San Juan, Puerto Rico Boutique Hotel: Gallery Inn

In a word, The Gallery Inn is enchanting. A Puerto Rico boutique hotel with 22 rooms, the Inn sits high atop the Old City’s North Wall, commanding expansive Atlantic Ocean breezes and gorgeous views to the South over the entire San Juan Bay and mountainous central regions of Puerto Rico.

Created within six interconnecting townhouses, the Inn’s 23,000 sprawling square feet have been home to artist Jan D’Esopo since 1961. The property is truly her love child with brick patios, antique arches, ausubo beams, and a multitude of sculptured fountains, many of which Esopo and her partner Manuco hand-crafted to add to the charm and intricate architectural details.

Nineteen gardens and five active art studios are tucked away within the property and rooms are artistically scattered through seven juxtaposed levels — it’s a maze to wander around the mansion and around every corner it seems there is a nook of tranquility to discover.

Random fact: President Obama and the First Lady chose this Puerto Rico boutique hotel for their stay on the island in 2008.

The Inn’s proximity to Old San Juan’s historic monuments, museums and eateries, combined with its North-Wall location, bringing in the fresh sea breezes make it one of the best places to stay in the historic core of the city. It’s a home away from home and brings in all the charm and enchantment of the island.

If it’s raining, this place is all the more magical, especially if serenaded with Spanish guitar music by Felix Rodriguez on the upstairs outdoor patio (and you will be…).