We’ve long said the Caribbean is home to its unique brand of luxury.

But within that concept is a remarkably broad spectrum of hotels, where Caribbean luxury manifests itself in different ways, from Great House-style plantation hotels to cliffside stays to private-island destinations.

And then there’s something else: the luxury beach hotel, where marrying toes-in-the-sand tranquility with high-level luxury is not always an easy feat to achieve.

The best luxury beach hotels are at once playful and elegant, laid-back and chic, unpretentious and sophisticated. And they’re unmistakably Caribbean.

Here are five such stays to try right now.

Zemi Beach, Anguilla When Zemi Beach debuted in Anguilla, it set a new standard for Caribbean cool, from its Thai House spa to its wonderful Rhum Room. And as Anguilla is working to make its own comeback from last year’s storms, Zemi remains the island’s coolest boutique getaway.