5 Best Hotels in St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis

"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.

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.

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.