keisari

Looking for a quiet hotel in the Caribbean for a 6 night honeymoon in May. Flying in from Orlando and out to NY. Cost is not a factor. Requirements:
quiet, relaxing, no big families, "easier" to fly in and out, spa, amazing views, ocean front room/villas, some water activities, breakfast in bed and good food.
Any suggestions?

johannesj

While I have not idea what your budget is I would highly recommend on of the big 3 resorts on Anguilla:

Cuisinart Resort & Spa - http://www.cuisinartresort.com/

Malliouhana - http://www.malliouhana.com/

Cap Juluca - http://www.capjuluca.com/

There has been lots written on all three properties - check out using seach feature.

It is relatively easy to get to Anguilla:

Connect in SJU flying SJU - AXA on American Eagle

Or a direct flight into SXM and catch a ferry over to AXA.

Some of the finest (small/local) restaurants in the Caribbean can be found on Anguilla.

You will love it, if you select this destination.

I trust other FTers will share their comments

Sweet Willie

http://www.horneddorset.com

easy travel in/out Puerto Rico (SJU), lots of activities (or none), no passports required, US currency used, wonderful food,

KBMIFlyer

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

We had our honeymoon on Nevis (also in May) and had a great time. Very relaxed island. English speaking (for the most part). Very easy to explore. Great Snorkeling. One thing to keep it mind is that it is an English Island (as opposed to Dutch or French), so it is a little more formal than some islands (ie, no topless beaches, no swimsuits in town, etc). It is also serviced by American Eagle from SJU.

We stayed here, great little family owned resort, very relaxed, many activities offered from the hotel.

http://www.oualiebeach.com/

If you wanted something with more amenities (spa), this is a great place, although more expensive:

http://www.fourseasons.com/nevis/

This hotel is also very nice, a little more expensive and old English (i.e., dress clothes for dinner), but probably more romantic:

http://www.nisbetplantation.com/

The best guide to Nevis is here:

http://www.nevis1.com/

A few more thoughts on Nevis:

1. Lodging is reasonable
2. Food can be very expensive (expect +$30 for every dinner, +$50 at nicer resorts)
3. The locals seem to like tourist. This isn't true on all islands.
4. St. Kitts also has great options, and is a little easier to get to by airline.

We have also vacationed on Virgin Gorda in the B.V.I, and on San Juan, PR. Both are nice, but we liked Nevis much better.

Seat13F_AC_CRJ

The Four Seasons is currently closed for renovations due to extensive hurricane damage. I believe it will reopen in the fall of '09.
--
13F

keisari

Actually it is not my wedding. It is my niece and I am helping with the planning.
The 4 seasons was her first choice and when I called to make a reservation they said initially they may open in April but not to plan anything. I wonder if any other lodging was destroyed in Nevis?

Recreation

Caneel Resort on St. John is very secluded and upscale. They have gorgeous ocean front rooms.

Cupart

Go to St Barths via St Martin.

Just spent 2 weeks there and it's the only place to go for a total hassle free stay, BUT it's very very expensive for our American cousins because of the exchange rate to the Euro (well very expensive for most I guess). Also, St Barths is part of the EU so depending on where you're originally from you might need a Schengen Visa. US passport holders can stay for up to 90 days without, EU citizens for how long they want...

Check out Eden Rock or Hotel Carl Gustav.

For the last many many years we have held our yearly family vacations all over in The Caribbean and by far St Barths takes the cake. Otherwise St Croix comes in on a Second place and thirdly The Grenadines (Mustique).

Stay clear of massive cruise ship destinations and you'll be fine as these also have a tendency to draw criminality to them.

Cheers,

F

FlyingRabbit

we're considering this hotel for a one-week getaway, can you tell me a bit more about it? The beaches near it look incredible. Should we get the all-inclusive plan or are there actually nice places to eat around the island? Should we rent a car, is it easy to drive around? We appreciate any info you can get us.

The Ric

Anguilla is amazing...quiet and beautiful. I've stayed at Cuisinart and it's very nice, Cap Jaluca is comparable, if not a step above...but it's a celeb hangout. Cuisinart is on a wonderful section on beach and next to the Dune Preserve, which is an awesome bar/local hangout. (seach on Bankie Banx). Fly to SXM and take the short ferry to Anguilla...

I've never been, but have heard nothing but raves about Nevis also.

BostonPaul

+1 for the Four Seasons on Nevis. This and Caneel Bay on St. John in the USVI (www.caneelbay.com) are two of my favorite all-time beach resorts. Mrs BostonPaul agrees ^^

Congratulations...

Recreation

Let me clarify: I've only visited Caneel Bay Resort. I've never stayed there. (It's very pricey).

First of all, the resort is closing this fall for two months due to the slow economy. So if you're getting married in the fall, check to see if they'll even be open when you're traveling.

The property sits right on Caneel Bay, which is a beautiful, protected cove on the north shore of St. John. The resort is HUGE. You could walk for miles and still be on campus. It has its own dock for its own ferry, so getting between St. Thomas and St. John should be very convenient. And Caneel Bay is very close to "downtown" (Cruz Bay), so getting to town to shop and eat should be a cinch. It's a public beach in the sense that anyone can visit it, but it's rather private because it's not as easily accessible as, say, Trunk Bay or Maho Bay.

The property also has some great ruins you can walk through. There's also a few hiking trails that you can use to access other beaches, such as Honeymoon.

The oceanfront rooms sit right on the beach. They are single story buildings, with their own lanais. However, because they're right on the beach, you may not get a whole lot of privacy. We could see right into the rooms from the beach.

Do you need a rental car? Probably, though you could probably get by doing daily rentals because public transportation along the north shore is very easy. Taxis are plentiful and fairly cheap. Not sure if CBR has its own taxi service like the Westin. Anyway, if you want to visit other great snorkeling spots, such as SaltPond, you'll want to rent a car for the day. (Stay left!)

I don't know their prices, but I usually shy away from all inclusive plans because I like to venture out.

Good luck and congratulations!