Your own space, your own pool, your own vacation. If you’ve been following the Caribbean travel industry over the last few years, you know that no sector has seen faster, bigger growth than that of luxury villas.
It’s just what many travelers want right now, no doubt heavily impacted by the way the pandemic shifted travelers’ tastes and desires.
And while luxury villas themselves have never been hotter, another category has seen sizzling growth, too: the villa “resort.”
Think of all of the comforts of a standalone private villa: pools, full kitchens, endless space, but with the luxury, conveniences and amenities of a resort.
The best “villa resorts” combine all of those things, offering up the best of both worlds: privacy and seclusion without any sacrifices.
We’ve curated our favorite “villa resorts” in the Caribbean right now, from classic residential resorts to upstart hotels that are helping to reinvent the way people travel in the Caribbean.
The Shore Club, Turks and Caicos The ultimate resort villas are set on Long Bay in Turks and Caicos at this spectacular luxury Providenciales resort. The Estate Villas at the Shore Club are set directly on the beach, all with 8,800 square feet of living space, private pools, butlers, housekeepers, indoor saunas and another amenity: 24-7 access to every single amenity at the best resort in Turks and Caicos.
Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic This is as much a city as it is a villa resort, with an outstanding luxury resort complemented by more than 2,000 luxury villas across 7,000 acres. Book a villa through the resort and you’ll typically get a chef, butler and housekeeper, and you’ll enjoy access to a remarkably complete resort that includes everything from a subperyacht marina to a new destination spa to the Teeth of the Dog, easily the best golf course in the Caribbean (joined by several other courses on property).
Rose Hall Villas, Jamaica The villa component at Half Moon is a collection of five, six and seven-bedroom villas all designed in the grand, classic Jamaican style, all with full staff including chefs, housekeepers and butlers, and access to the endless amenities at the Half Moon resort: the Robert Trent Jones golf course, the equestrian program, the beaches, the shopping village. It’s the best villa resort in Jamaica, no small feat in a country that has turned the luxury villa into an art form.
Secret Bay, Dominica This luxury resort in Dominica is so good it almost defies categorization; but at its core, this is a collection of some of the most stunning luxury villas you’ll ever lay eyes upon, with state-of-the-art design and amenities, magnificent plunge pools and a dedicated villa host that caters to your every need.
Four Seasons Resort Nevis Nevis’ signature resort is so beloved by travelers that sometimes people forget that its joined by a collection of nearly 45 different villas of varying designs and sizes, all with access to the Four Seasons’ amenities but with a rarefied feel that make you feel like, for a week or two, you’re really living in Nevis.
Jumby Bay Island, Antigua The Oetker Collection’s private-island stunner off the coast of Antigua has a robust portfolio of residential options: 22 “private residences” and another 14 “villas.” The private residences come with private chefs and butlers; choose a villa, though, and you’ll get complete all-inclusive access to the resort.
Round Hill Hotel and Villas, Jamaica We’ll put it simply: you fall in love with Round Hill the moment you walk into the retro-chic lobby here. This is a magical place, and while it has 36 Ralph Lauren-designed rooms, it also has 27 villas set on the hillside, all beautiful, all fully staffed, all dating back to the golden age of Jamaican tourism. Indeed, some of the last two centuries’ biggest boldfaced names stayed in the villas (you can even stay in JFK’s favorite).
Delfins Beach Resort, Bonaire It’s been Bonaire’s most buzziest hotel since debuting in 2017, including serving as home of the number one restaurant in the Caribbean, the Brass Boer. But you may not know that Delfins has a collection of 13 luxury villas, all with modern kitchens, either three or four bedrooms, and either pools or sprawling patios. They’re great for large groups and of course include access to all of the hotel’s vast amenities.
Tryall Club, Jamaica Another Jamaica classic, the Tryall Club is set on more than 2,200 acres near Montego Bay, with 84 different private villas, all fully staffed. The property’s amenities are lovely: a new-look beach club, daily afternoon tea in the Great House; a terrific lobby bar and the outstanding Ralph Plummer-designed Tryall Club golf course.
Grand Windsock, Bonaire Bonaire’s newest resort is a nod both to the global trend toward villa resorts and the way many of Bonaire’s visitors have always liked to travel: independently, using their kitchens, dining out and experiencing the island. The terrific resort has 72 accommodations, including 42 villas, all with full kitchens. Of those, 30 have their own private pools. They’re all sleek and crisply designed, with amenities like a main pool, a beach club and a partnership with one of the island’s top dive shops. It’s Bonaire’s first true villa resort, and instantly one of the region’s best.
Amanyara, Turks and Caicos The ultra-luxe Amanyara has a lovely portfolio of villas, all set on sizable lots, all with infinity pools in volcanic rock and layouts of either three, four or five bedrooms. The locations are set either at the edge of the water or in the property’s water-filled garden areas. And yes, they come staffed with chefs and housekeepers — making this the ultimate way to experience one of the region’s top wellness resorts.