Inn on the Blue Horizon
Vieques, PR
787-741-3318

Inn on the Blue Horizon Home Page

April 2006

Welcome to www.weloveourlife.com. This is our page dedicated to our experiences while staying at the Inn on the Blue Horizon, Vieques, Puerto Rico.

	The Inn on the Blue Horizon consists of only 10 rooms in a compound spread out on a generous parcel of land, overlooking the Caribbean Sea side of the island. We stayed in room 108 – Isabella, one-half of a casita that appeared to be the furthest from the main building (but a very short walk).
	Our casita had a covered porch with two comfortable wooden Adirondack chairs overlooking the sea. The covered porch was nice because it provided shade during the day and shelter on a couple evenings when it drizzled. There is an electrical outlet on the porch, which we found convenient, since we had taken along our iPod and a small set of speakers.
	The room itself is decorated in a plantation style, with tile floors, yellow walls, and dark Caribbean-inspired furnishings accented with wicker. We had a queen-size four-poster bed flanked by night stands with lamps. The room also contained a chest of drawers, an additional chest with coffeemaker and more storage, two deep, comfortable chairs, and beautiful original artwork. Two windows flanked the bed, and the wall air-conditioning unit was located in this room. There was also a ceiling fan. There are louvers on the double entry door and on the windows to allow breezes to pass through.

The inn requested that air conditioning only be used when guests are in their rooms to conserve energy (not an uncommon practice on the island). Our first day, we tried opening the louvers when we left, but we found that simply shutting the air conditioner off and leaving the louvers closed kept the humidity out of the room (but to each his own). There was a nice sized bathroom with a vanity, toilet, another chest that held the ice bucket on top (and was nice for storing toiletries inside the drawers), a large corner shower, and a ceiling fan that really did a good job at keeping the bathroom cool. There is also a closet off of the bathroom that contains the beach chairs and cooler. Note that there are no TVs. We stayed there 4 nights and didn’t miss it, but were glad we had the iPod and speakers with us.

There was another couple staying in the other side of the casita for part of the time while we were there, but we never heard them, so it was nice and private.

Inn Amenities

	For its small number of rooms, the inn is well-equipped. There is a workout room with a shower (the changing area/shower is available to guests who arrive early or check out late). There are two lighted tennis courts. The inn boasts a saltwater pool. We were told the salt content in the pool is about one-third that of the ocean. It was nice because you don’t smell harsh chemicals on your skin or your swimsuits.
	The inn's pool has one of the best views ever. There is a beautiful open-air living area in the main building with many comfortable furnishings begging guests to sink into them, and books and magazines are available.
	And of course, there is a bar and restaurant on site. Ice is available for free (self-service) in the main building at any time of day.

Inn on the Blue Horizon allows children during the off-season, and during high season, children must be at least age 14.

Inn Food

We ate several meals at Inn on the Blue Horizon. We had breakfast there twice. While the setting is beautiful – on a covered veranda in the main building, looking out on that jaw-dropping view, the food was OK, typical breakfast fare, and a little bit pricey. We liked lunch better, and had lunch at the bar on three separate occasions. The burgers are tremendous, done on fresh local bread. One day, Lori tried a local delicacy, a sort of local sweet potato that was fried. A fruit chutney was served as a dipping sauce, but she preferred Dijon mustard. Keith had a decent chicken sandwich. The inn’s main restaurant is not open every night for dinner. On two evenings that the restaurant was not open, tapas were served in the bar. We sampled chicken satay and the scallops – very good. On our last evening, we ate at the restaurant. The food was good and the setting was beautiful, but it wasn’t the best meal we had. Keith tried the local island dish of Chicken Mofongo, which is sort of like a local version of jambalaya, with plantains. Lori had a tasty shrimp and garlic pasta. One disappointment: we ordered a bottle of wine from the wine list, but after the bottle arrived, we noted it was the same chardonnay we had been drinking all week at the bar, and not the $42 bottle we ordered (but we were still charged $42 for it). It was our last evening, and we had such a good time, we didn’t want to make a fuss, but in hindsight, we probably should have said something.

Two evenings we split dessert at the bar – different flavors of the flan, which was a perfect size (not too much) and very tasty. We felt their strongest offerings were lunch and tapas. Note that the inn’s restaurant just reopened in February 2006 after being closed for some time due to a devastating fire, so they will likely continue to improve.

Inn Bar/Lounge

The bar at the Inn on the Blue Horizon really helps make the place. The bartenders we met – Michelle, Leila, Manny, and Alec – were trained professionals who took good care of us and chatted and smiled and made us feel welcome. The bar is very well-stocked and the bartenders can make practically anything. The bar itself is large and round with hand-painted tropical scenes on top sealed in what looked like acrylic (it was so cool we took some pictures). Stolls ring the bar and there is additional room around the bar for tables and chairs and comfortable wicker furnishings with pillows. There are good, strong ceiling fans which really move the air around and make it very comfortable. On a couple occasions, we got a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket and took it back to our room, where we sat on our porch and listened to music. One thing to note – the drinks are a bit pricey and, since you simply bill them to your room – the tab can add up by the time you check out.

There is an open-air terrace on top of the restaurant with tables, chairs, and umbrellas. Food and drinks are not served up there (we figured it is likely used for private functions) but guests are welcome to use it, and on our last day, we each took a glass of wine up there. The views are stupendous and it is one place you definitely want to take your camera!

Inn People/Service

The people at Inn on the Blue Horizon were wonderful and bent over backwards to help us whenever we asked for anything. We arrived very early – around 10:30, and didn’t expect our room to be ready (check-in is at 2). When we checked in, we were aware they had a changing room and figured we would be using that. But it was a Tuesday and – voila! – our room was actually ready. The woman from the front desk greeted us warmly, showed us around the grounds, and led us to our room. We were pleasantly surprised, but realized this is not something that generally happens. The point to make is that they go out of their way to accommodate you. The front desk is also where you stop in to exchange beach towels.

Our servers at the bar (see Resort Bar/Lounge above) and at evening dinner were very friendly and warm. The servers at breakfast were much more subdued. (Maybe they’re not morning people?)

Shane, the owner, was a visible presence while we were there, and on our last evening, he came over to us and thanked us for staying and said it was a joy to have us. We both commented that it was nice that he made an effort to talk to the guests. He seems to enjoy what he does.

Area/Attractions

Vieques is a beautiful jewel of an island and has much to offer the traveler seeking solitude and scenery. The beaches are some of the nicest we have ever been to. See our Vieques Itinerary page for more information.

Dining

We sampled food from several restaurants outside of "The Blue". See our Vieques Itinerary page for more information.

Nightlife

If you are looking for nightlife, Vieques is not the place for that. Have a nice dinner with your traveling companion, review the wonderful things you saw that day, and gaze up at the stars. That’s the sort of nightlife you get on this island. If you want non-stop action, go to Las Vegas.

Weather

This is the Caribbean and the sun is strong. We commented that we thought the sun was stronger on Vieques than nearly anywhere else we visited. Sunscreen is a must. While there are stores on the island, if you have a favorites type of sunscreen, buy plenty before you leave and take it along with you. Be sure to have a good pair of sunglasses as well. While we were there (a week in late April), the days were brilliantly sunny. The weather cooperated beautifully, only raining two evenings after dark.

Tips/Suggestions

Anyone who has read any of our reviews will know that we seem to be a bit obsessive about bug spray. Well, Vieques is one place that you don’t want to be caught without it. Bravo Beach Hotel had communal bug spray available at the honor bar. We recommend you take your own and spray frequently – morning, noon, and night. One of our fellow guests left her door open for the breeze and went without bug spray and had lots of bites the next day. This is not to say the hotel – or the island – is unclean in any way, because it’s not. It’s just an island that has mosquitoes, so plan ahead and you’ll have a better visit. (What do you expect from an island that has a place called Mosquito Bay?)

Before we went – and on our first evening – we were warned about petty theft on the island. Do not misread this – there are not gangs of people roaming the street. On the contrary, everyone we met was friendly, but we understand some petty theft exists. It is recommended that you do not leave valuables unattended in public. Don’t go in the ocean and leave a valuable camera sitting on the beach unattended. Either take it with you, leave someone with it, or leave it in your room. A locked car with the windows up can send a signal that you are concealing something valuable within. Leave the car unlocked, crack open a window, and take your valuables with you. We took these simple steps and had no problems.