8 Best Hotels in Guadeloupe

Facing the island's best white-sand beaches, La Caravelle is one of the original clubs in the Caribbean—yet all the facilities, including the seafront restaurant and its deck, have a smashing, contemporary look. Known for its water sports, this Club Med also has land-based classes, including trapeze lessons. The stunning buffet restaurant has a separate air-conditioned section and much-better-than-average food. The best accommodations are in the oceanfront Marie-Galante wing and the generous suites in Grande-Terre, all of which are done in the club's color scheme: maroons, mauves, and reds. The children's programs are notably creative, including sports and mini-theater performances; there's even Club Med Baby Welcome Program. Special delights include an adults-only Zen Oasis and spa treatment rooms on the beach.

This complex of colorful duplex bungalows may not impress you at first, but its service and customer satisfaction have earned many kudos. The stone and wood wall around the expansive, tropical garden and pool blocks any street noise. Owners Catherine and Christophe Paulet truly care about making their guests happy and freely spend time communicating (in English, too), stressing ecotourism possibilities. The simple, playfully decorated bungalows, which sleep two to five people, are fun—but even more so are the hillside villas (for three to eight people), which are weekly rentals without breakfast. The hotel is down the road from a long, beautiful beach.

This former coffee plantation offers unique accommodations in its great house or in unique tree houses—ideal for a family that wants to play Swiss Family Robinson. The owners tastefully restored this 18th-century property, adding antiques, chandeliers, and other period furnishings. The hosts are welcoming and hospitable. Three tree houses—accessed by ladders—are comfortable and are equipped with electricity, hot showers, dry toilets, refrigerators, and Wi-Fi. The two guest rooms in the main house are elegant, with nice bathrooms, mini-fridges, and Wi-Fi. A beautiful pool is a welcome addition. Weekly rates offer a real value. (No children under 2 permitted in treehouses for safety reasons.)

The seafront section of Bois Joli, which sits apart from the main hotel, houses Terre-de-Haut's best guest rooms—the architecture and design suggest a luxury yacht, including dark wood accents and portholes. Large rooms have quality bedding and contemporary baths and are just a bit more than regular rooms (and worth the upgrade); corner rooms have the best views. Seafront bungalows are a better choice for families, where bunk beds and the proximity to the pool and beach offer kid appeal. Breakfast is pleasant, and the restaurant turns out generous portions of French-Creole cuisine. The village is almost two miles (3 km, about 40 minutes by foot) down the hill; most guests learn that they do not want to walk back.

This well-priced, friendly, and fun resort offers both simple beachfront bungalows and regular rooms in a mostly all-inclusive environment geared toward less fussy travelers. Contemporary Nordic style characterizes everything, including a complex with a big wooden deck, a restaurant, beach bar, a huge pool, and a whimsical kids' club. The decor in the bungalows mimics that of the larger hotel rooms—contemporary minimalist, with splashes of vivid color and red tile floors. The global staff is young and dynamic, and all speak English. The resort offers a wide range of excursions as well as a litany of water sports and even evening entertainment from November to August, with everything from karaoke to local bands. Although several meal plans are available, most guests go all-inclusive; nonguests can buy a day pass. However, this resort is probably not going to please older, sophisticated travelers.

This small, cheerful beachfront hotel is painted sunset orange with marine-blue trim; dramatic nightlights illuminate the beach area, which is furnished with chaises. The waterfront terrace is an ideal place to be at sunset, with a tropical daiquiri or planter’s punch in hand. Imaginative artwork decorates the guest rooms, which evoke faraway places like India and Africa. Soundproof double windows block out the annoying drone of the motor scooters. Breakfast (not included) offers eggs, cheese, fresh breads, homemade jams, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.

This rental complex is in a small market town in the heart of Basse-Terre—the mountainous, wild side of Guadeloupe, where eco-sports and scuba diving are the main draws. The architecture is meant to resemble a plantation great house (it’s a stretch, though) and deluxe apartments are connected by a water installation that is a modern take on a distillery’s aqueduct and water wheel. It's just 20 minutes from Guadeloupe’s international airport; but, alas, it's 30 minutes from any beach. The villas are named after rum punches (liqueurs). Villa Coco, which includes three bedrooms, has a terrace that overlooks a private pool. Weekly rentals are the norm.

The globe-trotting Frenchman who designed these seven Indonesian teak cottages resembling Guadeloupean cases from the 1920s that overlook a long unspoiled beach, Plage de Grande-Anse, has passed on; his son and daughter have now taken charge of this small paradise. The raised, open-air bungalows have wool and silk carpets and four-poster beds with mosquito netting (some have private outdoor hot tubs). You can lounge on elevated Indonesian beds, get a massage, or dip into the pool just steps from the sea. If you want to watch TV or go online, you will have to go to the reception area, where both are free. Dinner is available both for guests and for the public with 24-hour reservations. Flavorful Creole meals with French overtones are what to expect. In the summer, rates drop by half.