The most romantic hotels in the Caribbean, from candlelit cave dining to secluded sandbank picnics
The Caribbean can be ideal for a romantic break – think memorable sunsets enjoyed à deux over a rum punch or two, and arm-in-arm strolls along dreamy, palm-shaded beaches. Importantly, you're spoilt for choice for places to stay that are perfect for kindling, or reviving, romance. Options include hotels with cottages hidden away in fecund, tropical gardens, and with suites or villas featuring private plunge pools. A handful of hotels are also set on their own little escapist island. Here's our pick of the most romantic hotels in the Caribbean, in locations including Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Jamaica, Grenada, Nevis, the Grenadines and Anguilla.
This futuristic lair occupies an astonishing spot high up on a hillside within the jungly 600-acre Anse Chastanet estate. In terms of atmosphere, this is a very exclusive hotel where privacy is paramount, and romance is the order of the day – some guests hardly leave their room, perhaps because butlers and room service are an elemental part of the experience. Eye-popping suites have enormous and airy open-plan spaces and most come with iridescent-tiled infinity pools that merge into the view. There is a spa and gym, but virtually all the other facilities are down at Anse Chastanet Resort (including a larger spa, watersports, and Tree to Bar chocolate tours). Meals are served at the Jade Mountain Club and drinks up on the rooftop Celestial Terrace.
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Adults-only Ti Kaye is best suited to youngish or young-at-heart romantics, whose idea of relaxation is spotting hummingbirds in the bougainvillea, watching the swooping frigate birds and fishermen at work in the bay, and lapping up the amazing sunsets. The silvery sands of Anse Cochon beach, which is one of St Lucia’s best, are reached from the hotel via a flight of 166 steps, backed by jungle, and there's good snorkelling and diving just offshore. The hotel’s 33 quaint gingerbread cottages are ideal for couples, the atmosphere is infectiously chilled, and the open-air restaurant, with its bare-wood tables and white drapes, is excellent. Further facilities include an attractive swimming pool and a lovely little cliff-hanging spa.
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Beside a well-kept but often windy white-sand beach that catches the sunrise, this former sugar plantation is idyllic. As well as a large seaside swimming pool and hot tub, sunbathing decks, a tennis court, and a cottage-style spa, those who wish to explore the local area can join complimentary hikes and guided tours of the island’s rum shops. The 36 rooms have plush and restful interiors, with avocado-hued walls, cane furniture and, blissfully, no televisions. Most visitors book a package including breakfast and dinner: the first is a cheery affair served at the beachfront Coconuts restaurant, while in the evenings, the Great House is the spot for refined dining. Weekly cocktail parties and beach barbecues set the scene for live music and dancing.
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A popular choice for honeymooners, this intimate Grenada hotel is set behind a beautiful, 300-yard-long soft sand beach that is liberally sprinkled with palms, sea grapes and driftwood. During the day, guests hang out on the Indonesian daybeds and sofas in the thatched-roofed bar-cum-lounge behind the beach, or on teak sun loungers on the wooden deck by the pool. Cuban jazz and Lana del Rey are typical soundtracks wafting around the property. Paths lead into the Enchanted Forest, a jungle decorated with art installations, while half-hidden in the tropical undergrowth behind the beach, the gorgeous spa offers Balinese therapists, treatments and products. The restaurant, softly lit in the evening, is the spot for romantic dinners.
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PSV, as it’s known, is ruggedly chic, high-end, and yet incredibly low key, with beach barbecues on Friday nights and a design that gives some areas a hillside feel. With privacy a key focus, you may only ever see other guests at dinner, although even here interaction is fairly rare, probably because the 21 cottages are designed to be lingered in (and served by butlers). Aside from the stone floors, timber-beamed roofs, white linens and drift-wood style furnishings, no two are identical, though outdoor spaces come with sea views, loungers, hammocks, and there are minibars and jars of freshly baked cookies inside (plus no Wi-Fi). If the urge to explore does tempt, a short trip out to the nearby sand island for a picnic and a snorkel has to be recommended.
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Hermitage Bay is surrounded by 140 acres of lush undeveloped land, which makes you feel as though you are on a private island. Of the 30 cottages, the hillside suites are the most private and feature a wraparound open-air deck that has a plunge pool, lounge area, day bed and dining area, plus each day (in all rooms) you can request what you want in your minibar, a nice touch. The restaurant (Antiguan cashew butter and guava sandwiches with honey and Cavalier rum, anyone?) is open-sided and on different levels so that every table gets the view. For an extra charge dinner can be served at a private table on the beach. Facilities are excellent and things to do include yoga classes, speedboat rides, garden tours and cookery demonstrations.
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The Caves enjoys a stunning and idyllic cliffside location in Negril, and has bags of both style and character. The atmosphere is casual and friendly but above all romantic, with just 12 secluded cabins set in jungle-like gardens at the top of the cliffs. Everything is made of straw, palm or wood, in bright primary colours. Access to the sea is predominantly via a series of jump-off spots which are often by one of the private lounging areas carved into the side of the cliffs. There’s also a saltwater pool, hot tubs (indoor and out) and a small spa. Yoga classes are held at The Sands bar, and you can borrow kayaks and snorkelling equipment. The food is an absolute joy, with a small, daily changing menu. The caves themselves are used for private cande-lit dining, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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Located in a peaceful spot in the lively fishing village of Oistins, this salmon-pink, hacienda-style hotel is popular with couples looking for romance and a chilled-out atmosphere. Ceramic-tile mosaics embellish arches and doorways, and on the first-floor terrace there's an open-air lounge area with wicker sofas and a triangular-shaped swimming pool. The sea is across the lane from the hotel (if sargassum seaweed is an issue, guests are shuttled to another beach), and 150 yards away is Enterprise Beach, one of Barbados’ best. Beds in the 10 plush rooms are turned down in the evening, staff will take chairs and an umbrella to the beach for you, and there are complimentary bikes to use. For romantic dining, Café Luna on the rooftop terrace is decorated with lanterns in evenings.
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Originally opened in 1988, Cap Juluca is now part of the Belmond group who have made this one of the region’s stand-out properties. Think white Moorish buildings, style-savvy interiors, a serious spa and restaurants serving Caribbean, Italian and Peruvian treats. You can keep in trim using the tennis courts, pools, basketball court, fitness centre and croquet lawn, then relax in the Arawak Spa which has three treatment rooms, two beach cabanas, a pool and a seductive menu of massages and rituals. This is the only hotel on Maundays Bay, with its classic crescent of white sand and bewitching blue sea that catches both sunrise and sunset, so it’s ideal for beach-loving couples seeking privacy and quality downtime.
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You couldn't be nearer to the sand at The Fairmont – the property was constructed decades ago, before regulations restricted hotels being built so close to the beachfront, and as such the hotel makes the most of its tropical setting. Each day one of the staff from the watersports centre swims out with guests to where turtles congregate off the beach – a nice (complimentary) touch – and two beachfront restaurants offer a casual or grandiose atmosphere. There's also a lovely large rectangular swimming pool with a generously sized hot tub off it, plus non-motorised watersports (kayaks, sailboats, paddleboards). Treatments can be booked in-room, and service is excellent, with luxurious extras like turndown and beach-grooming.
Contributions by Rachel Cranshaw, Nigel Tisdal, Penny Walker & Antonia Windsor