Fodor's Expert Review The Harmony Hotel

This ultracool, holistic retreat gets top marks for both comfort and sustainability, thanks to American owners who are surfers that believe comfort, quiet, and thinking ecologically are more appealing than partying. The Cocos rooms surround a huge garden with a gorgeous sundeck and chlorine-free pool—an oasis of shaded tranquility. Enclosed back decks with hammocks, outdoor showers, and a cushioned chaise longue expand what are otherwise standard-size rooms. The larger duplex bungalows, closer to the beach, feature spacious bathrooms and offer even more privacy with large decks enclosed with teak walls. Every room and one-bedroom bungalow is luxuriously outfitted, with soothing sage-and-cream walls, king-size beds dressed in white linen, and natural and polished-wood trim and furniture. The best surf breaks are just 180 meters away, down a shaded path. There's an organic garden, and guests can take a free sustainability tour and plant a donated tree. The chic bar adds to the sophisticated ambience, along with a popular adjacent sushi lounge, on a terrace facing the garden. The contemporary restaurant focuses on seafood, with scampi and tuna in starring roles, along with vegetarian and raw-food options—think kale, quinoa, and heirloom vegetables from the hotel's off-site organic garden. Desserts are wholesome but also mouth-watering: an organic coffee and chocolate flourless cake, with crystallized coffee nibs, hits all the current "healthy" buttons. For the health-conscious traveler there's also a tranquil "healing center" complete with spa, yoga classes, and a juice bar. But chic and green do not come cheap—this place is markedly more expensive than its neighbors. The room rate now includes free international phone calls.