3 Best Hotels in Martinique

One of the French chain's most upscale, sophisticated all-inclusive resorts offers a lot of fun, good food, and a huge, seaside pool to an international mix of singles, couples, and families (though there is no kids' club). There's a French-influenced main buffet, which is consistently appealing and often exceptional, as well as a beach lounge. You'll also find a boutique and a wine "cellar" and rum boutique. This resort has always been fun (DJ music is all around, even at the coffee bar), and everyone parties until the wee hours, heading out the next day to the spa for a rejuvenating massage or a marine body wrap so they can do it all over again. If you are staying elsewhere but want to sample the Club Med style, you can purchase a day or night pass.

Wrought-iron gates open to this lovely beachfront hotel, a throwback to gracious estate living, where you can cocoon yourself in colonial-era style. From the circular bar and the adjacent infinity pool, the views of the mountain peaks juxtaposed with the yachts in the bay are magical. Walk down the pier to the thatch-roof rotunda that shades the Coco Bar. (Lunch here is inexpensive, and the tropical drinks are super.) The bountiful breakfast is not included in the rate, but it's definitely a must-do. Suites offer down pillows and European linens, as well as comfy window seats, giving even the smallish beach-level rooms a sumptuous feel. Alas, they can be damp, and on weekends, when people party, are too loud. At night, entertainment makes this one of the island's social centers.

Although popular with French tourists, this basic, locally owned hotel draws few Americans because it's not on a good beach. Most of the rooms have terraces with panoramic views of the Atlantic; the remainder look upon manicured tropical gardens, streams, even a pergola. The rooms have a generic feel with a few Caribbean colors but are by no means luxurious. The most attractive are the three Cupid Rooms, the smallest now called Wee Garden Rooms. The game room is paneled in solid wood—and beautiful. The pool complex is impressive, too. The good restaurant, L'Hacienda ($–$$), which offers both a creole buffet and à la carte menu, is large enough for the groups that come; it's known for live entertainment on weekend nights and Sunday. Nature tours by foot, bike, canoe, and horseback are offered.