14 Best Hotels in St. Kitts and Nevis

This Nevisian beauty, a Rélais & Châteaux property, epitomizes understated elegance and graciously updated plantation living: a fieldstone greathouse replicates the 18th-century original, a sugar mill houses an intimate restaurant, and hillside cottages—each with a private sea-view verandah—dot 30 acres of ravishing gardens. Plantation rooms adopt a monochrome, minimalist, modern aesthetic with touches like metallic headboards. Premier rooms offer more traditional Laura Ashley-meets-the-Caribbean decor. Staffers (more than three per room) almost psychically intuit your needs. All you have to do is relax in a hammock contemplating the sea; enjoy tapas, complimentary tea, or live music (three times weekly) by the 60-foot pool; or savor cooking classes, rum tastings, and spa treatments.

Atop a hill with majestic valley and Caribbean views, this grouping of luxurious "standard" guesthouses, farmhouses, and villas comprise the Kittitian Hill development, built with sustainably sourced materials (from Canadian cedar-shake roofs to andasite stone quarried on-site) and featuring a 400-acre organic farm that provides ingredients for offerings in the restaurants and the spa, and Irie Fields—a 9-hole "edible" golf course that's one of only three such developments in the world. Lodgings blend smart technology (enormous flat-screens that lower to stream Netflix) with colonial grandeur (claw-foot tubs in stunning alfresco bathrooms). The green approach costs buckets of green, but everything from the billeting to bill of fare justifies the final bill. All-inclusive plans are available but aren't standard.

This beachfront beauty impeccably combines world-class elegance—ever dazzling and sleek, never overwhelming or overdone—with West Indian hospitality while scrupulously maintaining, upgrading, and refreshing its facilities. Yes, sometimes the resort is overrun by noisy families and conventioneers. And yes, it's pricey. But the service is smiling and solicitous, and the amenities are excellent. A beach concierge dispenses everything from books to CDs to Evian spray; personal attendants cater to your every whim in chattel-style cabanas equipped with Wi-Fi, iPod dock, and TV. Facilities range from a state-of-the-art business center and sybaritic spa to an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course, as well as a children's club, game room, and turtle-conservation program. Fascinating offerings include Dive and Dine with the executive chef, local bush tea lessons, and Garden Tours with in-house botanists. Good-value packages—and complimentary extras such as nonmotorized water sports and twice-weekly golf clinics—help reduce the sting from the high rates.

A snug 1670 greathouse (reputedly the Caribbean's oldest surviving wooden building) forms the heart of this hillside hideaway, run by two (going on three) generations of charmingly "loopy" Lupinaccis, who keep things lively, down to earth, and family friendly—rare for such a refined, smart-set retreat. Painstakingly restored or meticulously re-created stone-and-gingerbread cottages have hardwood floors, four-poster canopy beds, and hammock-slung patios or balconies. Families and honeymooners adore the two-story Blue Cottage. The Loft, Pink House, and Goosepen Cottage are equally sybaritic, and the three-bedroom Manor House has a pool and wraparound porches. In genuine plantation fashion, the inn has its own stable and livestock, as well as English Romantic–style gardens (pluck your own fruit, or ask the kitchen to prepare a homeopathic bush tea). The Blue Iguana is arguably the island's most interesting boutique. A renovated motor yacht offers sailing, fishing, and St. Kitts transfers.

"OTI," as locals call it, is a rarity: a smart, intimate, "boutique-y" business hotel that also appeals to vacationers. The hillside location, convenient to downtown Basseterre, guarantees marvelous bay views from most rooms. Luxuriant gardens, room blocks, and a split-level free-form waterfall lagoon pool tumble down to the sea. Handsomely decorated rooms in an earthy color scheme vary widely in size, but all feature island touches (from masks to murals), free Wi-Fi, mini-refrigerators, and kitchenettes or whirlpool tubs. The urbane hilltop Verandah Restaurant (a local must on Friday night for its West Indian buffet with live music) entices island power brokers. With regular free shuttle service to Southeast Peninsula beaches, courteous helpful staff, and an on-site gym, peaceful OTI promotes rest, not revelries.

Two-story buildings in carnival colors wind through small gardens at this basic scuba-set resort, which crowns a bluff above Basseterre and delivers amazing views of the town, sea, and mountains. Newer rooms are spiffier, with vivid throw rugs and mahogany two-poster beds; studios with kitchenettes and pullout sofas offer real bargains for families. Most rooms have jaw-dropping panoramas, aside from the 700 block. The tiered sundeck and pool—replete with a swim-up bar, and the Sunburst restaurant—rank among the island's top sunset perches. The expanded but still minuscule beach (a sandy lagoon is being created near the independently operated dolphin encounter), ancient kitchenettes, and occasional plumbing problems don't seem to bother the laid-back divers and young Europeans who give Bird Rock an appealing international flavor.

Acclaimed artists Brice Marden and wife Helen Harrington have imparted a chic, modernist sensibility to this 18th-century estate property while respecting its storied past: the old cistern is now the spring-fed swimming pool; the sugar mill has become a honeymoon retreat; and the vividly hued gingerbread cottages (each holding two rooms) contrast pristine white floors, curtains, and bedspreads with hardwood or bamboo furnishings, pineapple friezes, and colorful Berber throw rugs. Many surfaces—from decks to shutters—are splashed in reds and greens; the pool addition resembles a contemporary-art installation, the restaurant a dazzling tiered sculpture garden with waterfalls. Service is unobtrusive yet warm, in fine counterpoint to the hip cool ambience and buzz imparted by the cosmopolitan clientele.

Located right along popular Pinneys Beach, and one of the island's newest properties with views of not only the Caribbean, but also lush gardens and Nevis Peak. This family-friendly spot boasts full kitchens, laundry, and two bathrooms per unit. Great for those who are active, there's a river-style lap pool and the state of the art gym is open 24/7. Most visitors make use of the in-room kitchens, but those who want to avoid cooking on vacation can stroll over to Yachtsman Grill to nosh on fresh local caught fish and fruits grown nearby.

These Creole-style, cotton-candy-color, gingerbread cottages sit steps from a beach facing St. Kitts and are staggered to ensure sea views from all the rooms, some of which have mahogany canopy four-poster beds and granite vanities. The rooms tend to be a bit older and musty, but you probably won't be spending much time in your room: ecocentric, Green Globe–certified Oualie is noted for its many on-site recreational opportunities, from mountain biking to diving, windsurfing to turtle-watching. It's also fairly hopping for a small Nevisian property. The informal restaurant hosts popular barbecue-and-lobster Tuesdays and West Indian–theme Friday nights with live music. You can book spa packages with the on-site but unaffiliated Chill spa. Dive packages and other specials, including early-bird discounts, make Oualie an excellent value.

This exclusive South Sea–inspired enclave cascades down a lush hill to Pinney's Beach, providing posh, pampering, Bali "high" stays in thatched-roof villas that have 30-foot ceilings with hand-carved beams and private, vine-swaddled, split-level, sea-view patios with plunge pools. Interiors blend classic with contemporary: carved mahogany and teak furnishings; sunken marble tubs; indoor/outdoor rainfall showers; smart TVs; gourmet kitchens; printer-equipped offices; and eclectic decor elements (Buddhas, model sailboats, African carvings, huge earthenware or glazed urns). Newer, two-bedroom beach villas resemble tree houses and have awesome electric drawbridge staircases and gravity-defying hanging chairs designed by noted sculptor Stephen Myburgh. Needless to say, only the finest products will do, butler service is included, and private chefs can be provided. The cool beach bar was created using 2,000 recycled Heineken bottles.

This attractive property, which now affects a budget boutique look, has seen many changes over the years—like the addition of two adjacent mini-malls with restaurants, retail outlets (including a supermarket), and a spa/salon. Thirty two-story buildings house sizable fresh rooms splashed with vibrant sea colors, some split-level with jetted tubs, all with kitchenettes as well as balconies overlooking the ocean, lagoon, or golf course. Upper-floor rooms in the 300 block feel airier and larger, though they're close to the action (for good and bad). Though it's been stripped of local flavor and flair, it offers comfort and an enviable location for enjoying Frigate Bay.

From families to conventioneers and golfers to gamblers, this big, bustling beachfront resort has something for everyone, scoring points for its sizable rooms (albeit many without direct beach access or true sea views), soothing Emerald Mist Spa, sexy Bohemia beach bar, fine golf course, and decent casino with the trendy Sky Lounge. Although over-scaled for tiny St. Kitts, it's the perfect entry-level Caribbean resort—right down to the giant mermaid statue and faux pirate galleon—and its dining outlets have started incorporating local ingredients and recipes that lend a bit more authentic, West Indian flair. Although maintenance is kept up and staff are diligent, service is inconsistent and often impersonal, and the breakfast rush hour sees long waits.

This sprawling property borders Frigate Bay's wild Atlantic side, offering varied accommodations in an architectural mishmash ranging from Creole-style cottages to cinder-block eyesores. Enormous rooms with the only true ocean views front the beach but aren't worth the price (even-numbered rooms in block G are the best); however, the odd-numbered garden-view rooms are a terrific buy and are just a few steps from the sand. Spacious poolside cottages have separate living rooms, and even cheaper, regular poolside rooms have cleverly segmented alcoves that contain additional single beds. Parents will appreciate the separate adults-only pool and warm staffers who double as babysitters. But the property's stylish waterfall pool and attached mini-mall don't compensate for a lack of water-sports facilities.

The only affordable St. Kitts resort directly on a Caribbean beach is a great find thanks not only to reasonable pricing and an incomparable location, but also to a restful atmosphere, smiling service, and simple but sizable apartments. Comfortable town-house-style units can be blocked off to form standard rooms. The oldest buildings right on the beach are larger and airier, with predictably better views. Third-floor units also have breathtaking vistas, but beware the steep climb. It's an authentic island experience, from the verdant hillside setting to the line-drying sheets flapping in the breeze. Though you get ants on the march during damp weather (don't leave food out!), bananaquits and bullfinches also share your patio breakfast. Rattling air-conditioners can detract from the idyllic atmosphere, but sparkling bathrooms with granite counters and rain showers make up for it. On the beach are the appealing Sunset Café and the Dock, with live music weekends.