By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
Luxury isn’t always synonymous with large. At these 15 high-end Caribbean boutique hotels – none bigger than 50 rooms – plush amenities come in petite packages.
Graycliff, Bahamas
With its period furniture and plantation-era styling, Nassau’s premiere boutique hotel recalls the languorous pace of a bygone time, when there were ample hours in the day to linger over a bottle from its cellar, the third-largest in the western hemisphere.
Round Hill, Jamaica
As much a boutique resort as a boutique hotel, Round Hill is all about elegance without pretentiousness; it’s a refined retreat that hearkens back to the golden age of Caribbean travel.
Casa Colonial, Dominican Republic
Staying at this elegant 50-suite Puerto Plata retreat is like staying in the home of a wealthy and thoughtful friend – you know, the type who unpacks your clothes into cedar-lined closets; delivers ice-cold Presidentes to your chaise at the rooftop pool; and slips lavender between your Frette sheets at bed time.
Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa, Martinique
If you think that staying on Martinique has to require adjusting your expectations to the European style of accommodation (ie: sometimes not as luxurious as North American travelers are accustomed to), think again. Cap Est offers 50 plush suites, exceptional service, and even a cigar cellar in an Eden-like beachfront setting in Le Francois.
Ladera, St. Lucia
Nestled in the mountainside between Gros and Petit Piton, the hotel that pioneered the three-walled suite concept in its 32 suites offers an exceptional ‘Lucian experience – and in its Tcholit Bar, a lip-smacking Banana Blessings cocktail.
Goldeneye, Jamaica
If it was good enough for James Bond’s creator Ian Fleming (who lived in a villa on the property), this compact Oracabessa hideaway – complete with outdoor showers, a beachfront pool and cooler-than-cool Bizot bar – is good enough for us.
Secret Bay, Dominica
This luxury eco-resort combines sustainable values with high-end amenities, offering six tricked-out villas and bungalows nestled within the trees, two beaches and a river in two tropical “micro-climates.”
Laluna, Grenada
Guests at this petite oasis rave about the chic interiors (the owner formerly consulted for Prada) in 16 cottages with private plunge pools; fine Italian cuisine in the open-air dining room; and muscle-melting massages by Balinese therapists.
Rock House, Bahamas
Pink Sands might be the best-known resort on tiny (and tony) Harbour Island but we also like this charming 10-suite getaway for its extraordinarily attentive staff, killer Goombay Smash, and, of course, that amazing pink-sand beach.
Tortuga Bay, Dominican Republic
Mere minutes from Punta Cana airport (where you’ll enjoy VIP arrival and departure courtesies), this 30-room resort designed by Oscar de la Renta is a posh oasis on the vast Punta Cana Resort & Club complex where guests can take advantage of eight restaurants and three golf courses, all accessed via the golf cart that comes with the room.
Le Toiny, St Barth
Perfect views, gorgeous villas and exceptional food. An accurate description of St Barth and of Le Toiny.
The House, Barbados
This 34-room property is Barbados’ premier boutique hotel, with the luxury extending from the beautifully appointed rooms to the house champagne: Moët & Chandon, included with the champagne breakfast every day.
Casas del XVI, Dominican Republic
The newest property on this list, Casas del XVI is all about classic luxury, housed in a group of largely 16th century buildings in the heart of Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial.
The Horned Dorset Primavera, Puerto Rico
This jewel is located in Puerto Rico’s Biarritz, otherwise known as Rincon. It brings a neo-colonial design to one of the Caribbean’s hippest spots. And it’s a Relais and Chateaux to boot.
Hotel L’Esplanade, St Martin
A boutique oasis on the French side of St Martin, L’Esplanade is a charming gem of a property.