comfortable bed, double sinks, cool adirondack chairs on the front deck overlooking the grounds and the sea; the common areas of the hotel were similarly awesome: cool, comfortable, and quirky decoration, a nice pool, great dining areas; speaking of which, Chef Michael's food lives up to its excellent reputation as the best on the island and one of the best in all of PR. The owners and staff are extremely friendly and accomodating and absolutely add to the charm of the place. Suffice it to say that I enthusiastically recommend the Inn on the Blue Horizon. As an aside, Vieques is still a wonderful place to visit despite the Navy protests - unless you drive by the Camp Garcia entrance, you'd never know that there were protests at all. The Viequenes have always been very pleasant, sociable, and appreciative of the tourist trade in our visits there.