WHEN IT comes to the quality of a hotel, what’s under the surface counts — service, culture, food. But the way a hotel is thought out, the way it’s put together structurally and the way it simply looks, all make a world of difference, from the pure architectural design of a hotel to its bathroom appliances. We thought we’d bring you a list of the hotels in the region we like for this year when it comes to design — from Caribbean classics to avant-garde architectural innovations.
Las Esquinas — Anguilla
This relative newcomer is made up of a small group of suites connected to a North African-style courtyard. It’s a wonderful fusion of Moroccan, Mediterranean and Caribbean styles, all set to a wide-open plan that capitalizes on the views of nearby St Maarten. In short, this tiny hotel is a masterpiece, from its sleek, linear shapes to the hanging lamps.
Secret Bay — Dominica
A hotel comprised of enormous villas, Secret Bay spared no expense on construction, from the nicest appliances you’ll find anywhere in the Caribbean to the use of sustainable wood. And the open design allows you to experience the panoramic views of Dominica (and nearby Guadeloupe).
Laluna — Grenada
This boutique property by Italian architects Carmelina Santoro and Gabriella Giuntoli in Grenada is a pastiche of places and styles, all united under a larger theme: relaxation. Colourful, eclectic but inescapably Caribbean.
Casablanca — Puerto Rico
This boutique toward the end of Old San Juan’s Calle Fortaleza is an homage to the city (and movie) that bears its name, with endlessly high ceilings, quintessentially Moroccan furnishings and even constant playback of the 1942 cinema classic.
Viceroy Anguilla
This hotel becomes more and more interesting the closer you look. Maybe it’s the striking porticos, or Kelly Wearstler’s voluptUous interior work. This hotel is as modern as it gets in the Caribbean, and yet somehow it works in harmony with its cliffside Anguillian surroundings.
Ritz-Carlton Reserve Dorado Beach — Puerto Rico
This resort was a Laurance S Rockefeller estate in its former life, but the new design by SB Architects and Wilson Associates is about modernity: crisp greys and taupes, stark lines and an emphasis on the beauty of the Puerto Rican coastline.
Hotel Guanahani — St Barth
This St Barth institution not too long ago underwent a renovation by architect David Schwarz and interior designer Luis Pons. Today, the Guanahani legend remains, accentuated by bright colours, striking woods and a fresh take on classic Creole style.
Amanyara — Turks and Caicos Islands
This property in the northwest of Providenciales will make you rethink the meaning of Caribbean design. Does Caribbean mean traditional West Indian-style architecture? Or is Caribbean an idea? A state of mind? Amanyara will convince you it’s the latter.
Trident — Jamaica
A boutique hotel in Port Antonio, the recently-revitalized Trident in Port Antonio is wide-open, sleek and luxurious, modern but with the sensibility of a different era. It’s interiors are a different story — wonderfully quirky and cosmopolitan.
Carlisle Bay — Antigua
What you see above is the hotel’s famous library, but Carlisle Bay’s cutting-edge design goes far beyond the bookshelves. This is a perfect example of old West Indian luxury meeting contemporary cool.
Jade Mountain — St Lucia
It’s almost otherworldly. But at this avant-garde hotel exquisitely carved into a St Lucia mountain, that’s the point — to bring you outside of yourself — to a different plane of vacation.
O:live Boutique Hotel — Puerto Rico
This hotel was designed by Puerto Ricans, albeit ones who fell became enamored with the Amalfi Coast of Italy. That’s the overarching theme of this boutique property; the rooms have a cool, European aesthetic while the wider property is marked by a creative, almost idiosyncratic design.
Pagua Bay House — Dominica
Dominica may be the most naturally beautiful island in the Caribbean, so designing here is all about restraint. The boutique Pagua Bay house is marked by minimalism, with subtle but colourful hints of playfulness.
Belmond La Samanna — St Martin
The recently-rebranded La Samanna (part of a wider relaunch by Orient-Express) remains one of the archetypes of Caribbean hotel design — southern European charm combined with Caribbean comfort.
Golden Rock Inn – Nevis
It’s set on an old plantation at the foot of the Nevisian rainforest, and this artist-owned hotel is a kind of colourful painting on the canvas of Nevis Peak.
Ladera — St Lucia
This hotel largely pioneered the concept of the three-walled hotel room, using St Lucia’s famous Pitons as a new take on the picture window. An example of perfect integration of the natural landscape into a hotel’s design.
Compass Point Beach Resort — Bahamas
This New Providence standout is made up of pastel-hued, oceanfront huts, each of which provides a rustic but playful way to enjoy the views of Bahamian turquoise seas.
Casa Colonial — Dominican Republic
Sarah Garcia helped make this boutique, EP property a standout in a country dominated by all-inclusive resorts. It’s a mix of styles — sometimes Floridian, other times Spanish, always artful.
Soco Hotel — Barbados
The Soco hasn’t been around long, but this all-inclusive boutique property in Barbados has a bright, minimalist aesthetic that works quite well with the tranquility of the Bajan coastline.
La Toubana — Guadeloupe
The design at Guadeloupe’s signature luxury resort is as much about the actual property as it is about the views. Everything seems to have been designed around light, offering a unique look by day, by night and — crucially — at sunset.
Regent Palms — Turks and Caicos Islands
This Providenciales mainstay is an exemplar of Caribbean hotel design, true to an old West Indian-style environment with subtle, present-day touches. Relaxed, elegant and in touch with its surroundings on Grace Bay Beach.