You know the sound. You open the door to your balcony or patio and it’s there, the maritime metronome, the gentle roll or vigorous froth of the waves right near your room.
But it’s not always so easy to find. Even at many beachfront (or waterfront) resorts, there’s often quite a distance between your room and the actual water’s edge.
Not at these Caribbean hotels and resorts. We call them “water’s edge” hotels, where the rooms are either right at the water, perched right above the water or even directly in the water.
Here are our favorite water’s edge hotels, from Aruba to St Martin and everywhere in between.
All you have to do is listen to the waves.
Grand Case Beach Club, St Martin We’ve long called it the best resort in St Martin, and that remains the case for this Caribbean classic, where the majority of rooms are perched right above the hotel’s magnificent French Caribbean sand. The service is outstanding, the on-site Sunset Cafe is splendid and the setting is rather hard to top. It’s all stewarded by legendary Caribbean hotelier Stephen Wright.
The Sands, San Salvador It may have been the island where Columbus made his first landing in the New World, but this tiny paradise in The Bahamas remains one of the island’s best-kept secrets, with spectacular beaches and an uncrowded, unhurried vibe. This hotel marries terrific, full-kitchen interiors with a spectacular setting perched directly above the waves. Sitting on the patio or terrace in one of these rooms is an ethereal experience.
Rockhouse, Negril, Jamaica There’s a mystical quality to the cliffs of Negril, and they’re the biggest amenity at this endlessly cool boutique hotel on Pristine Cove. Choose one of the villa-style thatched-roof huts and you’ll be right at the edge of the cliff, staring at Negril’s dynamic-hued water, replete with your own ladder to climb down for a dip.
Aruba Ocean Villas You won’t have any trouble finding the water from your room at this resort, home to the only overwater rooms in the Dutch Caribbean. This tiny, beautifully-designed Savaneta hotel has a collection of five bungalows and overwater villas and includes The Old Man and the Sea, one of the island’s top restaurants.
Saba Rock, BVI The dramatically rebuilt private-island retreat in the heart of the North Sound of Virgin Gorda has just nine rooms, all the epitome of barefoot beach chic, all with Molton Brown toiletries, and, most importantly, enchanting settings one story above the North Sound’s famous blue.
Galley Bay, Antigua The waterfront rooms at this signature Antigua resort are the essence of water’s edge: the two-story bungalow-style units have toes-in-the-sand beachfront rooms on the ground floor; on the upper floor, you’re immersed in a symphony of sandy sound. (The garden-set Gauguin Cottages here are also sublime, all with their own plunge pools).
Bolongo Bay, St Thomas The Doumeng family’s legendary resort remains St Thomas’ most beloved place to stay, and that’s in large part due to its intimate setting on one of the USVI’s most beautiful bays, where most of the rooms walk out to exactly the sound we were describing at the outset. Even better? It has a great all-inclusive option.
LTC Hotel Saint Martin It’s one of the most delightful juxtapositions in the Caribbean: a boulevard filled with world-class restaurants, directly adjacent to one of the Caribbean’s best beaches. But Grand Case Boulevard is also home to some hotels perched right above the sand, none better than this lovely little boutique branded by a French jeans company.
Atlantis Hotel Barbados One of the Caribbean’s most historic hotels, this boutique is set in a property that dates back more than 200 years, in a lovely position at the edge of Bathsheba Beach, the island’s raw, rugged coastline that’s the region’s biggest draw for world-champion surfers. The hotel is a deliciously serene place to stay, equal parts New England inn and Bajan beach escape.
Bellafonte Bonaire This elegant residential-style hotel is all about the water, with large, luxuriously-appointed rooms all built directly above Bonaire’s pristine water. And while all the rooms give you that perfect water’s edge feel, you’ll be spending most of the time at the wonderful overwater patio, replete with food and beverage service for indulgent afternoons on the sea.
Bitter End Yacht Club Yes, the Bitter End is back, and while it’s still a work in progress, the hotel has already debuted a handful of the first-ever overwater villas in the British Virgin Islands. There called “marina lofts,” and they’re two-story units with panoramic views, terraces on both floors and private docks. The rest of the hotel has been wonderfully reimagined, from the Quarterdeck to what remains the greatest watersports offering at any hotel in the Caribbean.
King Christian Hotel, St Croix This Christiansted classic has been remarkably restored, injecting a new energy into a hotel that has always occupied one of St Croix’s greatest locations — directly above the boardwalk, in view of Protestant Cay. That means your balcony is, well, a place you’ll rarely want to leave. But if you do, you’ll find a dynamic culinary program, including the Caribbean’s best tiki bar, Breaker’s Roar.