By NAN Travel Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan. 27, 2017: The best hotels in the world for 2017 have just been revealed by TripAdvisor, which culls reader’s comments and personal reviews to come up with its findings. In the Caribbean, several hotels made the cut. Here are the top 10 best hotels in the Caribbean region according to TripAdvisor readers:
1: Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa
Taking the coveted first place is Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa in Lance aux Epines, Grenada. This 30-room resort, according to guests, combines five star service and luxury within a relaxed and intimate environment to create the ultimate Caribbean escape. All rooms face the sea and are laid out in a horseshoe shape. If you’re looking for more privacy, a pool suite is ideal or upgrade to the penthouse suite on one of the beautiful private villas on the adjacent secluded peninsula. This upscale hotel is 6 km from Maurice Bishop International Airport. Free breakfast is served in-room.
2: The Tuscany
Ranking at number 2 on the top 10 list is The Tuscany in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. This 42 huge three-bedroom luxury condo resort is set on the Atlantic coast and is about 13 km from Providenciales International Airport and a short walk or drive to the island’s best shopping, dining, and golf help make up for shortcomings. Suites feature balconies with ocean views while amenities include an outdoor pool, a fitness room and two tennis courts. There’s no on-site restaurant, bar, or spa, but each suite contains a full kitchen, a picturesque beach and private chefs are also available if needed.
3: JW Marriott Hotel Santo Domingo
Coming in at third on the list of top 10 Caribbean hotels for 2017 is The JW Marriott at Ensanche Piantini in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Travelers rave over the “royalty” like service received from staffers who go above and beyond to make sure customers are well served here. This modern 4-star hotel is 4 km from the La Isabela International Airport and offers stylish, contemporary rooms; 24-hour room service and a trendy rooftop bar/lounge; an on-site shopping mall, five restaurants, as well as a fitness area and an outdoor infinity pool with sweeping city views.
4: Eden Rock – St Barths
Coming in at 4th on the top 10 list is Eden Rock at Baie de St-Jean, St. Barthelemy. This hotels is located between two beaches on the Baie de St-Jean. Ultrachic rooms feature balconies, gardens and beamed and/or vaulted ceilings. Guests rave that the hotel has all the style and the soul of St. Barth’s and offers laid-back luxury with a touch of glamour. They also rave about the service which his described as “over the top but discrete.” Eden Rock – St Barths is located about a 7-minute drive from Gustavia and features spectacular views over the coral reef and white sand beaches. Amenities include a refined restaurant with a sea-view terrace, plus a beach bar with a wood-fire oven. There’s also a beach, a spa, and a recording studio that John Lennon once used.
5: East Winds
Readers put East Winds of Gros Islet, St. Lucia at number five on the list of top Caribbean hotels this year even though the intimate, 30-room, upper-middle-range all-inclusive facility lacks amenities such as a gym and spa. But this hotel made up of private cottages with outdoor terraces overlooking the grounds definitely makes up for those elements with a laid-back vibe among lushly landscaped gardens, a swim-up pool bar and gold-sand beach with snorkeling right off the shore.
6: Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort Aruba
Landing at 6th on the list is the Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort Aruba. This resort is set on Manchebo Beach in Aruba. Travelers say the staff here makes them feel “special” and “pampered.” The resort features modern, tropical-inspired decor, polished rooms with balconies/terraces as well as two eateries on site, a private beach and bar and an outdoor infinity pool as well as a 24/7 exercise room and a spa. Palm – Eagle Beach, Aruba
7: Jamaica Inn
Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Jamaica takes the 7th spot on the Top 10 list of Best Caribbean hotels this year. This small elegant beachfront hotel resort is nestled on one of the premier private beaches in Jamaica and its intimate suites and cottages showcase enchanting views of the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica Inn is 6 km from Dolphin Cove Jamaica, 7 km from Dunn’s River Falls and 13 km from Ian Fleming International Airport. Guests rave about the service and the fact that there is no traffic from the larger resorts or casual beach goers.
8: Christopher St Barth
Ranking at 8th this year is Hotel Christopher Saint Barth at Anse de Lorient in the exclusive Caribbean island of St. Barthelemy. This 42-room hotel is a secluded oasis 3.1 miles from the island’s Airport. Large rooms offer rustic charms like peaked wooden ceilings alongside accents like minimalist four-poster beds and glazed concrete floors. The lush grounds house a Sisley Spa, a pricey ocean-front restaurant, and the ultimate hotel pool — an elegant infinity number overlooking the ocean that’s large enough to make up for the lack of an on-site beach. A free buffet breakfast is offered at the Taino restaurant as well as a bar and restaurant at the Mango restaurant.
9: Spice Island Beach Resort
Coming in at 9th on the Top 10 list is the all-inclusive Spice Island Beach Resort in Grand Anse, Grenada. It offers 64 posh suites on a quarter mile of beachfront. The resort includes two restaurants, a beautiful spa, and a variety of activities, but peace and relaxation are also easy to find. The pool area is quiet and private but the beach is shared by locals and guests of nearby resorts. All-inclusive rates include meals, stocked minibars and premium drinks. Owned and operated by Sir Royston Hopkin, KCMG and family, this Resort is 100 percent smoke-free.
10: The Regent Grand
Rounding out the top ten list is The Regent Grand in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, a 52-room luxury boutique resort made up of exclusive luxury managed condominium residences. The Regent overlooks the Atlantic from Grace Bay beach and is less than a minute’s walk from the island’s best shopping and dining sites. Quiet, sophisticated, and pristine, the four-plus-acre property features a jaw-dropping pool, large fitness center, and poolside bar — but the spacious condo-style suites — though upscale — vary in quality of decor, and there is no on-site restaurant.
Globally
Meanwhile, globally, the world’s number one hotel for 2017 is the Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection in Budapest, Hungary.
