Top 10: best luxury resorts in the Caribbean

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.

Today (August 18, 2014): Top 10 most luxurious resorts in the Caribbean.

Welcome to the Caribbean Sea and the tropical Caribbean Islands some call paradise! With an abundance of sugar white dream beaches, coconut covered hills, and lush valleys of sugar cane and bananas, it should come as no surprise that the Caribbean is the number one holiday destination in the Americas. I hereby present you a top 10 list of my favorite Caribbean luxury resorts, that rank among the most lavish in the world.

There is more information below the slide show. Think I missed one? Share your favorite Caribbean hotel in the comments section, or take my poll below!

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*** Top 10 best luxury resorts in the Maldives, Mauritius, French Polynesia, & the Seychelles ***

10. ONE&ONLY OCEAN CLUB, BAHAMAS

Under the cerulean blue of an endless Bahamian sky, wrapped in a the turquoise waters of an exuberant sea, One&Only Ocean Club nestles peacefully along a shore of a delicate white sand beach. The resort, once a private estate, reflects the glamorous ambience and posh exclusivity of a grand colonial mansion, welcoming the generations of the world’s travelling elite. All 105 luxurious guest rooms, suites, and villas exude a warm and inviting ambience with modern conveniences, and come with spacious balconies or patios offering garden or ocean views. The discrete services of a personal butler, 24 hours a day, are included.

Hotel website: One&Only Ocean Club
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, and $100 USD resort credit).

9. JUMBY BAY ISLAND, ANTIGUA

Jumby Bay, an Oetker Collection property, is set on a 300-acre private island 2 miles off the coast of Antigua. Reachable only by boat, with no hint of urban intrusions and no indigenous population in sight, this privately owned hideaway has remained largely unchanged for centuries. Nowadays, the entire island, which comprises just 40 exquisitely appointed guest room and suites and a collection of villas and estate homes, may as well wear a “Do Not Disturb” sign. The resort’s 250 local staff return to the mainland every night, leaving just a sprinkling of staff, homeowners and guests.

Hotel website: Jumby Bay Island
Other top 10 accolades: Jumby Bay Island also features in my top 10 list of the world’s most exclusive private island resorts.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD spa credit).

8. FOUR SEASONS RESORT NEVIS, ST KITTS AND NEVIS

The remotely located Four Seasons Resort Nevis sits on a large, attractive beach, basking in the near-perfect weather of this little-known wonder in the Caribbean West Indies. Almost all rooms have beautiful mountains or ocean views, and come with private balconies from where you can listen to the gentle lapping of the waves on golden beaches, and the sounds of palm trees swaying in the pleasant breeze. You can relax in one of the resort’s 3 pools, rejuvenate in the award-winning spa, or play golf while taking in the dramatic Caribbean island views on one of the world’s most scenic courses.

Hotel website: Four Seasons Resort Nevis
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, and $100 USD resort credit).

7. ST REGIS BAHIA BEACH RESORT, PUERTO RICO

The Puerto Rico flagship of the Starwood Hotels group enjoys a romantic setting in a Caribbean coconut plantation, nestled between a lush national forest and the sparkling sea. Amidst verdant foliage, you can relax in one of 139 exquisitely furnished rooms, where private terraces lead to spectacular ocean views. All rooms come with St Regis’ iconic Butler service. Here, pleasure is a daily mantra, where you can tee off at the challenging Robert Trent Jones, Jr. golf course, succumb to exclusive Remède Spa pampering, savor Jean-Georges’ acclaimed cuisine, lounge at the pool esplanade or bask on the pristine, sandy beach.

Hotel website: St Regis Bahia Beach
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).

6. NECKER ISLAND, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Sir Richard Branson’s 74 acre private island is unquestionably one of the most idyllic place in Caribbean and now part of Virgin Limited Edition, Branson’s portfolio of unique retreats. There is a dedicated team of fabulous staff on the island plus more than 200 flamingos who are all part of the Necker family! Necker Island made news for all the wrong reasons in August 2011 when a lightning strike set fire to the Great House, but it is open for business again after an extensive restoration.

Hotel website: Necker Island
Other top 10 accolades: Necker Island also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most exclusive private island resorts and the world’s most expensive hotels.

5. EDEN ROC AT CAP CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Think of the magnificent architecture along the French and Italian Rivieras. Add a touch of Spanish Colonial design. And now imagine an enclave of these storybook villas set among the dreamy landscape of the Caribbean. That’s Eden Roc at Cap Cana, where Milan-based architect Marina Nova has created the most alluring hotel design in the islands. It’s European glamour with a Caribbean twist. The 34 free-standing suites celebrate the beauty unfolding outside with expansive windows, verandas and patios, creating myriad spots to experience paradise uninterrupted. Each suite has its own swimming pool and spa area.

Hotel website: Eden Roc At Cap Cana
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, $100 USD food and beverage credit, and roundtrip airport transfers).

EDEN ROC AT CAP EDEN, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

4. PARROT CAY BY COMO, TURKS & CAICOS

Parrot Cay by COMO, a favourite among celebrities, is an award-winning luxury resort set on its own private island of 1,000 unspoilt acres with a mile-long powdery soft beach. This exclusive island hideaway delivers foot-in-the-sand luxury with COMO’s service ethic, holistic therapies, yoga, diving and world-class cuisine. All rooms and suites have whitewashed interiors furnished with soft, cotton-covered chairs, airy four-poster beds and teak furnishing. The real stars are the private villas, with their own pools, direct beach access as well as the 24-hour service of COMO’s acclaimed butlers.

Hotel website: Parrot Cay by COMO
Other top 10 accolades: Parrot Cay by COMO also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most exclusive private island resorts and luxury hotels loved by celebrities.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and $100 USD hotel credit).
Review: to read my review of Parrot Cay, click here.

3. DORADO BEACH, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE, PUERTO RICO

Somewhere between idyllic and perfection sits a Puerto Rico resort of such intimate luxury and rare character, it calls to those who believe every journey should be a voyage of discovery. Once a 1,400-acre sugar plantation owned by the Livingston family, Dorado Beach caught the eye of conservationist visionary Laurance S. Rockefeller, who in the 1950s transformed the lush landscape into Puerto Rico’s most exclusive luxury resorts. With its serene coastline, private residences, spa sanctuary, and a harmonious sense of place that blends masterfully into the natural surroundings, Dorado Beach, invites guests to arrive spellbound, and depart speechless.

Hotel website: Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, daily breakfast, and $150 USD hotel credit).

DORADO BEACH, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE, PUERTO RICO

2. JADE MOUNTAIN, ST LUCIA

The impressive design, with individual bridges leading to exceptional infinity pool suites and rugged stoned-faced columns reaching towards the sky, makes Jade Mountain one of the Caribbean’s most mesmerizing resort experiences, especially for honeymooners. With the fourth wall entirely absent, Jade Mountain’s 29 suites (called “sanctuaries”) are stage-like settings from which to embrace the full glory of St Lucia’s twin peaks, the Pitons World Heritage Site, and of course, the eternal Caribbean Sea.

Hotel website: Jade Mountain
Other top 10 accolades: Jade Mountain also features in my top 10 lists of hotel rooms with the best views, the world’s best luxury hotels, the world’s best honeymoon resorts, and the world’s best resorts with private plunge pools.
Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, $100 USD spa credit, early check in, and late check out).
Review: to read my review of Jade Mountain, click here.

1. AMANYARA, TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS

Welcome to our favorite Caribbean hideaway! Set on the beautiful island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Amanyara is a secluded haven embracing the best elements of the Caribbean. Bordering the pristine reefs of Northwest Point Marine National Park, acclaimed for some of the world’s best wall and reef diving, the ultraluxurious resort is blessed with crystal clear turquoise water and a powder-white beach (with some rocky parts). Offering 40 timber-shingled Guest Pavilions tucked along the coast and a number of Aman Villas, the resort enjoys a contemporary layout and design, open to the sights and sounds of the turquoise sea.

Hotel website: Amanyara
Other top 10 accolades: Amanyara also features in my top 10 lists of the most beautiful hotel beaches in the world, the best Aman hotels in the world, the most beautiful overwater bungalows in the world, and the world’s most expensive hotels.
Tip: enjoy exclusive VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. upgrade on arrival, daily continental breakfast, one a la carte lunch for 2 persons, early check-in and late check-out).
Review: to read my review of Amanyara, click here.