Hello - my husband and I (early 30's, no kids) are planning a trip to the Caribbean over Xmas and New Years. We've never been to the islands and aren't normally beach vacationers, but this seemed like a nice way to spend the holidays this year. I've culled through a lot of info on this site and looked into a lot of options, and at the moment we're trying to decide among:
Ottleys on St. Kitts
Golden Lemon on St. Kitts
Ladera on St. Lucia
Montpelier on Nevis
Hermitage on Nevis

We're looking for somewhere luxurious, romantic, friendly and relaxing, with great service and food, in a beautiful setting. We don't need much in the way of nightlife but would like to have plenty of activities available during the day - snorkeling, hiking, tours, etc. One of our favorite vacations was Costa Rica, if that gives an indication of our tastes. We're not huge beach afficionados, so we don't need the most crystal clear water on earth, but we definitely want a nice beach close by with some good snorkeling and maybe scuba diving.

Any advice? We're open to other suggestions besides the ones above, but we definitely don't want to be on a built-up, crowded island. And we would probably prefer a greener, hillier landscape over a flat, dryer island (like Anguilla). Have looked into Peter Island, 4 Seasons Nevis, Caneel, Jumby and Biras Creek and all are booked already.

Thanks for your help!

Hello,
I have been to all of the places you have mentioned, and stayed at Ladera.

I would recommend either Montpelier or Ladera to you, because the others are not what I would call luxurious.

BUT, the diving/snorkeling on Nevis is not very good, so a better choice would be Ladera (might look at Jalousie Hilton on St Lucia also - very nice.) Excellent diving and snorkeling on the island.

Another suggestion might be Strawberry Hill in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica or Jamaica Inn just outside of Ocho Rios in Jamaica. (We are going there in a few weeks.)

Might also look at Spice Island or La Luna on Grenada.

No matter what, you do need to make a choice soon as the best places book up very fast for the holidays. (Airfare is sky high too if you can get it.)

You might also look at Rawlins Plantation, St. Kitts:
www.rawlinsplantation.com
and
Bel Air Plantation, Grenada:
www.belairplantation.com

The week between Christmas and New Years is traditionally the busiest time of year in the Caribbean so you may have difficulty finding room at any of the places you mentioned (they are all very popular). That said, I've been to 4 of the 5 on your list (not been to Ladera) and each offers what you are seeking in varying degrees.

I would put Montpelier on top of the list - very nicely appointed rooms, arguably the best food on Nevis, friendly staff, attentive service - all in a very romantic and beautiful setting that has a lot of "Old World Caribbean" charm. The owners have created a unique and wonderful spot. The hotel offers shuttle service to their own private beach.

Ottley's runs a close second but I felt their food and service (especially at dinner) was a bit impersonal. The grounds are very attractive. The rooms are comparable to Montpelier.

Golden Lemon is also very nice and a bit more laid back than the other two. It's the only one of the four that is "on the beach (a dark sand beach where the Atlantic and Caribbean meet). The inn is located on the north end of the island and quite a distance away from Basseterre and the beaches on St. Kitt's southern pennisula.

Hermitage is more rustic than the other places and while it is a well run family operation with fairly good food it is simply not in the same league as the other plantations.

As to the islands, you'll find them all to be lush, hilly and relatively uncrowded with Nevis being the quietest. There are some very nice beaches on all three but they are nowhere near as nice as you'll find on islands like Anguilla or the BVI's. You'll have better snorkeling and dive oportunities on St. Lucia than on the other two. Snorkeling on St. Kitts is average at best and below average on Nevis (on Nevis most snorkel trips go to Shitten Bay on St. Kitts) and you'll likely scuba the same sites whether you stay on St. Kitts or Nevis.

A few years ago we stayed at Nisbet Plantation on Nevis. We found it to be everything you are asking for: luxurious, romantic, friendly, relaxing, and the best service we have ever experienced! Great food also, an excellent five-course meal (but nothing too large or too heavy) included in the price. Great location too - the only hotel on Nevis that's right on the beach. Very much recommended!

Note to Carola22 - you are a bit mistaken, on Nevis, the Four Seasons Resort, Oualie Beach Resort and Inn at Cades Bay and Pinney's Beach Hotel are all hotels that are "on the beach". Also, as of last fall Nisbet has changed their dinner from a five course meal to a three course meal. Your other comments, however, are right on! Nisbet is a top notch resort but the original poster was not asking about it which is why I didn't bring it up.

Thanks everyone for your help so far... we're also looking into Nisbet, as well as Bel Air Plantation on Grenada - just not sure about availability yet. All the others I mentioned do have rooms available as of now (altho Montpelier can only take us for half the time).

Are we crazy to also consider Royal Hideaway in Mexico? Normally we would steer clear of large hotels and AIs, but it looks pretty nice and flying to Cancun is a lot cheaper for us than to the islands. Plus the water/beach/snorkeling looks like it might be better than St. Kitts/Nevis. But the atmosphere is totally different, I realize. Anyone have any thoughts on comparisons?

Thanks again - this forum is always fantastic.

No!

The Royal Hideaway is super-fantastic!

I did not mention it for you because you did not want flat/arid.

Thanks, Diana. I realize the RH is on the beach and not in a hilly area, but I guess I was thinking since it's so close to the jungle it would be a little more lush and green - I was also assuming we might be able to arrange some day trips to some of the Mayan ruins inland. I have been to Coba and would love to see more. Are those kind of tours available through the hotel?

This is so hard! Every five minutes I change my mind about where I'd rather be.

One more thing... just found out that we can also get into the Bel Air, Grenada. Can anyone compare that island/hotel with the others on my list? Thanks!

Typically it rains a lot during the holidays in St. Lucia. You can pretty much count on rain every afternoon - and enough to seek cover. I'm not sure about the other islands on your list, but you may want to check prior to booking.

First of all, you are early 30's so you will have lots of chances to go to other places in future years. Take a chance this time.

We liked Royal Hideaway with our kids when they allowed kids (teens) but it does not have beachfront rooms (except for a few) and the beach isn't all that great. The whole beach is one all - inclusive resort after another and they just blend into one another. I'll bet this area was fabulous about 10 years ago. I'm sure it would be a fine place for your holidays if that is what you decide.

We also loved Anguilla and Costa Rica (Manuel Antonio, the Osa and Malpais) and are trying Bequia in February. This is in the Grenadines. I'll bet you would also love Grenada.

You will have a fabulous time with all these great choices.

CircleK,
No, the area (around RH) is not lush and green at all other than the landscaping at the resort.

There are lots of tours available in the area - Tulum and Chichen Itza would be great if you enjoyed Coba.

I think Grenada or St Lucia would be the best choice for you. (Diving/snorkeling is better on St Lucia.) The islands are similar.

We have been to many of the places you mention and travel during the holidays to Anguilla. We can confirm that the wk. between Xmas and New Years is very busy. I question Nevis or St. Kitts if you want an active vacation even though I agree Montpelier is lovely and Ottleys is also outstanding but neither is even close to the beach. Bel Air in Grenada is more off the beaten path although Grenada is a wonderful island. I would overlook Hermitage and we also don't love St. Lucia. You may want to try other places in Grenada like Ladera or check out the new resort in the Grenadines owned by Donald Trump. Good luck--that time of the yr. books early.

CircleK

This is great. We are looking for the same type of vacation and your question has provided me with some good information. I also didn't realize that places filled up so early during this period. I am beginning some serious inquries today. Have you decided where you are going yet?

Hi Myra - Actually, it looks like we are going to end up heading to the Mexican riviera instead of the islands. Airfare is just too expensive to the Caribbean over the holidays. But we will definitely plan a trip to the Caribbean when prices aren't so crazy, and thanks to all the good advice on this site i'm well ahead of the game now. Also, my husband was a little worried about going stir crazy during 8 days in a little secluded place - even though that sounds like heaven to me.

I think we're going to split our time between Royal Hideaway and Ceiba del Mar (unless someone warns me not to!)

But if you're interested, it appears that Ottleys and Golden Lemon on St. Kitts, Ladera on St. Lucia (which sounds like an amazing experience), Hermitage on Nevis and Bel Air Plantation on Grenada do still have some availability, at least as of 2 days ago. Montpelier on Nevis could only take us for half of the time.

Many of the other places I checked (Caneel, Jumby Bay, 4 Seasons Nevis, Little Dix, etc.) were already booked.

Good luck - I'm sure any of these places would make for a wonderful holiday!!

CircleK

Thanks to your initial post we have been researching our options for travel to the Caribbean over the Christmas holidays. Glad we did as many are filling up! After contacting the resorts/hotels you suggested we decided on Bel Air Plantation in Grenada. They were very responsive to our questions and pleasant to deal with. The place looks wonderful and so does Grenada. We have been researching the island and it appears that there will be lots to explore. Wondering if anyone can give us some specific sights, areas, places, etc. that we should not miss while on the island?

CircleK - hope you have a wonderful time in Mexico!

Just bumping this up to see if anyone has suggestions.