Originally Posted by
lepmd
It seems like the prices in the Caribbean are insane this spring. I'm looking for a luxury hotel for less than $3k/night ($4k if inclusive of food/drinks) for a couples' trip. It would be great if there's a direct flight from ATL or CLT. We're considering Amanera (how's the beach really?), La Samanna, Cap Juluca, Jade Mountain, Sugar Beach, and Hermitage Bay. I would've chosen MO Canouan but it's so difficult to get to that island for a short 4-night trip. We loved Amanpulo and One&Only Mandarina. We've liked Big Ambergris in TCI and FS Anguilla, but aren't interested in going back to either right now. We've been ok with the new Ritz TCI because of the club level. We didn't like Grace Bay Club (tried it 3 times), Pine Cay, and the other TCI hotels that are too numerous to list. We are going to Mayakoba later this year so trying to avoid that area until then. Amanera seems like a winner except that we LOVE swimming in the ocean. Can anyone suggest an alternative or reassure us about the beach there?
I’ve been doing a ton of research myself for a romantic couples trip and asked around regarding Amanera and several people said ocean is choppy and they spent more time swimming in their private pools. Also a number of people said there were surprisingly a lot of kids around.
We had an amazing time at Cap Juluca. Very romantic, hardly any kids. Beautiful beach with the best beach service we’ve ever had. You get your own beach setup right in front of your accommodations and they are nicely spread out. The spa was wonderful, had the best massage while listening to the ocean in the background. The accommodations were beautiful (white and wood tones) and a gorgeous huge marble bathroom. most of our meals were awesome, our first dinner was sub par but we enjoyed the rest. There is a REALLY GOOD lunch spot at the end of the beach called the Cap Shack, amazing fish tacos, fun music and vibes. We also had a butler that was always a text message away and he helped coordinate anything we needed. He was so kind!
We went to Hermitage Bay for our ten year anniversary and were disappointed in the food and the beach, it’s really small and has pebbly type sand. That was several years ago so maybe some things have improved?
I’ve been on just about every travel forum and the most consistently recommended places I’ve gotten are: little dix bay, amanyera (in a ocean cove pavilion), amerera (with a private pool), jumby bay (though several people say there are a lot of families), and a newish place in T&C called Ambergris Cay (not the one in Belize).
let us know what you end up booking, I’ve had a hell of a time making a decision.