Hot hotels: Caribbean cream

Styled as a 1970s Caribbean country club with a huge emphasis on art and textiles, Grand Cayman’s first boutique is lighting up the eyes of Insta-mad millennials everywhere. With an azuréen vibe that wouldn’t look out of place on the French Riviera, it’s a butterscotch dream world of 52 suites (some with bathtubs out on the terrace), three dining outlets (Tillies will have you eating out on the sands) and one of the world’s best and brightest beaches. 

HIGH LIFE SAYS
Every month the hotel publishes its Palm Heights Athletics schedule: less triathlons, more star-sign-influenced classes and healing sessions.

Design hounds unite, as this minimalist beachfront beauty is a chilled glass of milk and slab of dark chocolate, all cottony neutrals and rich wooden slatting that blend to keep your focus on the blindingly blue sea. The interiors borrow from the island’s sleepy, sophisticated aesthetic, while the building is perched on Grenada’s knockout beach, Grand Anse. If you want traditional Caribbean touches, go elsewhere: this place prides itself on a gleaming Members’ Club sheen.  

HIGH LIFE SAYS
From the heat of the hammam to the chill of the ice cave, Silversands’ spa is said to be one of the best in the country.

Here’s the thing about the Caribbean: go too modern, and you alienate the regulars; go too old-school, and you put off the cool kids. Of course, Malliouhana needn’t worry about this, since its 2004 revival was placed in the hands of mod-trad designer Todd-Avery Lenahan, who flooded the resort with colonial chinoiserie, pops of canary yellow and Tiffany blue. These days, Malliouhana remains Anguilla’s most iconic property (its opening in 1984 was a big deal), but with added cool.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
Celeste restaurant’s chairs have cradled the bums of many an A-lister. All tables have sea views, but request a ‘discreet table’ to be nearest to the waves.

New York natives Kyle and Maryam traded in the Big Apple for fruit trees in bountiful Barbados, setting up Eco Lifestyle + Lodge in early 2018. Since then, the place has gone from strength to strength, with a cult following attracted to the couple’s thoughtful ethos toward sustainability, health and wellbeing. Kick back in hammocks, devour delicious farm-to-table grub, and indulge in their moreish rum punch. After all, it’s all about balance, right?

HIGH LIFE SAYS
All ten rooms are pretty as a picture, but you’ll want to get out and explore. Tell the team what you’re into and they’ll hook you up with a local experience to suit. 

Every great St Lucian hotel will give you a peek of the Pitons, but Ladera Resort – the only resort within the island’s Unesco parameters – puts you right in between them. And, for such prestigious surroundings, the cost isn’t as steep as you might think, especially in low season, with prices including a balcony breakfast and airport transfers. Rooms have floaty four-posters and binoculars for bird-watching, while most will give you a heated plunge pool looking out to sea.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
This hotel lacks easy beach access, but the communal pool with Piton views is often blissfully secluded thanks to many guests enjoying a private dip in their in-room pools.

COMO Parrot Cay (opening image) is a celeb favourite which, like the rest of the COMO Hotel & Resorts, reflects its location to a T. Here, that means balancing a decadent private island atmosphere with Turks and Caicos’ wild-at-heart edge – something the hotel pulls off in abundance. Another hallmark of the spa-sheened brand is wellness: you won’t find a heavy dish on the menu and even the signature cocktail feels clean, being a toss-up of lemon, lime, vodka and triple sec.

HIGH LIFE SAYS
Though the island is serenely microcosmic, don’t let the Providenciales penchant for diving pass you by. Venture out on one of the hotel’s expert diving excursions to get a glimpse.