The Best Hotel in Crane and the Southeast, Barbados

Hugging a seaside bluff on the Southeast Coast, The Crane incorporates the island's oldest hotel in continuous operation; the original coral-stone hotel building (1887) is the centerpiece of a luxurious 40-acre villa complex that includes private residences, numerous pools, restaurants, bars, and even a little village. The 18 historic hotel rooms and suites are decorated with original antiques; corner suites have walls of windows and wraparound patios or balconies with panoramic views of the sea. The upscale private residences—in a half-dozen modern high-rise buildings and three lower-profile buildings in a park setting—are spacious individually owned condos with hardwood floors, hand-carved four-poster beds, multiple bathrooms with spa showers, fully equipped kitchens, and private plunge pools; some have rooftop terraces. The huge pool complex closer to the villas includes a spa pool, built in a cliff-top ruin with a 360-degree view, and four connecting pools and other water features. Reef-protected Crane Beach is 98 steps (or a glass-walled elevator ride) down the cliff. You'll need to rent a car if you expect to spend much time away from the resort grounds.