By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
Getting away from it all shouldn’t have to mean spending it all. Here are a dozen cozy Caribbean roosts – all featuring rooms under $200 a night – where you can get your daily dose of vitamin “sea,” no second mortgage required. (Above: the beach at Lo Bleu Hotel in Guadeloupe).
Jake’s, Jamaica
Two things we love more than the effortlessly cool, boho-chic vibe of this south-coast resort: longtime barkeep Dougie’s rum punch, and the room rate, which starts as low as $175 a night.
Anacaona, Anguilla
Mere steps from the white-sand sweep at Meads Bay, this 27-room inn is neighbored by hotels that charge upward of $600 a night, making its starting rate of $160 an amazing deal.
Da House, Puerto Rico
This former convent and artists’ workshop-turned art-filled boutique hotel has rates (from $80) that are as accessible as its location, smack in the center of historic Old San Juan.
Tensing Pen, Jamaica
On Negril’s cliffs, this retreat is famous for its clutch of charming thatch-roof cottages that border impossibly blue water. But with rates that start at just $120 for a garden cabin, a weekend here is well within the realm of possibility.
Boardwalk, Aruba
If your idea of an island vacay involves retreating to a colorful casita on a former coconut plantation, this Palm Beach 14-roomer will fit the bill. And since prices start at around $180 a night, the bill will fit your budget, too.
Lo Bleu Hotel, Terre de Haut, Guadeloupe
On Terre-de-Haut in Les Saintes, this charming seaside inn is the icing on the idyllic isle’s cake with 10 rooms decorated with original art and an oceanfront deck made for sunset cocktails, all for rates that start at just $130 a night for sea-view digs.
Mary’s Boon, St Maarten
You can’t get much nearer to the airport or the sands of Simpson Bay than this family-run hotel. And with rates that start a $75 a night for a garden studio, you won’t find much cheaper, either.
Sunshine Suites, Grand Cayman
Staying on Seven Mile Beach is sweet, yes, but staying across the road from the sand at this resort – where WI-FI and continental breakfast is included in internet rates that start at just $176 for a studio suite – is definitely smarter.
Caribbean Club, Bonaire
A two-bedroom penthouse, breakfast and car rental for under $170 per person per night? Yep, the deal is real at this dive resort near Kralendijk.
Hotel Villa Saint-Pierre, Martinique
Why just do a day trip to historic Saint Pierre when for around $130 a night you can stay at this waterfront nine-roomer and take your time to discover all the former capital’s mysteries? Above: an seafront room.
Siboney Beach Club, Antigua
Staying on the sands of Dickenson Bay doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Just $150 gets you a night at this intimate all-suite inn on one of the island’s most popular beaches.
Langley Fort Royal, Guadeloupe
Get more ooh-la-la for less moola at this Basse Terre beachfront in Deshaies where the ti punch at Kawann beach bar is one of the best we’ve tasted, and the bang for your buck (rooms start at $140) is pretty good, too.