Great luxury is its own form of travel. It’s a journey away from the ordinary, from the adequate. It’s a journey to the indulgent, to the beautiful, to the extraordinary.
The best luxury resorts take you on that journey, working with their surroundings to bring you to a different plane of experience.
Naturally, it begins with service. It’s the quality of service that takes great hotels and turns them into truly great luxury resorts. And then, of course, design, and amenities. The range of offerings.
But there’s a final question, one of authenticity.
Does this hotel belong in its destination? Is it at home in its surroundings? Does it work in tandem with its destination, or could it be placed anywhere in the world?
A great luxury hotel in the Caribbean has to have a sense of place; it has to be a part of the Caribbean.
And it has to be unforgettable.
These are the top luxury resorts in the Caribbean, 2018 edition.
Ladera, Saint Lucia We’ve called it the ultimate luxury resort. This is a truly Caribbean luxury hotel — everything is local, everything is hand crafted. It’s the most authentically Caribbean hotel in all of the region — along with the best views you will ever encounter.
Baoase Luxury Resort, Curaçao This stunning property put Curaçao on the map as a luxury destination, thanks to breathtaking construction that marries Bali with the Caribbean. The beach is wonderfully private, the service extraordinary and the food is at the top of the Caribbean culinary scene.
Park Hyatt St Kitts It’s the most exciting new hotel to debut in the Caribbean in years. And while it may be a global brand, it effortlessly integrates the island of St Kitts into its design and its overall ethos, from the swimming pool construction to the terrific food.
The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman It’s long set a standard for hotel service in the Caribbean, and it just keeps getting better. The rooms are plush, the food options are marvelously broad (led by the unparalleled Blue by Eric Ripert) and the beach is, well, Seven Mile Beach.
The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort, Paradise Island It’s long been one of the most legendary resorts in the Caribbean, and the recently-added Four Seasons brand has simply taken that to the next level. It’s ultra-private, exclusive without feeling pretentious and set on one of the Bahamas’ most spectacular stretches of sand.
Round Hill, Jamaica Last year’s Caribbean Hotel of the Year is a simply magical place to stay, from the intoxicatingly good service to perhaps our favorite infinity pool in the Caribbean. Whether you get an oceanfront room or a villa, this is the essence of Jamaican hospitality. And oh yeah, the rooms were designed by part-owner Ralph Lauren.
Sandy Lane, Barbados The grande dame of Barbados, this Bajan institution is like the Buckingham Palace of the island, an almost impossibly elegant and luxurious resort. It achieves something particularly special — it makes you feel like you’re a member of the Royal Family.
Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Grand Cayman When it debuted at the end of 2016, the Kimpton was a revolution in regional hotel architecture, a modern, globally-significant space that married world-class food with service that was almost unimaginably good. But while this hotel doesn’t look like many in the region, it fits seamlessly with Grand Cayman, an innovative, modern destination that is helping to take the Caribbean deep into the 21st century.
Zemi Beach House, Anguilla Sleek design, a spectacular beach and a local focus help make this Anguilla’s hottest resort. But its Thai House spa would get it on this list almost singlehandedly — a 300-year-old imported Thai house with an on-site hammam.
The Palms, Turks and Caicos Staying at this Grace Bay Beach institution is a bit like being the member of a coveted private club. It’s home to some of the most impressive and beautiful construction in the Caribbean (led by its simply gorgeous spa), while the Parallel 23 restaurant is among the region’s best. It works perfectly in tandem with the sands of Grace Bay Beach.
The Shore Club.
The Shore Club, Turks and Caicos South Beach meets the Old Caribbean at this relatively new addition to Providenciales, with some of the most extraordinary (and largest) rooms in the region and a perch on the effectively undiscovered Long Bay Beach, one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets.
Four Seasons Resort, Nevis.
Four Seasons Resort Nevis This wonderful hotel has always been one of the region’s pioneers when it comes to incorporating the local community and the local environment into its operations, and that hasn’t changed. It’s long had a commitment to being authentically Nevisian, to having a sense of place, to having a sense of people. And that’s true today. Not to mention one of the region’s most impressive food and beverage programs, led by the CJ favorite 101 Rums Bar.
Jade Mountain.
Jade Mountain, Saint Lucia It’s equal parts luxury resort and portal to another universe. The rooms aren’t rooms — they’re sanctuaries. And while it’s truly otherworldly, you never forget that you’re in Saint Lucia. It’s the sort of place where you’ll never want to leave your room — and you never need to.
Jumby Bay Island, Antigua Antigua and Barbuda’s flagship private-island destination has seen its levels of luxury surge since being taken over by the Oetker Collection (you may know them from the Eden Rock in St Barth). Long a celebrity favorite, it’s still an indulgent, glamorous Caribbean escape.
Eden Roc at Cap Cana, Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic’s leading luxury resort is also a Relais & Chateaux property, meaning hard-to-beat culinary offerings and a focus on sincere luxury. And did we mention the plunge pools?
The House, Barbados It may be small, but it’s got all of the amenities you expect, set on a privileged perch of Platinum Coast beach. And while it’s as cosmopolitan a place as there is in Barbados, it’s also quintessentially Bajan. And oh yes, Daphne’s is right next door.
Amanyara, Turks and Caicos It’s set out on the edge of Providenciales, far from Grace Bay Beach, in its own world. Here, it’s all about heightened privacy, indulgent seclusion and an Eastern sensibility, with gorgeously designed “pavilions.” But it’s also very much true to the Turks and Caicos experience.
Casa Colonial, Dominican Republic It’s the single biggest reason to visit the north coast of the Dominican Republic. This boutique, adults-only, ultra-luxe resort makes you feel like you’re staying in an art gallery, thanks to the magnificent design by Sarah Garcia. You get all of the amenities in an intimate package.
Cap Maison, Saint Lucia We’ve long been in love with this hotel at the northern tip of Saint Lucia, particularly for its extremely creative food and beverage program, from its on-site Naked Fisherman beach bar to its delectable, romantic Cliff at Cap restaurant. It’s grand luxury, Saint Lucian style.
Pink Sands Club, St Vincent and the Grenadines This relatively new resort, recently taken over by Mandarin Oriental, helped put Canouan (and the Grenadines) on the map as a luxury destination, with a colorful design and a serene beach.
Petit St Vincent, St Vincent and the Grenadines Another destination resort in the Grenadines, PSV is the height of castaway-chic luxury. It’s a throwback to a Caribbean that no longer exists, a reminder that sometimes the greatest luxury is seclusion.
Cobblers Cove.
Cobblers Cove, Barbados Another great Relais & Chateaux property in the Caribbean is this endlessly charming boutique on the Platinum Coast, with the kind of food you expect at an R&C property. Its pastel colors and architecture are what you imagine Barbados to be like. But this is real.
Calabash, Grenada The Spice Isle’s best place to stay is a lovely, warm boutique resort set on one of the island’s most tranquil stretches of beach. It’s a friendly, family-run place that marries Grenadian hospitality with luxurious charm.
The Landings, Saint Lucia.
The Landings, Saint Lucia This hotel would make this list for its service alone, some of the most impressive in the region. But then there are the terrific, residence-style rooms, with beautiful views and one of Saint Lucia’s most gorgeous beaches. That’s without mentioning the continuously impressive food, led by the flagship eatery, The Palms.
Tortuga Bay, Dominican Republic This recently-transformed boutique resort in Punta Cana continues to set a standard for relaxed Caribbean luxury, without forgetting its roots as the scene of Oscar de la Renta’s first and only Caribbean hotel interiors.