It’s been five years since we first launched CJ’s annual Cool List of the Caribbean’s coolest hotels, and so much has changed in Caribbean hospitality. In our opinion, the region’s hotel offering has never been better, with a marvelous mix of top-flight luxury hotels, style-centric boutiques and everything in between.
So where do CJ’s experts suggest this year for all things cool?
The coolest hotels always have a personality, offering something more than just a place to stay.
Our 2017 edition largely focuses on hotels off the beaten path, taking you to some cool hotels you’ve likely never heard of, because there’s nothing cooler than discovering a closely-guarded secret. Here are the 20 coolest hotels in the Caribbean for 2017.
Tom Beach Hotel, St. Barth
While it’s set on the most famous beach in St. Barth, St. Jean, this tiny boutique beach hotel remains something of a secret. Home to one of the island’s hottest beach bars, Le Tom Beach is set in a garden and boasts bright, sleek guest rooms and great service.
Le Temps des Cerises, St. Martin
Looking for a new place to stay on the French side of St. Martin? Check out Le Temps des Cerises, a charming little beach hotel smack in the heart of Grand Case. There are just nine rooms, with an airy, chic French Caribbean look and a restaurant that lives up to its stiff local competition.
Idle Awhile Resort, Jamaica
Hidden away in the bohemian beach town of Negril, Idle Awhile is actually composed of three enclaves: Beach, Cliffs and Villas. We’re partial to the beach wing, with breezy, colorful rooms on a privileged perch on Seven Mile Beach.
Naia Resort and Spa, Belize
Belize’s Placencia peninsula is increasingly popular as a destination for secret beach-seekers, and the Naia Resort, which opened this month, is a major new addition to the area. The hotel is comprised of a collection of “beach houses,” with high ceilings, high-tech entertainment and outdoor showers.
Hotel Plein Soleil, Martinique
One of the great hideaways in the Caribbean, this remote hotel is set in the hills above a banana plantation in Martinique. The rooms are superb (some of which have their own private plunge pools) and the on-site restaurant is one of the best on an island known for its world-class gastronomy.
Kimpton Seafire Resort+ Spa, Grand Cayman
This new beachfront resort in Grand Cayman was Caribbean Journal’s Caribbean Hotel of the Year in 2017. And while it’s got all of the luxury you expect, it’s delivered in a refreshingly hip, unpretentious manner. It’s a stunner.
Pagua Bay House, Dominica
A tiny collection of six oceanfront “cabanas,” this micro-boutique in Dominica has an almost meditative quality to it, the perfect place to enjoy the natural wonders of the Caribbean’s Nature Island without sacrificing any creature comforts.
Admiral’s Inn & Gunpowder Suites, Antigua
It’s rare to find a boutique hotel that feels like a resort, but that’s precisely the case at this 17th-century-era property right inside Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua. There are two on-site restaurants, a great bar and an exquisite private pool accessible via a 30-second boat ride across the harbor.
Atlantis Hotel, Barbados
Set on the ocean just outside of the rugged beach town of Bathsheba, this solar-powered historic hotel has beautifully-designed rooms, a wonderful restaurant and the feeling that you’re worlds away from the Caribbean you know.
Club Seabourne, Culebra, Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican island of Culebra has been quietly building as an ultra-cool destination, with a robust expat community, world-class beaches and a throwback Old Caribbean vibe. Club Seabourne is the best place to stay on the island, with roomy units and a lighthearted vibe.
Bellafonte Bonaire
Bonaire doesn’t market itself much, and that’s helped keep the island a very under-the-radar destination. And while it’s deservedly popular with divers (as arguably the top diving destination in the Caribbean), it’s cultivated its own brand of Dutch Caribbean cool. And we like this boutique oceanfront hotel for its comfortable, modern rooms and energetic, friendly service.
The Island House, Bahamas
Nassau’s newest boutique hotel has already earned a reputation as a chic spot for a weekend getaway in the Bahamas. There’s a little bit of everything, from the delightful Mahogany House restaurant to quirky perks like an in-house cinema.
The Landing Harbour Island, Bahamas
This hip, historic inn is set on the harbor in Dunmore Town on the effortlessly charming island of Harbour Island. The rooms are ecletic and lovely, the walls are filled with art and the eponymous restaurant is terrific. Perhaps most importantly, it’s the birthplace of Afrohead Rum, which started out its life as the hotel’s house rum.
Cooper Island Beach Club, British Virgin Islands
It can’t get much cooler than this lovable boutique on a private island in the BVI, with everything from a large rum bar to a microbrewery to solar panels on the roofs. The rooms are beach-chic and the service is eager to please.
Montpelier Plantation and Beach, Nevis
It’s perhaps most famous as the hotel where Princess Diana stayed on a visit to Nevis, but this hotel has long been a CJ reader favorite thanks to luxe amenities, a spectacular pool and Relais & Chateaux culinary excellence (indeed, having dinner in the mill is one of the Caribbean’s great dining experiences.
La Toubana, Guadeloupe
The French Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe has its own peculiar brand of cool, and it’s perfectly exemplified in this modern hotel in the beach town of Sainte Anne. There’s a mix of bungalows and suites, but we’re partial to the bungalows.
Laluna, Grenada
Bali meets the Caribbean at this small beachfront retreat in Grenada that’s also a haven for yoga lovers. There are 16 cottages here, each of which includes its own private plunge pool.
Spring House, Bequia
Set on a coconut plantation, this nine-room boutique built into a historic building is all about relaxed luxury, with breezy rooms and an exclusive spot right on the sand.
Ti Kaye Resort and Spa, St. Lucia
One of St. Lucia’s hidden gems, this boutique property above Anse Cochon bay has a beautiful collection of 33 gingerbread-style oceanview cottages, along with a great restaurant called Kaj Manje and one of the best wine lists in the region.
Lumina Point Caribbean Hotels
Lumina Point, Exuma, Bahamas
The Caribbean’s newest eco-hotel, this small resort is set on Stocking Island across the water from George Town in Exuma. The rooms are rustic chic, the hotel is solar powered and the beach is, in a word, stunning.