Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013 - (Page 128)
H E R I TA G E
Laurance Rockefeller
He was a pioneer in the field of venture
capital, overseeing the fund that gave early
support to Intel and Apple; he was also one
of America’s leading conservationists, often
credited with helping to invent the practices of
ecotourism. Add to that a lifelong commitment
to aerospace, healthcare and philanthropy,
and a fascination with spirituality, UFOs and
art, and Laurance Rockefeller, scion of the
American oil dynasty, stands as one of the
20th century’s unheralded renaissance men.
Rockefeller’s conservation efforts started
out in the family footsteps of protecting
America’s national parks. But in the late
1950s, he began to acquire pieces of tropical
parkland and develop resorts where guests
could immerse themselves in a natural
environment. It was thus that, in 1959, he
took over a coconut and citrus plantation
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W W W. R I T Z C A R LT O N . C O M
on Puerto Rico’s bucolic northern coast and
created Dorado Beach, a private family retreat
and exclusive resort that quickly found favor
among America’s jet set. Elizabeth Taylor, Joan
Crawford and several U.S. presidents helped
put Dorado, and Puerto Rico, on the map as a
Caribbean hot spot.
Post-Rockefeller, the resort slid into a
slow decline and was shuttered in 2006.
Six years later, the resort was restored and
rebuilt as a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, honoring
Rockefeller’s principles with such details
as a spa integrated into a 5-acre nature
compound and beach-hugging rooms built
on the original footprint. Its centerpiece,
a four-bedroom villa known as Su Casa,
goes back further: It was once the original
plantation house where Amelia Earhart was
a frequent guest.
TIME & LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES; ISTOCKPHOTO (BACKGROUND)
DORADO BEACH HOTEL, PUERTO RICO, JANUARY 1959
http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013
Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013
Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President’s Letter
Falling in Love With ... Los Angeles
Design
Technology
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Family
Local Knowledge
Sports
Abu Dhabi
Seoul
Fashion
Culinary
Let Us Stay With You
Heritage
Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Spring 2013
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