“For those folks who enjoy camping, Hix is the Four Seasons. And for those who stay only at the Four Seasons, at Hix they will think they are camping.” So goes the saying of the owners of Hix Island House, located on remote and beautiful Vieques Island. Puerto Rico’s first sustainable lodging facility, the hotel caters to guests who know that going green and living luxuriously are not mutually exclusive. Rooms come with See Design bedding as well as Frette robes and towels. Solar panels provide power, and wastewater from each room supplies the lush gardens. Canadian architect John Hix is responsible for the hotel’s striking concrete exterior, which stands in stark contrast to the surrounding hills, yet provides guests with both privacy and sweeping views out to sea.
Hix Island House
Hix Island House
Hix Island House
Hix Island House
Hix Island House
Hix Island House
Hix Island House
Hix Island House
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Hix Island House
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Hix Island House: Zen-like Peace on Vieques
Let me start with a confession: Hix Island House is one of my favorite spots on the planet. Three out of the past four winters my husband and I have taken a puddle jumper from San Juan over to the nearby Vieques to enjoy the Zen-like peace of one of Hix’s 19 “eco-lofts.” What’s that, you might ask? Solar panels give a boost to electricity and hot water; the open-air lofts are cooled by the trade winds; and recycled “gray water” is delivered to fields of guavas, papayas, and lemons. As for the lofts themselves, they’re both elegant and rustic at the same time, most with outdoor showers and all with terraces or patios. Each unit has a full kitchen (with all the necessary provisions for a hearty DIY breakfast), not to mention Frette linens and robes -- and are but steps away from the chlorine-free pool – where I’ve spent many an hour reading, writing, and of course, swimming. After I take my morning class on the open-deck yoga studio, that is. But as much as we love it, Hix is not for everyone. First off, all guests must be at least 16. There are no TVs or phones in the lofts. Oh, and there’s no restaurant on the property (although there are several excellent choices within a few minutes’ drive and in Esperanza). If you consider any of those aspects as a problem, Hix is not for you. As for us, we can’t wait to return to the 13-acre hilltop refuge with expansive views of the Caribbean below.
