There’s often something special about a well-executed small hotel. It’s more intimate, it’s more personal, it’s more soulful. And the Caribbean is full of precisely such places, from hillside retreats to beachfront boutiques. These are places with personality, where quality reigns over quantity and where you can often find a deeper Caribbean experience. Here are 10 Small Caribbean Hotels to try right now.
Boucan by Hotel Chocolat, St Lucia
Cacao plantation? Check. One of the Caribbean’s best restaurants? Check. An infinity pool with a jaw-dropping view of Petit Piton? Check. Oh, and the luxe-rustic rooms are splendid, too.
Hotel Plein Soleil, Martinique
Most of the rooms at this hillside escape in eastern Martinique have their own plunge pools, meaning you almost never have to (and never want to) leave them. This is the essence of a great French Caribbean hotel — a place where absolute tranquility is the primary objective.
Las EsQuinas, Anguilla
It may style itself as a bed-and-breakfast, but this wonderfully designed property in Anguilla will make you forget just about any other hotel you’ve been to. Proprietor Robin Ogilvie has hospitality down to an art form to the point that when you leave, you’ll feel like you’re leaving the home of a great friend.
Tendacayou, Guadeloupe
Tucked in the hills above the fishing village of Deshaies on Guadeloupe’s lush island of Basse-Terre, this is a full-fledged eco hotel that pulls off its own unique form of luxury, from a haute-cuisine French restaurant to a world-class sustainable spa.
Sugar Reef, Bequia
With just eight rooms, this Bequia outpost is all about creating a unique, personal experience. This is an authentic place, with direct beachfront rooms and a farm-to-table restaurant.
Laluna Grenada
Grenada’s leading boutique hotel is the pinnacle of hip, with lovely cottages with plunge pools in view of the sea. The best part? The design, an alluring mix of indoor-outdoor living.
Geejam, Jamaica
Port Antonio is Jamaica’s capital of cool right now, drawing a mix of intrepid travelers from around the world, drawn to a side of Jamaica not often on display. So where to stay? Geejam, a boutique luxury hotel that’s got everything from a recording studio to a spectacular beach.
Boardwalk, Aruba
Bright, breezy and inviting, this is another side of Aruba, a boutique, relaxed place. With an engaging decor and warm service, Boardwalk is all about authenticity.
Hotel Caravelle, St Croix
Looking for a different kind of Caribbean vacation? Why not head to Christiansted, one of the most charming historic cities in the Caribbean, and its newly-renovated Hotel Caravelle, a boutique right on the boardwalk.
Karibuni Lodge, St Martin
One of our favorite places to stay in the Caribbean, this is boutique lodge in the hills of Cul de Sac in St Martin has the best of both worlds: large rooms with views of the sea and a private beach club on nearby Pinel Island. It’s a combination that makes this one of the best Small Caribbean Hotels.