Dan M.
Yelp
Normally, when we travel, we don't care much where we stay because the hotel is just a place to lay our heads between exploring. Villa Cofresi is one of the first places we have stayed where the hotel itself transformed the entire experience. We stayed two nights here while road tripping up Puerto Rico's west coast (Cabo Rojo-Playa Buye-downtown Rincon for the art walk-Steps Beach-and Domes Beach), but our time at the hotel was our favorite part.
The biggest selling point: they might have the single greatest hotel bar we have ever seen. It's all open air with seating literally feet from the water, and unobstructed views of miles and miles of open ocean. You have a direct view of the sun setting behind the water, and when those famous Rincon sunsets lit up the sky, we were in heaven. The bar serves a signature drink, the Coco PIrata, which is a mix of rums, coconut milk, and coconut water topped with a healthy dash of cinnamon. The whole thing is served inside a coconut. It tastes so delicious we had to share multiple orders each night during our visit. The bar area is adjacent to the pool, plus there is a second story deck if you want a more private space to enjoy your drinks. Even if you aren't getting drinks, though, you are free to roam the common areas and just enjoy the view. It is so close to the water the waves actually come right up to the side of the hotel.
On top of that, you get access to a private area of the beach, free from crowds, and the beach in this area is very swimmable. The more famous public beaches nearby are known more for being surfing beaches, and they are virtually impossible to swim in due to the intense waves and rocks. The beach by Cofresi, though, has such soft sand and gentle waves, it's perfect for a relaxing swim. It was a very refreshing way to start the day.
The staff is very kind, too, and the rooms are pretty affordable for a beachfront hotel. If you want to really live it up, they offer King rooms with a private balcony overlooking the ocean. During our stay, those rooms were only $20 more than regular rooms, so we thought it was worth the extra splurge, and it was amazing. We spent some day each day enjoying some coffee with a book overlooking the ocean, and one night, we brought our coco piratas up there to enjoy the sunset. At night, overlooking the ocean, you can see tons of stars - we even saw a shooting star one night. Hard to top that.
I can't recommend this place more highly. If you're visiting Puerto Rico, the drive to Rincon for a few nights here is totally worth it.