There’s something about walking on a white sand beach, swimming in the Caribbean, and dropping a 100 euros on burrata that never gets old. Because you’re on vacation, and quite frankly, you just don’t give a darn for at least a few days. That’s when you know you’re living in the moment, and life doesn’t get much better than this. But there are so few places to get that good feeling, where no matter what life throws at you, all you can see is that next cocktail. It’s one of the many reasons the Caribbean brings it as far as vacations go. After all, sometimes you just need to sit your a– on a beach where your biggest decision of the day is what’s on tap for dinner that eve. These are the top Caribbean resorts that make it all happen.
The Resort: Eden Rock St. Barths
Location: St. Barths, France
This is one of the top Caribbean resorts to be amongst the glamorous, beautiful, wealthy, famous, or all of the above. Eden Rock is where you’re most likely to run into Leo + his latest super model and John and Chrissy, no last names required.
Eden Rock’s lavish suites, prime beach front location and food by Jean-Georges land it on our favorites list. The rooms at Eden Rock are not your typical cookie cutter accommodations, where some of them are literally built into the rock that the hotel is named after. Speaking of rocks, Villa Rockstar is renowned as one of the most baller places to stay not just on St. Barths, but around the world. With places to stay like Rockstar, here’s no doubt why Eden Rock tends to attract high-profile guests. Additionally, yes, all luxury hotels in St. Barths have a spa, but Eden Rock’s is a bona fide medical spa, which includes Reiki massage, hydrafacial, and EMSculpt.
The Resort: COMO Parrot Cay
Location: Turks & Caicos
This is one of the top Caribbean resorts if you’re looking for the most pristine water in the islands. It’s fifty shades of turquoise on the slice of heaven that is the private island of Parrot Cay.
COMO Parrot Cay gives you a chance to literally leave the world behind because it’s a 35-minute boat ride on land. This means real peace and quiet, which is what the celeb guests who own homes there like Christy Brinkley, are looking for.
A major super power of Parrot Cay is the cuisine. cuisine. There’s a reason why Christy Brinkley looks timeless, and it may be the food on island. The food may be healthy, but it doesn’t taste it, in the best of ways. But don’t worry, there are also vacation favorites like Caribbean barbecue, jerk chicken and pork ribs. Each week, the resort’s beach club holds a fish market to sample freshly caught fish from the surrounding area.
On this private island, you won’t get bored. Adventurers can kayak through the resort’s mangrove forest and kids can enjoy outdoor adventures guided by a NASA astronaut. There is never a dull moment at Parrot Cay.
The Resort: Rosewood Little Dix Bay
Location: British Virgin Islands
This is one of the top Caribbean resorts if you’re just looking to go completely off-grid for the weekend and do a whole lot of nothing. A slice of heaven is the only way to describe the crescent-shaped beach at Rosewood Little Dix Bay. There’s absolutely no scene here, just pure Caribbean relaxation.
Come one, come all is the vibe at Little Dix Bay. It’s child-friendly, good for couples and group friendly, with accommodations from suites to cottages to villas. But its setting is really what everyone is here for, to sit under a thatched roof umbrella and hang out on the beach all day. Those who are into sailing though are in prime territory to take lessons or explore the BVI for the day.
The Resort: Jumby Bay
Location: Antigua
One of Oetker Collection’s most immaculate resorts, Jumby Bay surrounds visitors with instagram-worthy scenery. Guests at Jumby Bay can choose between suites and more spacious villas, each equipped with a private pool and even a golf cart. The resort offers an all-inclusive package, earning it the 2023 Five-Star Award from Forbes Travel Guide. The package includes accommodation, meals, childcare, and more.
Jumby Bay offers a variety of different cuisine, including farm-to-table meals and beachside barbecue. The Jumby Bay Veranda allows guests to dine overlooking the waves. Menu items include light Mediterranean-inspired meals prepared with fresh ingredients. The resort’s more casual restaurant, the Pool Grille, offers poolside snacks and classic hearty meals such as fish tacos and mushroom steak. Jumby Bay meals are sure to please even the pickiest eaters.
There are plenty of opportunities for recreation at Jumby Bay, including nature walks, wine tasting and use of complimentary bicycles. Kayaking, sailing, and snorkeling tours are offered by knowledgeable guides. Soothing facials and rejuvenating massages are available at the Jumby Bay Spa. For families with young children, the Jumby Explorers program allows kids to learn about the world around them while embarking on exciting outdoor expeditions. Jumby Bay is the ideal resort for picture-picture family adventures.
The Resort: Mandarin Oriental Canouan
Location: St. Vincent & The Grenadines
This is one of the top Caribbean resorts when you’re looking for a pure luxurious Caribbean getaway. Canouan is one of those islands, that is sort of up and coming. Not that it wasn’t a destination before, but now there’s even a Soho House on isle.
The rooms at the Mandarin Oriental Canouan are some of the largest accommodations in the Caribbean. Unlike other hotels, they also embrace technology with room iPads that control everything from the lighting in their room to ordering room service. If you leave your rom, the Mandarin Oriental’s restaurants are a draw whether or not you stay there. Lagoon Café has Mediterranean cuisine and Tides Bar & Grill has barbecue.
The Mandarin is all about enjoying outdoor activities such as kite surfing, scuba diving, and snorkeling, as well as nature hikes. For the more indoorsy crowd, the Mandarin’s spa brings it, which is what they are renowned for around the world.
The Resort: Mustique
Location: Grenadines
Mustique is not so much a Caribbean resort, but rather a private island. This is where you go when you want to have a really fun, sometimes raucous time, in complete privacy. That means none of the paparazzi of St. Tropez, so people really let loose. The way to go on isle is by private villa, which are like stand-alone hotels themselves.
Mustique is where those with vast resources, public profiles and royal lineage come to let loose in complete privacy. Aside from the island’s one hotel, The Cotton House, Mustique is the isle of luxury villas that are stand-alone hotels in themselves. The typical villa is equipped with the same level of staff at a boutique hotel. This means a private chef, housekeeping staff and round-the-clock butler services. As for the villas themselves, they are a page out of an episode of Cribs.
Food + Tequila
While a lot of your dining is done within your villa and at the lavish dinner parties your new friends will host, there are a few restaurants on isle. Veranda at The Cotton House serves up West Indies-inspired dishes. And everyone ends up at Basils for the economic Mustique sunsets and a raucous night of dancing. Don’t be surprised if you end up in a dance-off with Mick’s kids (as in Jagger) or the Rolling Stone himself. And they don’t mess around when it comes to Taco & Tequila Thursdays.
So Much to Do, So Little Time
What makes Mustique stand out for the top Caribbean hotels are its activities. In addition to watersports, yoga, and tennis lessons, Mustique has a serious equestrian center, that’s maybe the top in the Caribbean.
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