1. Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort
At the Viceroy-affiliated Sugar Beach, you don’t have to book a lavish villa to experience high-end amenities. Each room features a private walled garden, a plunge pool and personalized butler service. In addition to the plush accommodations, Sugar Beach boasts easy access to some of St. Lucia’s best dive spots, including «Superman’s Flight,» a popular drift dive around the base of Petit Piton. Travelers can arrange scuba excursions, as well as island tours through the resort. If you want to experience Petit Piton but in a more laid-back atmosphere, consider indulging in a treatment at the Rainforest Spa, located at the base of the mountain. Refuel for more island exploration and relaxation at the three on-site restaurants, including the casual beachfront Bayside Restaurant and the elegant Great Room Restaurant. A third option, the Terrace Restaurant, is also available for breakfast daily. Reviewers love the property’s clean accommodations, superb service and incredible cuisine, although some warn that a stay here isn’t cheap and is best suited for couples (especially honeymooners).
2. Half Moon
This Montego Bay, Jamaica, retreat has been welcoming guests to its 400 beachside acres for more than 50 years. Each air-conditioned guest room and suite contains a cable TV, a minibar, a balcony or patio, a coffee maker and complimentary Wi-Fi access. Most accommodations overlook the ocean, but standard rooms and select suites offer pool and garden panoramas. Outside this Preferred Legend outpost’s rooms, visitors will find an 18-hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., as well as tennis and squash courts, a kids area with a playground and supervised activities, a gym and the 68,000-square-foot Fern Tree Spa. Half Moon also caters to animal lovers; travelers enjoy watching recently hatched sea turtles return to the ocean, as well as riding and swimming with horses from the on-site equestrian center.
