The Best Resort Hotels in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas in 2016
In other words, it's pretty tough to choose the best of the best.
But every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, airlines, and more. In the hotels category, readers rated properties on their rooms and facilities, location, service, food and drink, and overall value. Hotels were categorized as resort properties based on their locations.
Unsurprisingly, one thing these top properties have in common is proximity to the beach, with rooms offering awe-inspiring ocean views. They also feature unusual and luxurious amenities, ranging from a Jean-Georges restaurant (On The Rocks) at Eden Rock, St. Bart’s, to a dive center overseen by ocean explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau, at Petit St. Vincent in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Readers applauded this year’s winner, Kamalame Cay, for its intimate, home-like feel. Many voters mentioned the owners, Michael King and David Hew. “They bring you in like family to their dinners and cocktail parties,” one survey participant wrote.
The rest of the staff earned high praise as well. “[It's] as if you have known them for years! The only negative is we weren't able to bring them back to California with us,” one reader exclaimed.
Coming in at a close second, Curtain Bluff in Antigua also received raves for its attentive service. “There is truly no other resort anywhere that excels at every single element of the hospitality industry as perfectly as Curtain Bluff does,” one voter remarked.
Activities and amenities, including yoga on a deck overlooking the sea, a spa offering hydrating “Jet Lag Facials,” and Tennis Week — an international pro-am festival hosted by the resort — were among the offerings readers appreciated.
Whether you’re an adventurer looking to scuba dive and snorkel, a sybarite looking to just lie on the beach with a rum punch, or a parent looking for a family-friendly escape, there’s somewhere on this list for everyone who wants to experience the Caribbean. The only question is, how soon can you go?
No. 25: The Palms Turks and Caicos
Score: 90.61
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No. 24: Parrot Cay by Como, Turks and Caicos
Score: 90.65
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No. 23: Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Score: 90.67
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No. 22: The Reefs Resort & Club, Bermuda
Score: 90.76
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No. 21: Christopher Hotel, Villas & Spa, St. Bart's
Score: 90.88
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No. 20: Petit St. Vincent Resort, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Score: 90.96
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No. 19: Colony Club, Barbados
Score: 91.04
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No. 18: Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Dorado, Puerto Rico
Score: 91.15
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No. 17: Nisbet Plantation Beach Club, Nevis and St. Kitts
Score: 91.26
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No. 16: Grace Bay Club, Turks and Caicos
Score: 91.37
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No. 15: Sandals LaSource Grenada Resort & Spa, St. George's, Grenada
Score: 91.42
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No. 14: Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort, St. John's, Antigua
Score: 91.44
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No. 13: Anse Chastanet Resort, St. Lucia
Score: 91.45
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No. 12: Capella Marigot Bay, St. Lucia
Score: 91.78
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No. 11: Secret Bay, Dominica
Score: 91.89
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No. 10: Eden Rock, Baie de Saint Jean, St. Bart's
Score: 91.94
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No. 9: Jamaica Inn, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Score: 92.35
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No. 8: GoldenEye, Oracabesssa, Jamaica
Score: 92.50
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No. 7: Ladera, St. Lucia
Score: 93.26
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No. 6: The Somerset on Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Score: 93.61
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No. 5: Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Score: 94.26
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No. 4: The House, St. James, Barbados
Score: 94.70
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No. 3: Jade Mountain, St. Lucia
Score: 94.85
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No. 2: Curtain Bluff, St. John's, Antigua
Score: 95.40
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No. 1: Kamalame Cay, Andros, Bahamas
Score: 96.3
Kamalame Cay is a 27-room, nine-villa resort set on its own 96-acre private island. Balinese-style ceilings, stone walls, and colorful accents make the rooms feel intimate and tropical; just outside, you’ll find lush greenery and crystalline waters. “This is the place you go to get away from it all. You get your own cottage, a golf cart to get around in, an extremely well stocked honor bar, and your own section of beach that is really yours,” said one T+L reader. Top that off with exquisite food and an overwater spa, and you can see why it's a winner.