Located on the compact 135 sq km Puerto Rican island of Vieques, El Blok is an intimate 22-room eco-hotel designed by local firm Fuster + Partners. They have not only harnessed thermal and solar power to generate electricity and heat, but also made clever use of local materials to create coral-inspired perforated panels that allow light and air to filter naturally through the building. Inside, most of the furniture is made locally, such as the almond tree bar and the reclaimed mahogany retro chairs, while a wild collection of coconut fibre sculptures by San Juan-based artists Jamie and Javier Suarez hold court. The Puerto Rican theme continues through to the hotel’s restaurant, which refocuses seating by the bar to emulate the socialising often found in a town square. Helmed by chef José Enriques, El Blok serves up elevated renditions of traditional dishes to complete the experience.
ADDRESS
58 Calle Flamboyan,
Esperanza,
Vieques
-
Bottega for Bottegas 2025 invites artisans to reinterpret the ritual of the aperitivoThe annual initiative showcases makers and creatives who share Bottega Veneta’s dedication to craft. This year’s objects come together as an exquisite, modern still life
-
Caligra launches its c100 Developer Terminal, a stripped-back machine for serious computingPentagram’s Jon Marshall has collaborated with computing start-up Caligra to shape its sleek but serious desktop and mouse
-
A 1970s brutalist icon becomes Tbilisi’s most striking new hotelNeri&Hu transforms a Soviet-era post office into the Georgian capital’s anticipated Telegraph Hotel
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia -
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico -
Littlenap — Hangzhou, China -
Casa Santa Teresa — Corsica, France -
Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune designs K5, a new hotel in TokyoStep inside Claesson Koivisto Rune’s design as a 1920s bank turns hotel
