What makes a boutique hotel … boutique? Is boutique just another word for a small hotel? Is a boutique hotel a small hotel with an upscale image, a unique design or a special theme? There are so many special small hotels in the Caribbean where you can hide away right in the middle of it all, and these small gems are at the heartbeat of the Caribbean. We think a boutique hotel should be very small — no more than 25 rooms. But small is by no means short on hospitality or service levels, experiences or amenities. Indeed, it’s quite the opposite. A well-managed boutique hotel oozes charm, personal service and luxury. Congratulations to the 25 Best Boutique Hotels of the Caribbean for 2014!
The Sugar Mill — British Virgin Islands
This 23-room hotel and restaurant in Tortola simply exudes old-fashioned Caribbean charm, set around a nearly 400-year-old sugar mill. The exemplar of what a boutique Caribbean hotel should be.
O:live Boutique Hotel — Puerto Rico
Great boutique hotels are often in the heart of great cities, and the O:live is no exception. This 15-room property in the heart of the fashionable Condado district is the confluence of European high design and Caribbean warmth.
Secret Bay — Dominica
When it debuted in 2011, this property on a stunning cliffside near Portsmouth redefined what a small Caribbean hotel could be. Sustainable, modern and breathtakingly well designed, Secret Bay is a boutique hotel, a set of villas and a resort all in one.
Cotton Tree — Cayman Islands
With just four plantation-style cottages, Cotton Tree has the feel of an old Caribbean inn with ultra-modern amenities. Just about five years old, it’s a hidden gem in Grand Cayman.
Rockhouse — Jamaica
The archetype of a great Jamaican hotel. Rockhouse is green, luxurious, blessed with two great restaurants and set on a stunning cliffside Pristine Cove in Negril.
Laluna — Grenada
An artfully-made boutique on the Spice Isle, Laluna is romantic and secluded, with an international flavour. And with just 16 cottages and 7 villas, it’s delightfully private.
Boucan By Hotel Chocolat — St Lucia
It’s hard to argue with a hotel set around the theme of chocolate. This 14-room property in the oldest working cocoa estate on the island of St Lucia is sweet in every way, from unique spa treatments to crisp, colonial-style lodges.
Hotel Plein Soleil — Martinique
A classic French Caribbean inn, the Plein Soleil is a small grouping of 16 relaxed, airy and bright rooms and suites in the area of Francois in Martinique, tucked within a lush, garden environment.
Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant – Bahamas
This 20-room Nassau institution exemplifies Caribbean boutique hospitality, with unmatched service, terrific restaurants and the feeling of staying in an old West Indian home.
Geejam – Jamaica
The essence of Jamaican cool. This five-unit boutique in the area of Port Antonio has beautifully-appointed rooms on a six-acre tract near its own eponymous beach. It’s even got a recording studio.
Les Bananes Vertes — Guadeloupe
Set in the area of Saint Claude on the lush island of Basse-Terre, Les Bananes Vertes is a classic eco-boutique, with an emphasis on enjoying the wonder of the natural environment.
Hermitage Bay — Antigua
The 25-cottage Hermitage Bay is on a lush property fronting a breathtaking beach. It’s a combination of cottages and suites, all of which straddle two worlds: laid-back Caribbean luxury and high design.
Blancaneaux Lodge — Belize
This 14-room lodge is a Belizean wonder. One of the hotels in the collection of famed film director Francis Ford Coppola, it has all the elements of a great production — along with a great lead character: the jungle of Belize.
Spring House — St Vincent and the Grenadines
A great boutique hotel is directly in touch with its sense of place. The tiny Spring House is no exception, with breezy, comfortable rooms each named for an island in the Grenadines.
Montpelier Plantation and Beach — Nevis
This 19-room Relais and Chateaux property is set on a onetime sugar plantation on a hillside in Nevis, and has a tradition of Caribbean hospitality, with an emphasis on delectable cuisine. (It also once hosted Princess Diana).
Casas del XVI — Dominican Republic
This brand-new boutique in the heart of Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial has seven rooms across two restored 16th-century houses, with a wonderful interplay between history and modernity.
Frangipani Beach Resort — Anguilla
The 19-unit Frangipani resort on gorgeous Meads Bay marries classic Anguillian luxury to a beachy, relaxed sensibility. It’s also home to Straw Hat, one of the Caribbean’s best restaurants.
Meridian Club — Turks and Caicos Islands
This blissful private-island getaway is set on the 800-acre, privately-owned Pine Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands. And it’s all about escaping the hustle and bustle — meaning no TV, no phones, no A/C (beach breezes remove the need) and not even a clock in the rooms.
Las EsQuinas — Anguilla
This tiny jewel in Anguilla’s Little Harbour area is a selection of four suites, each designed in a different style, from Mexican to Moroccan. But its heart is truly Anguillian, with jaw-dropping views across to St Martin and overflowing with charm.
Petit St Vincent — St Vincent and the Grenadines
A unique property. Tucked on a private island near Union Island, this grouping of 22 spread-out ocean-view cottages is a boutique resort, with one overarching theme: the hideaway.
Sublime Samana Hotel and Residences — Dominican Republic
Boutique properties are the exception rather than the rule in the Dominican Republic, and the Sublime Samana is indeed exceptional, with high-design flair at the crossroads of the mountains and the beach.
Le Petit Hotel — St Martin
This family-owned boutique on Grand Case Bay in St Martin has a total of 10 well-appointed rooms, all of which have direct access to the beach.
Petit Anse Hotel — Grenada
You might call Grenada a kind of boutique island — with its charming, welcoming, accessibility. And the Petit Anse exudes Grenadian hospitality, with 11 comfortable rooms.
Mayoka Lodge — Honduras
This Roatan retreat styles itself as “laid back luxury,” and that’s exactly what it is, with five suites on Roatan’s Sandy Bay.
Abaka Bay Resort — Haiti
This isn’t the Haiti you think you know. Tucked on a beautiful beach on the island of Ile a Vache, Abaka Bay is an homage to a different time in the West Indies, an old-fashioned beachfront retreat.