Travetta

This 12-acre resort offers everything from a casino for adults to waterslides for kids, so it's popular with families. Honeymooners head here, too, since the resort is big enough that there are still some quietly romantic corners. The sand-color high-rise building is topped by a distinctive hacienda-style roof, and interconnected pools flow through the compound and end in an ornamental lagoon. Rooms are well equipped, but the balconies are rather small. There's no lack of activities for adults; the resort offers horseback riding, water sports, tennis, and a highly regarded spa. Kids' programs are extensive as well. The restaurants are very good, most notably Ruinas del Mar, which serves fresh seafood with a Continental flair. Pros: Beautiful grounds, great for kids, excellent restaurants. Cons: Pokey balconies for such a luxury hotel, some rooms are quite a stretch from the beach.

"This elegant nine-story beachfront resort has stunning public spaces and a stellar reputation. Currently, this resort is in the midst of renovating, but all amenities remain available to guests. Monumental, comfy chairs stud the newly completed refined open-air lobby, and massive stainless-steel chandeliers give the grand, breezy entrance the air of an alcazar in Seville. Past the lobby, carpets of bougainvillea, moss and ivy-covered boulders, and towering palms spill down to a multilevel pool where exotic macaws and toucans doze. This full-service hotel offers first-rate amenities and some of the most elaborate guest programs on the island. Although attractively furnished with Deco-inspired furniture and modern carnival colors, the rooms are significantly smaller than the Marriott's. And the ""Parisian"" balconies offer just enough room for one person to stand. The good-size bathrooms have been renovated. Overlooking the pool area, standard rooms have no balconies. Other rooms provide vistas of the pool and ocean, while garden units boast views of the lush tropical foliage. The 18 suites vary in size, but all are spacious, with good balconies, and some feature such extras as stereo systems and in-room fitness equipment. Built in 1990, the hotel conducts ongoing renovations, and the room decor changes every 18 months."