The Best Islands to Stay In the Caribbean

With exotic landscapes and splendid weather all year round, the Caribbean is home to a number of incredible hotels and resorts to spend a dream holiday. These are the hotels we recommend for a stay in the Caribbean.

Table of Contents

Dominican Republic

• Amanera
• Tortuga Bay Hotel at Puntacana Resort & Club

Turks & Caicos

• Amanyara
• COMO Parrot Cay Turks & Caicos

Anguilla

• Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel Anguilla

St Vincent and the Grenadines

• The Cotton House

Puerto Rico

• Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

St Barthelemy

• Eden Rock St Barths

Where to stay in Antigua and Barbuda

• Jumby Bay Island

Where to Stay In the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean country that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and is located west of Puerto Rico. The variety of its landscapes (tropical forest, savannah and white sandy beaches) allows for a large number of adventures in the middle of nature. But the island is also rich in cultural activities due to its history. Discovered by the explorer Christopher Columbus, its capital – Santo Domingo – became the first city of the “New World” and is home to monuments of historical interest such as the Colombus Park in the Zona Colonial, the Catedral Primada de America – the very first cathedral to be built on the American continent – and the largest garden in the Caribbean, the National Botanical Garden.

The island features various beach towns ideal for a tropical escape, namely Playa Grande and Punta Cana, and towns such as Samana, ideal for whale-watching. Santiago de los Caballeros is the island’s industrial and cultural hub, ideal for experiencing the culture of the island and its many iconic products, such as its local rum and cigars.

Amanera

In the north of the island, perched on rocky hills facing the Atlantic Ocean, along the golden sandy beach of Playa Grande, in the continuity of the jungle, the Amanera has settled on a preserved and wild site, for the greatest pleasure of sportsmen and nature lovers.

The jungle, with its forest and mangroves, is home to many species of birds and animals, as well as plants and fruits. The hotel organizes excursions with its guide who knows the area perfectly and will take you to harvest fruits that the hotel will make you rediscover in delicious recipes. You can also paddle the mangrove, kayak, snorkel and surf. And the hotel’s highlight is its golf course overlooking the sea, an experience in itself.

Amanera means “peace and water” and here, the entire architecture and design of the hotel has been conceived as a transition between human construction and nature. The hotel is a revelation of this, with its minimalist decoration, large windows and colonnades that look like tree trunks.

With only 25 casitas and casas, the Amanera has an exclusive and intimate atmosphere. All offer stunning ocean views and feature a blend of island luxury and minimalist architecture with clean lines and warm wood. Each room has its own terrace, sheltered from the sun by the eaves, and some have a private pool.

The Amanera’s food and beverage venues feature local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients from the Dominican Republic. The Casa Grande offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and is inspired by traditional Dominican recipes. Located on the top floor, the Lounge Bar’s offers the perfect setting for afternoon tea or an aperitif before dinner. The Beach Club, meanwhile, invites guests to sit directly on the beach in a romantic setting that completes the experience with Latin and South American flavors.

With rum being the signature specialty of the Caribbean, the hotel offers the opportunity to experience many varieties and the process of making them.

Atop the cliff and in the middle of the jungle, the spa offers an exceptional menu of rituals and treatments that draw on the healing traditions of the Taino, the historic indigenous people of the Caribbean, and use local products as well as those from the Aman range. These include lunar healing with larimar (a rare blue stone believed to promote physical and emotional healing, linked to the phases of the moon), a body treatment and wrap using jade powder, calendula oil and Himalayan salt, and a fresh banana and honey mask. The hotel also offers a beach workout circuit, a jungle walk to discover the medicinal plants of the Taino people, dance classes and moonlight yoga sessions starting with a sacred moon ritual to release negativity.

Tortuga Bay Hotel at Puntacana Resort & Club

Located on the eastern tip of Santo Domingo Island, the Tortuga Bay Hotel at Puntacana Resort & Club is set in a lush palm grove facing the sea on 1,500 acres of ecological reserve. Featuring lemon-yellow residential-style villas designed by the late designer Oscar de la Renta, a native of the island, the hotel has the feel of an upper-class tropical village.

Its 30 suite villas are available with 1, 2, 3 or 4 bedrooms. All have an island style with wood and wicker furnishings, but relatively uncluttered. The rooms offer beautiful ocean views, either directly onto the palm garden or overlooking the coast via their terraces.

Overseen by Chef Christian Shinya, both the Bamboo Restaurant and La Yola explore the flavors of the Mediterranean. The Bamboo invites guests into a rather girly setting with its peach and white hues and Louis XVI medallion armchairs. Outside, the restaurant overlooks the swimming pool. While La Yola, whose design is inspired by that of a fishing boat, is a stilted straw hut where seafood recipes can be enjoyed, the Tortuga Bay Lounge, located right next to the Bamboo Restaurant, offers hand-rolled cigars and a selection of spirits.

The Tortuga Spa features the Six Senses Spa, located in the Casa Club de La Cana, which offers a range of treatments and massages designed specifically for Tortuga Bay. Guests will also have access to a fitness centre, with gym classes, yoga, Pilates, boxing training and the Puntacana Resort & Club golf course.

Where to Stay in Turks & Caicos

The Turks & Caicos, also known as the Turquoise Islands, are located north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. They are made up of a string of thirty islands with many endemic species and ecosystems, making the archipelago one of the richest destinations in terms of biodiversity in the Caribbean. Cockburn Town, the capital, is made up of small, colorful colonial-style houses. The many beaches of the Turks and Caicos Islands are the main tourist interest of the island: the best known being Grace Bay and Parrot Bay, and the most popular area being Providenciales. Chalk Sound National Park, which forms a large lagoon of shallow turquoise waters, offers paddle boarding among its islets and tongues of land. On the mainland, the Crossing Place Trail offers a beautiful hike and links North Caicos with Middle Caicos.

Amanyara

Located in the far west of the Turks and Caicos Islands, in the North West Point Marine National Park, on the rocky coves of Providenciales, the Amanyara is the second hotel launched in the Caribbean by the brand. Surrounded by 100 acres of lush vegetation, the Jean-Michel Gathy-designed hotel features the brand’s signature Indonesian architecture of pyramid-roofed pavilions, wooden beams and large openings.

The pavilions and gazebo-like villas are made of honey-colored wood and feature floor-to-ceiling windows. Nestled in the midst of the vegetation, these homes seem to float on the reserve’s ponds or water features. The interiors, in shades of white and punctuated by the omnipresence of wood, enhance the surrounding nature. The Artist Villa, alone facing the sea, with its swimming pool overlooking the ocean like a springboard to the sea, is the hotel’s most beautiful facility.

In a similar design, the Amanyara’s restaurant and bar fuse Asian flavors with traditional Turks and Caicos recipes. The restaurant’s seasonal menu features freshly caught seafood and vegetables from the hotel’s own aquaponic garden (a sustainable production that combines plant cultivation and fish farming), while the bar offers the perfect setting for cocktails overlooking the sea. The Beach Club, right on the beach, serves grilled seafood, sushi or a variety of customized dishes prepared in the stone oven.

Elsewhere, the Amanyara’s four treatment pavilions offer an immersive wellness program designed with a holistic approach. The Aman Spa not only offers a variety of physical activities such as boxing, Pilates, yoga and fitness with personal trainers, but also a series of island-inspired treatments with natural ingredients from the surrounding vegetation and the Caribbean Sea, such as cold-pressed organic virgin coconut oil, known for its healing and anti-ageing properties.

COMO Parrot Cay Turks & Caicos

COMO Parrot Cay is located on the island of Parrot Cay in the northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Parrot Cay is a private resort with 1000 acres of unspoilt nature and over 6 kilometers of white sandy beach.

The hotel was designed by British interior designer Keith Hobbs. Bright and open to the surrounding nature, the 74 rooms, suites, villas and residences on the island combine the aesthetics of the typical beach house with a contemporary style: parquet floors, walls covered with natural or whitewashed wood paneling, exposed beams, four-poster beds, furniture with straight and clean lines. The decoration is minimalist, with monochrome prints but also natural decorative elements.

The hotel’s 3 restaurants are all inspired by traditional Caribbean seafood cuisine. The poolside Lotus offers light Caribbean fare during the day and an Asian menu in the evening. The Terrace invites you into a beautiful white rotunda beach house and is extended by a terrace that offers views of the island and ocean. The restaurant offers a variety of menus, including the popular and ultra healthy COMO Shambhala menu and the Monday jazz menu. Finally, the COMO Beach Club, which descends to the beach with its steps and duckboard terrace, invites guests to enjoy snacks and cocktails in a relaxed setting.

The COMO Shambhala Retreat, the hotel’s spa, overlooks the North Caicos Channel, and is located opposite the accommodations to allow for complete relaxation. The spa offers the services of a yoga pavilion, a Pilates studio and a jacuzzi garden. Specializing in Asian-inspired holistic treatments, the Retreat offers a selection of signature treatments and massages tailored to each guest.

Where to Stay in Anguilla

The island of Anguilla owes its name to its elongated shape measuring 26km long and 5km wide. It is known for its large sandy beaches such as Shoal Bay East or Maundays Bay, but above all its rich marine ecosystem, and in particular its colourful coral reefs. In its capital, The Valley, a visit to the Wallblake House, an annex of the Heritage Museum, allows you to discover the history of the island: this house was a former sugarcane plantation and is the oldest house on the island. Nature lovers will be delighted with all the activities offered by Anguilla’s lagoons: diving, fishing, kayaking and especially night kayaking in Island Harbour, or nature walks in Fountain Cavern National Park.

Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel Anguilla

Located on the southern tip of the island of Anguilla, Maundays Bay is a picture postcard beach with its fine white sandy beach and clear, turquoise water, almost unreal. It was here in 1988 that the Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel (originally only a beachfront restaurant), was established, bordering the entire beach. This hotel is for those who want to relax on the beach. The hotel promotes a “barefoot luxury” style that echoes the relaxed atmosphere that prevails throughout.

The hotel was designed by architect Oscar Farmer in a Greco-Moorish style with immaculate domes, arcades and colonnades, large windows with sea views and large pools and baths.

The hotel’s 108 rooms and suites have a fairly minimalist residential and contemporary seaside décor that dilutes Moorish inspirations: white, cream and dark blue tones, tortoiseshell tiles, four-poster beds and botanical prints. They have terraces where the beach can be admired from the sun thanks to the pillars and arches. The rooms, even the entry-level ones, are particularly spacious, starting at 63 square meters.

With 4 restaurants and bars, the Cap Juluca offers a wide variety of flavors. Pimms, the original restaurant that led to the creation of the hotel itself, is the hotel’s most romantic spot with its arcades lining the beach and offering magnificent sea views. A menu inspired by local Anguillan cuisine is offered here. Continuing from the Pimm’s building, Cip’s by Cipriani is a tribute to the iconic Venetian hotel and offers a casual Italian menu. Uchu, located right next to the hotel’s iconic emerald pool, offers Peruvian specialties made with ingredients fresh from Peru, and craft cocktails throughout the day. Finally, the Cap Shack is a beachside food truck, perfect for fresh summer dishes and rum punches.

The Arawak Spa has a swimming pool, a relaxation area and five treatment rooms offering personalized treatments using in-house products. The spa also offers a beach cabin for al fresco treatments and a wellness boutique.

Ideal for a tropical getaway, the hotel offers a range of activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing, as well as the opportunity to join local fisherman Shawn Romney on a fishing trip in the bay. The hotel also offers access to tennis courts, a basketball court and the island’s only 18-hole golf course.

Where to stay on St Vincent and the Grenadines

A lively island with a rich natural landscape, St Vincent and the Grenadines invite visitors to a Caribbean destination of fun and escapism. The main island, St Vincent, is home to stunning mountains and valleys (including La Soufrière), the island’s active volcano. The Grenadines are comprised of no less than 32 islets and cays, such as Mustique, Bequia, Petit St Vincent, Palm Island, that offer a variety of natural spots to visit.

Each destination offer a different way of enjoying the island, such as Bequia’s maritime atmosphere with Port Elizabeth, its Maritime Museum, and yacht-filled lagoon, while Mustique, and its panoply of water activities, is a favorite of celebrities like Mick Jagger and Tommy Hilfiger. The capital, Kingstown, is an effervescent town, where visitors can immerse themselves in the fast-paced yet pleasant lifestyle of the local population with Kingstown Market, the Botanic Gardens – the oldest botanic garden in the Western Hemisphere, St. George’s Anglican Cathedral, and Fort Charlotte being some of its most popular attractions.

The Cotton House

A tropical hideaway in the Caribbean, The Cotton House is the only hotel on the island of Mustique. The 17-room establishment is surrounded by 1400 acres of pristine beaches and lush vegetation.

Boasting a Colonial architecture, the hotel’s rustic charms are completed with its focus on comfort and homeliness. Interiors of pastel tones are complemented by mid-century vintage furniture and houseplants in lieu of traditional decorations, in line with the hotel’s tropical setting. The Cotton House also offers The Residence, a two-bedroom, self-contained hilltop apartment with its own large pool.

Guests of the Cotton House have access to 3 restaurants and bars during their stay. The Veranda Restaurant, which is located around the hotel’s Great Room, has a stunning view of the property and is where breakfast is served every morning, as well as drinks and refreshments throughout the day. The Beach Café is a sun-drenched setting, right on the beach in Endeavour Bay, and is perfect for grill options as well as more light lunch options. There is also an Ice Cream parlor there. Basil’s Bar is an upbeat destination for guests and passers-by, where evenings are a flow of cocktails, music, and a good atmosphere.

For its wellness program, the Cotton House Spa collaborates with Bamford and its range of holistic treatments. The spa offers a full menu of treatments and massages in four treatment rooms and a relaxation room or in your room or villa.

Where to Stay in Puerto Rico

As one of the largest islands in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico boasts a rich local culture and landscapes that offer everything from inland cities to tropical resorts along both shorelines and natural spots that allow guests to immerse themselves in the rich nature of the island. With a heritage steeped in Spanish culture, the island’s various towns and cities also display a spectrum of architectural styles that ranges from the historic Spanish colonial to more Moorish influences to post-modern addresses in the more recent years.

San Juan, the island’s capital, is home to a varied scenery, with areas such as Old San Juan and Santurce, offering two vastly different experiences of the city. There, guests can explore places such as San José Church, the Cathedral of San Juan Batista, as well as old fortresses such as Fort San Cristobal and the beautiful La Fortaleza, which still serves as the executive mansion of the governor of Puerto Rico. For those in search of more natural escapades, the El Yunque National Rainforest, located in the Rio Grande, is effectively the only tropical rainforest in the United States, while Humacao is home to a beautiful nature reserve.

Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

On the north coast of Puerto Rico, facing the Atlantic Ocean, the Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is located on a 50-acre estate within the 1400-acre estate originally created by businessman Laurance Rockfeller in the 1950s. The hotel is committed to preserving the environment in which it is located and to providing an authentic Puerto Rican experience to its guests.

The hotel has 115 rooms, suites and residences, all with ocean views. The large windows can be fully slid to make the most of the surrounding landscape. As for the interior, it combines island luxury with the ambiance of a residential apartment. The lines are clean, the tones white and cream, the furniture in various woods and the decoration brings small touches of colors.

On the dining side, Dorado Beach Reserve explores the flavors and techniques of Puerto Rico in its three restaurants and bars.

The Coa restaurant is named after the Taino people who lived on the island when it was discovered by Europeans in the 15th century and whose “coa” was an agricultural tool that allowed them to work the land. The restaurant pays homage to local ingredients and cooks them according to the seasons, baking its signature dishes in the traditional Spanish wood-fired oven Mi Brasa, which gives the food a special flavor. The Coa offers an elegantly sober setting with its woodwork and green half-circle seating that recalls the surrounding greenery. It even extends outside with a sublime view of the sea.

The Cocina Gourmet is the hotel’s delicatessen, offering pies and cakes with Puerto Rican chocolate and coffee, as well as a selection of wines, fruits and vegetables. Finally, the Posi+Ivo Sand Bar is a fusion restaurant where you can enjoy Asian and Latin influenced dishes outdoors. This one also has a new bar, the Omakase Bar where sushi, seafood, ceviche, tapas and cocktails inspired by the history of the place are served.

Cocina Gourmet has developed the Culinary Center where culinary experts offer cooking classes for all levels using seasonal products and international recipes. The food and wine pairing is even part of the program for up to ten guests, but must be booked in advance of the stay or upon arrival.

Co-created by spa consultant Tracy Lee, Spa Botanico at Dorado Beach Reserve is a place that combines the healing traditions of Puerto Rico with the rich natural ingredients of the land. In a rustic setting, guests can enjoy a menu of locally inspired treatments, as well as an infinity pool, tropical garden and extensive fitness space that includes a private training facility as well as a tennis center, with 5 clay courts, with training overseen by Olympian Juan Oscar Rio.

Where to Stay in St Barthelemy

South of the islands of Anguilla and Saint Martin, lies the mountainous and volcanic island of St Barthelemy, a little piece of France on the other side of the globe that is not the festive and bling destination it seems. If this is true at the time of the end of the year celebrations, the rest of the time, it is a lovely little island, full of charm and extremely secure, where it is good to live, to walk around, and which has a very good quality of service. The island was historically poor until the arrival of the Rockfellers in the early 1960’s. This little jewel became one of the most popular destinations for the privileged, especially since the policy on the island prohibits the construction of high-rise buildings, thus offering a preserved nature. The island of Saint Barth is worth a visit for its magnificent beaches, its beautiful hiking trails through nature and also its capital, the port city of Gustavia.

Eden Rock St Barths

The story of the construction of the Eden Rock Saint Barths goes back to the 1950s, when the French aviator Rémy de Haenen landed in the bay of Saint Jean and saw this rock at the water’s edge… He decided to build his house there, which he would later transform into a guesthouse. Today, this small hotel, which you enter through the bar and the restaurant, continues this desire to receive its guests as if they were his family. The Eden Rock St Barths has all the characteristics of a private club with its small size and its little houses scattered all over its narrow domain. On its rocky promontory floating above the peaceful waters of the bay, Eden Rock is a privileged getaway that has charmed such select guests as Greta Garbo, Baron de Rothschild and Princess Lee Radziwill.

The hotel is colonial in style, with red and white colors that contrast with the turquoise of the sea. It houses 37 rooms and suites, each different from the other in terms of layout, views and decoration. Some have a traditional seaside residential style, others a mid-century style, with a pastel color palette, Art Deco furniture and clean lines, others English influences, while some take on the look of yacht cabins with their woodwork. Each room is a unique experience, which explains why the clientele, 50% of whom are regulars, return year after year to find the room that suits them best.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a major international star of gastronomy and fusion cuisine, manages the three restaurants and bars of the Eden Rock St Barth and offers a cuisine inspired by his New York cuisine with exotic nuances through the use of spices. The Sand Bar is the hotel’s gourmet restaurant and offers a magnificent view of the beach in a casual setting with its cushioned seating. Its classics include truffle pizza or crispy salmon sushi. Remy Bar & Salon is named after the creator of the place and features an Anglo-Saxon colonial style, while the brand new Beach Bar invites guests to head to the beautiful St. John’s beach.

At the heart of the hotel, in an intimate setting, is the Eden Spa, which offers a menu of treatments and massages dedicated to rejuvenation and relaxation. The hotel collaborates with a number of names and brands such as skin care expert Dr. Barbara Sturm, Idalmi nail polish, and Dr. Pierre-Michel Havet, who specializes in anti-aging and cosmetic medicine in his high-tech medical spa.

Where to stay in Antigua and Barbuda

First visited by Christopher Columbus, Antigua boasts a diverse natural landscape and rich colonial architecture that has made it a popular Caribbean escape for Hollywood A-listers and celebrities. Individuals such as Giorgio Armani, Timothy Dalton, Oprah Winfrey and even the CEO of IBM all have private residences on the island.

St John, the capital, is home to a number of historic landmarks, such as the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, where visitors can learn about the rich history of the two-nation island. Places such as Nelson’s Dockyard and Redcliffe Quay are the ideal places to visit to get a glimpse of the island’s past history, while the Fig Tree Drive (a five-mile road that cuts through the interior of the island) offers a chance to snap some photos of the most scenic vistas.

Jumby Bay Island

Located two miles from the main island of Antigua, the private island of Jumby Bay Island spans 300 flat acres and includes only the hotel and private residences, promising an exclusive experience in an ultra-protected environment where no door is locked.

Far from the accommodations, the main building of 1830, a former sugar cane plantation, has kept its colonial identity, reinforced by the interior decoration. Spread over the island, the accommodations are accessible by golf cart or bicycle. They respond to a contemporary architecture. Spread throughout the island, the 40 suites, 14 villas and 22 residences of the hotel are all built in a contemporary architecture. Inside, the tones are soft and soothing with white, cream, grey and blue and large openings to the outside.

With no less than 7 restaurants and bars, as well as seasonal pop-ups and tasting events, the resort’s culinary experience is varied and generous.

Local Hispanic-Caribbean fusion cuisine is explored through a varied menu of traditional and more contemporary recipes. The Jumby Bay Veranda is a pristine white, casual and chic setting overlooking the beach and ocean, where breakfast is enjoyed but snacks are available all day.

The Estate House, the famous colonial-style entity, offers fine Caribbean dining, combining classic and contemporary recipes. Within the Estate House is the 1830 Bar with its old-world charm. The Pool Grille and Pool Grille Bar are located poolside and serve bistro-style lunches, homemade snacks and cocktails throughout the day.

Located on the beach at Jumby Bay in a small cabana, Genny’s Bar offers refreshments and custom cocktails for those taking a break from water activities. Finally, Jumby Bay Bar and Lounge is an open-air venue overlooking the palm-lined beach, serving cocktails all day and after-dinner drinks.

The Jumby Bay spa offers a long list of treatments inspired by modern therapeutic techniques and Caribbean traditions, including body rituals and facials in collaboration with the 100% natural and organic brand, Tata Harper, as well as massages and even what they call Islands Journeys Signature, which are true experiences. The Castaway Escape for Two offers the opportunity to sail to Maiden Island (which is also owned by the hotel) aboard the hotel’s private yacht, the Yennecot, and have a duo massage aboard the yacht on the way back. With a greenhouse and vegetable garden on the island, the hotel makes treatments such as scrubs and oils from the plants it grows. The treatment rooms offer beautiful views of the ocean.

The spa also offers the services of a fitness center as well as yoga and meditation sessions.

Booking your Caribbean Trip

Looking to take a trip to a dream Caribbean island destination? We partner with luxury hotels across the islands with exceptional service, amenities and facilities to indulge in. Book online or get in contact with our team for more information.