We stayed here years ago & remember the charming little room we had right on the ocean. Now it is all villas, most with no views. The 2 pools, and the restaurants are just wonderful, but villas need some extra touches. These are very nice & decorated in old world PuertoRican decor, but missing most of the amenities that are needed to have a good vacation. The rates are very expensive & for that price, should have lots of extras. No phones, no alarm clocks, no cd players or I-Pod speakers, no coffee makers, no stocked in-room bar, no umbrellas, no way to contact the front office if there are problems.
On the plus side...breakfast on the lawn overlooking the beach is a true luxury! Service is grand. And the main restaurant is one of the treasures of Puerto Rico. A really top notch chef.
The 2 pools are excellent & the whole atmosphere is quiet & luxurious.
However, impossible to rent a room without the meals & there should be some alternatives.

First let me say I selected the Horned Dorset from posts from other Tripadvisor readers. If you have time, read through them, you will find that there are only a few gripes, and in my opinion some of them very petty considering.

I went to HDP for 4 days with my wife in late November/early December. There was only 1 other couple staying on the grounds during the time we were there, but quite a few were checking in the day we left. The solitude on the magnificent grounds are fantastic, they have done wonders.

Rooms are fantastic, details and beauty everywhere. We didn't have an oceanfront room, but could easily view it from our bed. The beach was big enough for walking and tanning, but we spent most of our time out of the room at the Infinity Pool.

The staff did great. They kept timely correspondence prior to my arrival, asked what I might need and how they could assist. I had no worries about anything there before I arrived, I was assured they had it under control. When we got there the wine, chocolate strawberries, and flowers were there for my wife as reqeusted.......needless to say I scored brownie points.

I'm blown away that people could comment poorly on anything food related at HDP. Each meal...breakfast by the sea, lunch in the blue room, or any of our fantastic dinners were spot on. The dining room is the ultimate place for a romantic dinner.

Casey was a huge help for me for finding my way around Rincon and the local surf breaks. I still have the detailed map he drew me on the back of a menu and I'm about to take it with me when I go back in 2 weeks. He is a great guy and an assest to the place.

Last thing. After figuring out how much we probably "spent" each day with our stay (plus included dinner), the HDP was more cost effective (and 200 times nicer) than the Caribe Hilton in San Juan. We didn't have a meal in San Juan that was under $200 that would compare to HDP, and the rooms at Hilton were close to 250-300 bucks a night. That makes the $600 a night at HDP a much better experience for the money.

Do yourself a favor. Save up if you have to, I know we did......but if youever find yourself in this corner of the world, at least stay a night and experience the Horned Dorset.

Four of us went for dinner, and we did a walking tour of the resort. It is beautiful. I much prefer the setting to the other PR resorts I havve stayed at, including Martineau Bay in Vieques and El Conquistador in Fajardo.

Dinner was pleasant, and service was good. The food was fine, but not interesting. It was as if the chef had no love of food, and he was simply going through the motions. The presentation was simple but equally unimaginative.

At $100/person for a meal, there should have been at least one dish that impressed me. And all four of us agreed that we had eaten better meals in San Juan for half the price.

It's often said that "You get what you pay for." It's true! If you've never stayed at a true top quality destination hotel, you should!

Our bad luck at a local B&B ended up introducing us to another universe of resort living, one of luxury, super quality and pampering. It can be expensive, but in the off-season you can negotiate very attractive rates (discounted from the rack or stated rates).

Early December was wonderfully quiet. At one point, there was only one other guest at the hotel. We got to know him well! Fascinating gentleman and author. The staff was super attentive. Food was wonderful.

It was also great fun watching the place getting totally spiffed-up for the visit from Travel & Leisure (wedding edition). When the New Yorkers arrived, the resort assumed a different air. They'd carried their native nervousness with them!!! It was really amusing to watch the models and staff flit to and fro!

If you go, be sure to get to know Casey Moul, the head waiter: great guy and surfer!