SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - PUERTO Rico's first six-star luxury resort has opened on the island's north coast.

The first phase of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve Dorado Beach features two 18-hole golf courses and 130 rooms. Current winter rates for rooms range from US$1,500 to nearly US$4,700 a night.

The US$342 million resort was built on the former 1950s estate of the late Laurance Rockefeller, a venture capitalist and leading conservationist.

"As a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, the philosophy behind Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is to immerse guests into Puerto Rico's rich history and extraordinary landscape while providing an unparalleled luxury travel experience unlike any other," said Herve Humler, president and COO for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

"Reflective of Laurance Rockefeller's vision from more than 50 years ago of a natural sanctuary, the island is a combination of historical charm and metropolitan life blending serenity and a pristine backdrop - a perfect location for the Ritz-Carlton Reserve experience," he added.

Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuno said Wednesday that the resort is among 32 hotels that have been built across the island since 2009, creating more than 3,600 jobs.

Ritz-Carlton operates 11 hotels across Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the company website. Its locations in the Caribbean include Rose Hall, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and San Juan, Puerto Rico.