Palafitos Overwater Bungalows

The only overwater bungalows in North America, and the reason the price tag clears $15,000 a week. Palafitos sits inside the El Dorado Maroma complex on Playa Maroma — 30 thatched-roof villas on stilts above the Caribbean, glass floor panels, private plunge pools, and a butler program that's the actual selling point once the Maldives-photo moment passes. Score is 97.3, which puts it in the global top tier without needing the gimmick to defend itself.

The structural caveat: this isn't the South Pacific. Maroma's water is shallow and reef-protected, which is great for the view and indifferent for the swim — there's no deep blue under the deck, and the wave action is minimal. The El Dorado parent property is right next door, which keeps the scale of the operation efficient but means Palafitos isn't a true private-island feel.

What you're paying for: the only place in the hemisphere where the overwater-villa fantasy is a one-connection flight from the US East Coast. For honeymoon-photo buyers and travelers who'd otherwise route 24 hours to Bora Bora, this is the right shortcut. For anyone who wanted the swim more than the picture, the math is harder to justify.