HOME > CARIBBEAN > RESORTS & HOTELS

Best Caribbean Resorts

Gabe Weisert January 23, 2007

LAUNCH SLIDESHOW

© Parrot Cay
CARIBBEAN DELUXE GUIDE »

Article Controls

Luxury Caribbean Resorts

There are hundreds of perfectly respectable resorts spread across the Caribbean islands -- here are 21 of the best. To find them, we gathered a blue-ribbon panel of travel experts, featuring luminaries like NBC's Peter Greenberg, Geoffrey Kent of Abercrombie & Kent, itinerant chef Anthony Bourdain and luxury travel legend Andrew Harper. They picked these resorts as part of the Forbes Traveler 400 Best Hotels in the World.

Needless to say, none of these establishments have drink beads, conga lines, or midnight chocolate fondue parties. Their menus are bereft of sourdough soup bowls and beef medallions. And when they say all-inclusive, they don't mean Sandals all-inclusive. In many cases, the contents of their minibars are entirely complimentary.

See our slideshow of the best hotels in the Caribbean

Because when a night's stay costs a New York rent, certain benefits are involved. Like the ability to book a private beach for the evening, for example. Or to arrange an intimate dinner amidst the ruins of an 18th-century sugar mill. Or the pleasure of enjoying a Balinese massage from an actual Balinese masseuse.

All 21 of these resorts are ridiculously luxurious, but in the spirit of Awards Season, we've nominated some of them for special jury prizes. Hopefully these theme-based highlights will help your inner solipsist narrow the field.

Our "Billionaire Boys' Club" Award goes to Necker Island, Richard Branson's Balinese wonderland in the British Virgin Islands, which can be all yours for $30,000 a night. By definition, you won't get much networking done there, but for that we recommend Jumby Bay in Antigua, which routinely attracts a Titans of Media crowd. The resort's "Hot Type" service offers previews of upcoming novels from best-selling writers.

The "Pith Helmets On The Veranda" Award goes to Caneel Bay, the genteel paradise founded by conservationist Laurance Rockefeller on St. John in the 1950s. Inhabiting 170 pristine acres, which are in turn wrapped inside an Edenic national park, Caneel Bay oozes the colonial ambiance of Maughm and Conrad. You won't find any phones or televisions in your room, just plenty of peace and quiet.

The "Staggeringly Beautiful Room View" Award goes to Ladera, in St. Lucia, a necklace of thatched aeries spread across a lush hilltop. While it's a steep drop down (and a short shuttle ride) to the beach, the views from the swinging deck chairs (which hang over the wading pools) are worth it -- nothing but sky, sea and pitons.

The "Red Carpet" Award goes to Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos -- Ben Affleck married Jennifer Garner here, and Bruce Willis likes it so much be bought a piece of the property. While this category obviously has several other honorable mentions, the Moorish-themed Cap Juluca, on Anguilla, seems to have viral appeal among newscasters (Kouric, Roker, Lauer), supermodels (Tyra, Naomi, Kate), and the occasional hip-hop mogul (Jay-Z, Beyonce).

What's left? Lots. If you like diving, Grace Bay on Turks and Caicos is legendary for two nearby attractions: the West Caicos Walls, which plummets a dizzying 6,000 feet into the inky blue deep; and Molasses Reef, home to the oldest European wreck in the Western Hemisphere. Grace Bay is also our contender for "Best Blindingly White Beach" Award -- as our reviewer Joe Yogerst describes it, 12 miles of talcum powder-soft white sand set against dabs of turquoise and sapphire sea.

The "Yo Ho Ho" Prize undoubtedly goes to Peter Island, in the British Virgin Islands. Sailors migrate to this resort because of its world-class dock facilities and the dozens of tranquil islets spread across the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Steady winds and calm currents make the area a sailor's paradise.

And finally, the Crackberry crowd will appreciate the bungalow amenities at Hotel Le Toiny on Saint-Barthelemy, which include plasma televisions, Wi-Fi access, and in-room steppers. Whatever floats your boat.

Read on to learn more about the best hotels in the Caribbean.

See our slideshow of the best hotels in the Caribbean