LUXURY BEACH VACATION? Where to go?
 

We've been to Anguilla a bunch of times, and we're looking to try something new this winter. this is what we are looking for:<BR><BR>Excellent Beach (Equal to Anguilla's)<BR>Excellent Food/Restaurants <BR>Beatiful rooms/location<BR>Beach-Resort-experience with service (ie not like St. Barts type of vacation)<BR>unpretentious, non-touristy, destresser for busy couple!<BR><BR>Looking for Caribbean....<BR><BR>Please post any ideas? can spend up to around $4-6,000/week if necessary.....

Didn't understand why you didn't want St. Barts but I would highly recommend the Hotel Guanahani in St. Barts--won an award for their service--gorgeous beach--and rooms are more like cottages instead of hotel rooms. Also Eden Rock, St. Barts, was rated one of the most romantic resorts in the Caribbean by Caribbean Travel & Life.<BR>The Meridien Club in Turks and Caicos has a great beach, quiet and is very expensive.<BR>Esmeralda Resort--stayed there two years ago in french St. Martin is very quiet--lush tropical foliage--on beautiful Orient Beach--drive to Grand Case or Marigot for the best cuisine in the Caribbean or there is a restaurant on premises and a beach bar that serves very good food. We stayed in a large cottage like unit with cathedral ceiling, kitchenette and shared a pool with 2 other units.

That's the Meridian Club (sp.) in Pine Cay, T&C.

Considerations:<BR>Grace Bay Club--Turks/Caicos (gracebay.com)...beach equals Anguilla's, extremely private and secluded, vary nice rooms (huge), outstanding service, very nice but unstuffy.<BR>Ocean Club, Paradise Island, Bahamas (oceanclub.com)...beach not quite as good as Anguilla's, reasonably quiet, great entertainment options not too far away, very expensive.<BR>Sandy Lane, Barbados (sandylane.com)...beach not quite as good as Anguilla's, a bit formal feeling (but not uncomfortably so), very expensive.<BR><BR>Options with major deficiencies based on your requirements:<BR>Caneel Bay, St. John....has the great beaches and quiet atmosphere, decent food. But rooms not 'beautiful' if you're comparing with Cap Juluca or Malliouhana.<BR>Jumby Bay, Antigua, Little Dix Bay on BVI's and Peter Island might also be close to what you're looking for.<BR>

i second grace bay club. it was wonderful in every regard...i'd recommend it over caneel bay any day.