Charm-laden Caribbean
Looking for somewhere small and intimate to stay – rather than a huge resort – while soaking up the Caribbean sun? We at Real Hols know the benefits of off-the-beaten-track abodes where your experience is much more personal with a chance to connect more deeply with local Caribbean culture. Here are some of our favourites…
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Small & Dreamy:
Blue Waters, Antigua
Smaller than many of the nearby Caribbean resorts, Blue Waters is a charming hotel, clasped in tropical gardens and opening out onto a white-sand beach where the turquoise Caribbean Sea gently laps. Service sets this laid-back resort apart, where many staff members have worked here for years and take pride in their beautiful surroundings. Blue Waters is a great option for families – the kids’ club is known as one of the Caribbean’s best with its imaginative ‘secret garden’ and the spacious family-friendly Cove Suites. Equally, Antigua’s natural beauty will easily bewitch couples, with days on the beach, sunset and cocktails at the Cove restaurant and evenings listening to the melodic strains of a live reggae band.
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Barefoot Bliss
Ti Kaye Resort & Spa, St Lucia
Meaning ‘little house’ in the local Creole patois, Ti Kaye is an adults-only hideaway perched above crystal-clear Anse Cochon bay. Its 33 gingerbread cottages all feature open-air showers and private decks, some with private plunge pools. During daytimes, enjoy St Lucia’s best snorkelling and diving, join a morning beach yoga session, or rejuvenate inside the lovely spa. Later, dine on fresh seafood with zesty Caribbean flavours at Ti Kaye’s clifftop restaurant, perhaps accompanied by something chilled from the award-winning wine cellar.
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Old-school charm:
Jamaica Inn, Jamaica
This elegant, impeccably-staffed Jamaican resort began welcoming guests in the 1950’s; Noel Coward and Marilyn Monroe are among the former visitors, and little has changed since their visits. All 48 suites and cottages are decorated colonial-style and feature glittering sea views. The notable absence of TVs and clocks allows guests to relax and attune to ‘island time’ – as does the private white-sand cove setting just east of Ocho Rios. Snorkelling and kayaking are provided gratis, while the Ocean Spa offers moonlight massages, yoga and Pilates.
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Classic Caribbean:
East Winds Inn, Saint Lucia
Found on one of Saint Lucia’s most sheltered bays, East Winds is one of our favourite small hotels in the Caribbean. Despite its hideaway location clasped in tropical greenery, East Winds is classic Caribbean at its best, offering great service, good food in its all-inclusive program and a relaxed vibe. Suiting those that like to be immersed in nature, the colourful, Caribbean-style cottages sit amidst the overflowing garden which flit with birdlife including hummingbirds and herons. Days are spent lounging on the beach or sailing and kayaking the ocean before watching sunset with champagne in hand. If you’d like to extend your Caribbean adventure, consider connecting to the island of Bequia by private transfer, taking you directly to Bequia Beach Hotel – where you can enjoy a second week at this stylish beachfront hotel.
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Untouched Sands:
Bequia Beach Hotel, The Grenadines
Untouched and off the beaten track, Bequia (pronounced Beck-way) is the Caribbean as it once was. The second largest island in The Grenadines, you won’t find tourist resorts or shopping malls, just old-world charm and complete tranquillity. Overlooking one of the island’s finest sandy stretches, Bequia Beach Hotel is our favourite place to stay. The hotel has a nostalgic feel, designed with colonial touches, retro posters and flashes of Caribbean colour. We recommend opting for one of the Beachfront Suites, where you’ll be just steps away from the turquoise waters of Friendship Bay.
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Eco Boutique:
True Blue Bay, Grenada
If you’re interested in experiencing the real Caribbean, then True Blue Bay on Grenada may well be ideal for you. Family-run with an emphasis on personal and warm service, this good-value resort appeals to eco-minded families and those who prefer to connect with the local environment. It’s a place to chat with the owners and their daughter who is the general manager, enjoy ‘street food’ at the restaurant, learn to cook with Grenada’s famous spices or appreciate their eco successes which focus on sustainability, solar panels and using less plastic. Although not on the beach, the hotel has a coastal location with a solar-powered shuttle bus taking you down to the stunning sands of Great Anse beach.
