Parador Banños de Coamo

Description:

• The spa at Baños de Coamo features this parador, offering hospitality in traditional Puerto-Rican style. The Baños has welcomed many notable visitors over the years, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Frank Lloyd Wright, Alexander Graham Bell, and Thomas Edison, who came here to swim in the on-site hot springs, said to be the most curative in the world. Since those days and since those long-departed visitors, the spa world is now state-of-the-art in many places, including San Juan and some nearby resorts. Such is not the case here; maintenance is poor, and the bathrooms show signs of aging. The parador has one regular pool and one pool fed by the hot springs. (If you just want to take a dip, it's $5 for adults, $3 for children.)

  The buildings range from a lattice-adorned two-story motel unit with wooden verandas to a Spanish colonial pink stucco building, which houses the restaurant. The bedrooms draw a mixed reaction from visitors, so ask to see your prospective room before deciding to stay here. Many of the often-dark rooms are not well maintained, and the bathrooms seem more appropriate for a campsite. Mildew is also evident. The cuisine is both Creole and international, and the coffee Baños-style is a special treat. There's a nice simple bar by the pool.

• © Frommer's 2013