Still daydreaming about an island getaway? Travel writer Katherine Parkermagyar continues our #HAPBoutiqueCaribbean series with the most luxe boutique hotels in the West Indies. 🏝
Fort Young Hotel (Roseau, Dominica)
4 Stars | Website | Canefield Airport
40 | 1 outdoor pool; Spa; Free WiFi | 1
Caribbean Sea; Bubble Beach; Botanical Gardens
Explore the “Nature Island” of the Caribbean at Fort Young Hotel; a seaside property tucked against a cliff in the nation’s capital of Roseau. The pool overlooks the ocean, offering a taste of the Amalfi Coast along the Caribbean Sea—although the delectable cuisine (and the steel drum band at sunset) leaves no doubt you’re in the West Indies. Sign up for adventurous excursions to explore the island’s volcanic valleys, rushing waterfalls, and tropical rainforests.
Compass Point Beach Resort (Nassau, Bahamas)
4 Stars | Website | Lynden Pindling Intl. Airport (NAS)
18 | 1 outdoor pool; Free WiFi; Spa; Beachfront | 2
Cable Beach; Paradise Island; Junkanoo Beach
There’s so much more to Nassau than all-inclusive resorts and Senor Frogs: Discover a different side of paradise at Compass Point Beach Resort, a boutique property on the northern coast of New Providence. Book a colorful seaside hut for a thoroughly unique getaway in the Bahamian capital—and prepare to be inspired.
Carlisle Bay (Saint Mary Parish, Antigua)
5 Stars | Website | V.C. Bird Intl. Airport (ANU)
82 | 1 outdoor pool; Fitness center; Spal; Private beach | 4
Dickenson Bay Beach; Darkwood Beach; Ffryes Beach
Escape to your own secluded paradise on the south coast of Antigua at the 5-star Carlisle Bay Resort. The boutique property is surrounded by lush rainforests and boasts a private beach overlooking the glistening turquoise sea. The resort’s elegance commingles with the warm Caribbean hospitality, offering an unparalleled level of tropical luxury.
The House Barbados (St. James, Barbados)
4 Stars | Website | Grantley Adams International Airport
34 | 1 outdoor pool; Beachfront; Free WiFi | 1
Harrison’s Cave Eco-Adventure Park; Paynes Bay Beach; Carlisle Bay
Barbados is famous for its hospitality—think of it the Switzerland of the Caribbean, albeit considerably more laid-back. (And Bajan charm is a legendary thing—look no further than Rihanna). The House exemplifies the welcoming yet sophisticated ambiance of the island itself, boasting gorgeous vistas overlooking Payne’s Bay. Consider the 34-room, adults-only property the ultimate home-away-from-home on the Caribbean Sea.
Secret Bay
5 Stars | Website | Douglas Charles International
12 | 1 outdoor pool; Beachfront; Spa; Free WiFi | 1
Cabrits National Park; Fort Shirley; Chaudiere Pool
Enjoy the wild beauty of the Caribbean’s “Nature Island” at the aptly named Secret Bay resort. Book a Ti-Fey villa for a supremely elegant (and supremely secluded) treehouse retreat along the northeast coast of Dominica. Sustainably built with Guyanese Greenheart wood, the villa features a private plunge pool, outdoor rain shower, and floor-to-ceiling glass walls to best appreciate the surrounding rainforest. This is a Relais & Chateaux hotel.
Mount Cinnamon Resort
4 Stars | Website | Maurice Bishop Intl. Airport (GND)
28 | 1 outdoor pool; Beachfront; Fitness center; Spa | 2
Grand Anse Beach; Magazine Beach; Morne Rouge Beach; Pink Gin Beach
Located 100 nautical miles off the coast of Venezuela, Grenada is one of the most beautiful islands in the West Indies. And the best place to admire the tropical wildflowers and lush mountaintops of the Eastern Caribbean is the porch of your private villa at Mount Cinnamon Resort. The eco-friendly property overlooks the shores of Grand Anse—one of the most photographed beaches in the world.
SailRock Resort
5 Stars | Website | Providenciales International Airport (PLS)
35 | 1 outdoor pool; Beachfront; Spa; Free WiFi | 1
Boiling Hole; Plandon Cay Cut; South Caicos U.S. Coast Guard LORAN Station Ruins
Skip the hectic scene in Providenciales and go off-the-grid on the island of South Caicos, where you’re more likely to spot wild donkeys than fellow human beings. When you book a beachfront villa at Sailrock, the resort facilitates your private 40-minute seaplane across the Atlantic—not to mention your blissful immersion into one of the last untouched oases in the Caribbean Sea. This property is part of Small Luxury Hotels.
Zemi Beach House
5 Stars | Website | Anguilla-Clayton J. Lloyd Airport
63 | Beachfront; Fitness center; Spa; Free WiFi | 1
Shoal Bay Beach; Crocus Bay Beach; Mary Elizabeth Recreation Park
On the isle’s opposite end, on six acres of scenic Shoal Bay East, sits this 76-room coastal chic boutique that wows with myriad ways to relax like private balcony plunges, soaking tubs, a palm-lined infinity pool with sorbet service and the Caribbean’s largest hammam at the tranquil spa built out of 300-year-old imported Thai houses. Even the gym looks out at the ocean. After kayaking or yoga, dig into sustainable seasonal cuisine at two excellent restaurants. Finish with a nightcap of small-batch estate rums selected by the in-house rummelier.
Altamer Resort
4 Stars | Website | Anguilla-Clayton J. Lloyd Airport
5 | 1 outdoor pool; Beachfront; Fitness center | 1
Shoal Bay Beach; Maundays Bay; Gull Pond; Anguilla Arch
This geometric trio of crisp white Myron Goldfinger-designed villas are true thrillas in Anguilla perfect for big families or several couples. Beyond the unique exteriors, there’s the direct access to Shoal Bay West beach, impressive art collection, rooftop terrace with 360-degree views to St. Martin, tennis and basketball courts, home theater and a poolside hammock in which you should definitely sip multiple Mint Conditions, the butler’s signature drink. Oh, did we forget to mention the included butler service?
Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel
5 Stars | Website | Anguilla-Clayton J. Lloyd Airport
108 | 1 outdoor pool; Beachfront; Private beach; Bar | 4
Meads Bay Beach; Crocus Bay Beach; Mary Elizabeth Recreation Park
The southside hideaway on Maundays Bay is a sophisticated airy blend of Greek, Moorish, and British colonial design and details. Rooms, suites, and villas are exceedingly plush (sexy peekaboo bathrooms!) and all feature sightlines to the powdery sand and sea that fronts the resort. Some have their own pools. Fill days with windsurfing, waterskiing or nature walks.
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