With winter still flexing its muscles, a mass exodus is nigh—straight to any beach resort in the Caribbean with unclaimed lounge chairs. It is spring break season, after all. No matter what’s driving your need for a little vitamin D, here are the best new spots to hunker down with a piña colada, a good book, and not a single worry.
Bahama House, Harbour Island, Bahamas
Eleven Experience has made its name off perfectly located, beautifully designed fly fishing and ski lodges that can be booked only exclusively, by one party at a time. So perhaps it’s no surprise that its first book-it-by-the-room beach resort feels like an intimate, residential-style island house in the bonefishing capital of the world. Its 11 modern-colonial rooms are spread out across four small buildings: the 1800 house (named for the year it was built) and its annex, plus two two-suite cottages. Our favorite room? The Colebrook suite, for the best views of the Eleutheran Bay. From $550 a night.
The Manoah Boutique Hotel at Shoal Bay, Anguilla
The tiny triangular land mass of Shoal Bay has an outsize reputation for being one of the most startlingly pristine beaches in the world: all pearlescent sand and vividly turquoise waters. So this hotel’s prime location is enough to let it contend with British Virgin Island bigwigs such as Malliouhana and Cap Juluca. Its rooms are sparser by comparison with its competitors, with a simple but pretty whitewashed look. But they’re priced accordingly, at almost a third of Anguilla’s average five-star going rate. From $350 a night.
Le Barthelemy, St. Barts
A slew of new hotel openings and high-profile renovations are making St. Barts even more fabulous than it already was. There’s the whimsical Villa Marie, the sleek Le Toiny, and the fully refreshed Le Guanahani. But only one is managing to convert loyal guests from the island’s toniest resorts, and that’s Le Barthelemy, a streamlined reimagining of the traditional plantation-style resort with 46 rooms designed by Paris-based Syllbie de Margerie. Expect Hermès bath amenities, catered beach picnics on undiscovered coves, white-glove service, and excellent croissants at breakfast. It’s as French as can French be. From $650 a night.
Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, Bermuda
A $100 million investment has breathed new life into this grand dame—and just in time to host the America’s Cup this June. (And yes, Bermuda isn’t technically in the Caribbean, but we’ll let this slide.) Beat the crowds, and you’ll find a new restaurant by Marcus Samuelsson that’s adorned with original pieces by Nelson Mandela and Andy Warhol, along with a swoon-worthy floating hammock and 170 fully redone rooms in pastel shades of blue. Speaking of pastels: The hotel’s palace-like exterior is still just a few shades brighter than the pink sands of Hamilton Harbour. From $279 a night.
Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa, Grand Cayman
It’s been more than a decade since Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach saw a new hotel, and this ambitious Kimpton—the company’s first international resort—was worth the wait. Corner suites have floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows on two sides; they make you feel as though you’re hovering over cerulean waters. The hammam in the 8,500-square-foot spa is lined with tiles that were flown in from Turkey. And restaurants range from a nine-seat chef’s counter to a grab-and-go pantry stocked with cookie dough (to bake in your bungalow’s kitchen). It’s a Kimpton, after all, so unbuttoned fun is the name of the game. From $499 a night.
The Shore Club, Turks & Caicos
If you’ve been to Turks & Caicos, you’ve probably stayed on bustling Grace Bay. Just 10 minutes away on the opposite side of this narrow island is the far more secluded Long Bay Beach, where the glamorous Shore Club recently opened with access to one of the world’s best kitesurfing spots and a treehouse kids’ club. Book in a central ocean-facing room on a higher floor, though, or don’t book at all: There’s still construction on site while the resort finishes its spa, and early reports point to noise concerns throughout other parts of the building—but we have high hopes knowing the management company behind it. From $925 a night.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.
