“Experiential travel” is one of the biggest buzz words in the industry right now, as more and more travelers look to get out beyond their hotel rooms, explore their destinations and immerse themselves in local destinations. We’ve always advocated for that – for connecting in a deeper way with the Caribbean. Having said that, sometimes you want to find a place for a blissful, stress-free vacation, where you can escape the bustle and find your own private sanctuary. Thankfully, the Caribbean is also the perfect place for that.
We’ve gathered some of our favorite “relaxing” hotels in the Caribbean, hotels that have that extra degree of serenity, where quiet isn’t just reserved for a special adults-only corner of the resort: it’s pervasive.
Here are 15 great relaxing hotels for your next Caribbean vacation.
Harbour Village Beach Club, Bonaire Bonaire’s top luxury resort is almost impossibly serene: 44 rooms in a lushly-landscaped, residential-style setting on the most picturesque private beach in Bonaire. You feel it the moment you walk through the gate: this is a place for endless, sublime quiet. It just might be the most relaxing hotel in the Caribbean.
The Verandah, Antigua This family-friendly all-inclusive is set on a privileged perch on a peninsula on the eastern coast of Antigua. The grounds are pristine, the rooms are a collection of charming Caribbean-style cottages and the vibe is all about the art of tropical calm. It’s as relaxing an all-inclusive as you’ll find anywhere in the Caribbean.
Eclipse at Half Moon, Jamaica You’ll never lack for things to do at Jamaica’s signature luxury resort, from horseback riding to Robert Trent Jones-designed golf, but that’s what makes the chill level here just so impressive: no matter where you go on the sprawling Montego Bay property, you’ll find serenity and quiet, anchored by the island’s best hospitality and service.
Galley Bay, Antigua There’s a reason this is often considered the most romantic place to stay in Antigua. Galley Bay is set on a stunningly beautiful peninsula on the northwestern coast of Antigua, with a breathtaking natural environment filled with tropical birds, a beautiful lagoon and some secluded, special rooms (including the wonderful Gauguin Suites).
Bamboo Bonaire This boutique adults-only hotel in Bonaire is a place for wellness, privacy and seclusion. There are just 13 rooms, some with marvelous outdoor sanctuaries with plunge pools, all in a magnificently quiet, palm-tree-filled setting. The spa program is outstanding, too.
Karibuni, St Martin It’s the best-kept secret in St Martin: the six-suite hideaway called Karibuni, where you can spend your days on the beach on Pinel Island and your afternoons and evenings in your ultra-private retreat on a hillside in Cul de Sac. The epitome of St Martin’s French Caribbean cool.
Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba Aruba’s premier adults-only resort is also the island’s best hotel, in large part due to its rarefied, casually elegant ambience, where the beach chairs are spaced seemingly miles apart and you can always find precisely the calm and sanctuary you’re looking for.
Graycliff, Nassau, The Bahamas Nassau’s best boutique hotel isn’t just the Caribbean’s gourmet capital (home to the region’s largest wine cellar and largest collection of rums and cognacs, among other things). When you stay here, you’re staying in your own private club in old Nassau, a remarkably quiet and serene oasis in the heart of the Bahamian capital.
Kahari Resort, The Bahamas While Exuma is world-famous for its electric blue water and its swimming pigs, tiny Stocking Island, just off the coast of George Town, is still something of a secret. That includes the lovely, hideaway-style Kahari Resort, a collection of eco-chic cottages set on some of the most blindingly white sand beaches you’ll ever lay your eyes upon.
Sweetfield Manor, Barbados History and wellness come together in this lovely boutique hotel set on a quiet hillside above Bridgetown, where charming rooms, great food and a timeless air make for a unique kind of Barbados vacation.
Fernandez Bay Village, Cat Island, The Bahamas Cat Island is quiet. And that’s the point. This classic, family-run beach hotel in New Bight will make you instantly feel that you can throw away your watch and count the days of your trip iwith afternoons in the ocean.
Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel, Grenada This is the best luxury hotel in Grenada — and it also epitomizes the island’s brand of genteel elegance. Everything here is just so, seemingly taken straight out of a novel: a lovely beach, a refined, pristine ambience and a continually impressive culinary program.
Zoetry Agua Punta Cana Yes, it is an all-inclusive. Yes, it is in Punta Cana. But this is an outlier: a luxury resort where the whole property feels like a spa. You’ll never feel like it’s crowded here, even during high season, you never have to make a reservation; and you can always find a large corner of the resort to call your own.
Small Hope Bay Lodge, Andros, The Bahamas This is hotel for adventurers looking to enjoy the wonders of Andros’ natural environment: diving, hiking, fishing. But it’s also a portal to enjoying the island’s restorative natural beauty, a place to connect with the flora and fauna, to retreat, to reflect.
Hotel Plein Soleil, Martinique Every room at this boutique on the Atlantic coast of Martinique is its own little sanctuary, many of which come with their own lagoon-view plunge pools. It’s a bit of a drive up a winding road to get here, but once you do, you’ll realize it was well worth it: the Plein Soleil is a breezy, endlessly dreamy place to spend your French Caribbean vacation.