The word rich has many connotations. For now, I mean the $ I have ever spent on a hotel room.

When we came back from a short vacation in Puerto Rico in 2008, I promptly wrote a blog post, but missed writing about the most important part of it.

This is an inn in the city of Old San Juan, constructed by linking and restoring a handful of houses as old as 300 years, on the road along the Atlantic shore and creating an exotic guest experience that — quite frankly — will not be matched by any lux hotel or covered by any ZAGAT rating.

As you can see in the picture, this place has everything to do with the hallways, the exhibition rooms, the common access places (terrace, swimming pool) etc…It even has a room with a grand piano, where the owners invite distuinguished musicians to play during an evening — of course, exclusively for the guests.

The place lets you relax, not with massage salons and spas, but by creating an atmosphere which naturally sets in your mind. The interiors, the statues, the paintings, the walls, the furniture — everything you can possibly find in the inn have one thing in common — details.

The owners — an old couple — live in the same place too. They make your experience anything but a vanilla hotel experience. To add a flavorful twist to this, there have a bunch of parrots — the most famous of them being Campeche — who just won’t quit on you, especially if you are affectionate to him.

I recommend you stay in this place (btw, a friend of mine recommended this place for me) if ever you go to San Juan in Puerto Rico. You don’t need a separate visa if you live in the US.

The rent? $400 per night. I think every cent of it was worth it.