2017’s best new hotel rooms in the Caribbean

The Caribbean’s annual high season kicks off this month, bringing with it several new resorts that promise to turn your sun-drenched island fantasies into reality. From beachy Anguilla to an idyllic outpost in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we’ve rounded up our Class of 2017 favorites, giving you the scoop on the best rooms in the house.

RELATED: Check out 7 of the Caribbean’s most romantic resorts

Beachfront Suite Balcony at The Reef by CuisinArt, Anguilla | Photo courtesy of The Reef

The Reef By CuisinArt, Anguilla

Sister to CuisinArt Resort & Spa, this chic enclave, which opened in November 2016, has pride of place on the powdery sands of Merrywing Bay, one of 33 pristine strands on this 35-square-mile island eight minutes by air from St. Maarten. Designed to appeal to a younger, hipper crowd, The Reef’s 80 rooms feature beach or golf course views, and all are decorated in contemporary style, with huge walk-in closets and Bluetooth audio set-up. The cream of the crop: the Deluxe Junior Suite on the penthouse floor of the Villa Coral building, which clocks in at an impressive 1,780 square-feet; has a wraparound balcony with a private whirlpool tub; an outdoor shower; and stunning views of St. Maarten on the horizon.

Photo courtesy of Royalton Blue Waters

Royalton Blue Waters, Jamaica

Open since November 2016, this all-inclusive resort just outside Montego Bay will please couples and families with features that include a waterscape of three pools, a lazy river and a water park; a spa; and access to all the amenities of sister resort Royalton White Sands next door. All 228 Blue Waters rooms have sea-and-sand views, and guests in swim-up suites can roll right out of bed and into the pool. But the Chairman’s Club Three-Bedroom Suite offers the ultimate luxury for as many as eight people. This seventh-floor sanctuary has its own service entrance (24-hour butler service is included and there’s a full kitchen for chef-prepared meals); a spacious balcony boasts a jetted bathtub; and the living room has a full-size pool table.

Photo courtesy of the Pink Sands Club

The Pink Sands Club, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

In a string of idyllic cays called The Grenadines lies Canouan, a tiny outpost that’s among the Caribbean’s least-visited but most enchanting destinations. The swanky Pink Sands Club opened here last October, a centerpiece of the private Canouan Estate, which comprises almost the entire northern half of the island. The Club’s 26 suites—each of which comes with a golf cart for tooling around the island—combine classic Italian décor with high-tech bells and whistles (think tablets that control lighting, temperature and entertainment, and TVs embedded in mirrored sliding doors). The poshest pick: The one-bedroom penthouse suite, a 1,600 square-foot, marble-clad lair with living and dining rooms that open to a balcony overlooking Godahl Beach, a stunning white-sand scallop bordered by Windex-blue water.

ALSO: Bring these deluxe rooms just a little closer when you join Orbitz Rewards!

Photo courtesy of Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa

Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Grand Cayman

The first major new resort to open here in more than a decade (and Kimpton’s only Caribbean hotel), this modern playground debuted in November 2016 on the northernmost end of Seven-Mile Beach. Three buzzy restaurants and an 8,500-square-foot spa (one of only a handful in the Caribbean with a hammam) are already drawing crowds. But the highlight of its inventory of 266 rooms and ocean-view bungalows is the palatial 4,000-square-foot, two-bedroom Presidential Suite, which has a wraparound balcony with a full outdoor kitchen and dining area so you can eat and entertain 10 stories above the stunning sandy sweep.

Photo courtesy of the Sandals Royal Caribbean and Private Island All Inclusive

Sandals Royal Caribbean, Jamaica

This Montego Bay all-inclusive isn’t new but its clutch of over-water suites certainly ­­are, and they’re the biggest news this year on an island famous for rum, reggae and Rastas. Each of the five 1,200-square-foot, one-bedroom suites (which debuted in December 2016) has its own infinity pool and over-water hammock; a freestanding bathtub; and private deck that leads to shallow seas and a sandbar you’ll immediately want to post on your Instagram feed. Two viewing windows in the floor allow underwater surveillance, and 24-hour butler service is also included in the rate. The bad news: The sanctuaries have been so popular they’re already sold out through 2018. The good news: A dozen more bungalows will come on stream (or should we say “sea?”) in Spring 2017.

Save

Tagged: Caribbean