Famed French chef Alain Ducasse will open his first restaurant in the Caribbean at the new W Retreat & Spa: Vieques Island this November, called "miX on the beach." At the eatery (above) Ducasse will offer a sophisticated menu, exploring "colorful Latino Caribbean flavors with an artful French twist and refreshing dishes that highlight only the finest ingredients from land and sea, expertly prepared and creatively presented." Both indoor and outdoor dining will be available with impressive ocean views on all sides. The first W Retreat & Spa in the Caribbean, the resort is located just off the Southeast coast of Puerto Rico on the peaceful 55-acre island of Vieques. In addition to miX on the beach, Ducasse's team will also manage the entire food and beverage program for the resort.

If you happen to be heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico, the hotel options are dizzying. There's an endless stream of accommodations in every price range, but if you're looking for effortless, relaxing luxury, complete with a pristine beach and a prime location, I highly recommend the Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa, & Casino (above).

The Ritz-Carlton is located right on Isla Verde beach (pale, fine sand and completely cleaned out for swimming), two miles from the airport and six miles from Old San Juan. I actually had the pleasure of staying at this resort in its inaugural year (my parents say it was under construction but all I remember is the hot tub and the big door to the beach, which look the same -- the tub and the door, that is; the beach was rocky back then), as well as earlier this month.

There's an extra luxurious way to stay which may actually end up saving you money: Stay on the Club Level. Not only do you get access to the exclusive 9th floor -- accessible only by key -- and a gorgeous, two-bathroom suite, but there's a Club Lounge up there where you can have expedited check-in and check-out service, a super-attentive concierge and, best of all, free food and drinks all day long. Now, I don't recommend trying to make a luxury meal of the (lovely) buffet, but when you want a light lunch or a quick snack? The Club Lounge offers elegant, tasteful dishes -- including local desserts -- as well as wine, champagne, and pretty much anything you want if you just ask (this includes the endless morning coffee working people like me require). Considering what snacking (and drinking) can cost you at a many-star hotel, paying extra for the Club Level may actually work to your advantage -- and at the very least it eliminates the calculator from the frugal mind which is constantly adding up the daily costs of your vacation.

The hotel offers a full-service, well-regarded Spa and Casino, as well as some top notch restaurants, including a BLT Steak and Il Mulino. There is also a Tiffany & Co. and a Little Switzerland, for the shopping-inclined, and like I said, Old San Juan, with all its fabulous food and drink options, is just a six mile cab ride away. The real amenity of this hotel, though? Ritz-Carlton service. When you head down to the beach and drag the chairs all over the place, an RC employee will probably approach you -- and ask if he can drill a hole in the sand for you and plant an umbrella. Seriously.

For more beautiful photos of a beautiful property, click below.

All phases of the three-year, $65 million renovation have finally been completed at the Condado Plaza Hotel & Casino in San Juan. Owner LXR Luxury Resorts brought in New York-based architect David Rockwell, whose firm is best known for its work on Nobu, the W New York and the upcoming JetBlue Terminal at JFK airport, to do a 20,000-sq.-ft. multipurpose lobby redesign. Manhattan meets Latin in the vibrant revamp, which includes two bars and a banquet hall.

Rockwell also designed a branch of New York meat-eaters mecca Strip House for the project, with a mixture of silk, velvet and leather plus vintage burlesque photos on the walls. Designer Leo A. Daly redid all 570 guest rooms in an equally colorful and stylish fashion. The resort features three freshwater and saltwater swimming pools, a stretch of private beach and a 24-hour casino.

I never used to think of water parks as particularly luxurious but that's been changing lately with parks springing up everywhere from Bahrain to Slovakia. Check out the Coqui Water Park in the Marina Village of the El Conquistador Resort in Las Croabas, Puerto Rico. The new park is part of the property's $120 million renovation and is the first water park ever to sit along the Caribbean Sea and overlook the Atlantic Ocean. It includes an 8,000-square-foot lazy river, 253-foot double inner tube slide, high-speed, 40-foot vertical drop, and 26-foot serpentine flume body slide. There is also a 25,554-square-foot sunbathing deck, 9,000-square-foot infinity edge pool,kids' pool area with a Coqui kids slide. The resort also includes a 26,000-square-foot Golden Door Spa. Packages at the lavish El Conquistador Resort include a full Caribbean buffet breakfast daily, water park passes and airport transportation and prices vary greatly depending on the season with rooms in the summer starting in the $240 range and zooming up to over $1000 per night for the larger suites.