4 Best Hotels in Montserrat

This secluded mountainside retreat offers remarkable value, individually decorated accommodations, splendid views, utter tranquility, and exquisite grounds—not to mention fascinating, self-sufficient owners who believe in respecting nature and supporting local culture. David and Clover Lea, who laughingly call themselves \"well-done, but grown up hippies,\" built the villas themselves using recycled or indigenous materials wherever possible (even the soaps are homemade). Each unit offers creative touches such as trompe l'oeil window frames, hand-painted tiles, and wraparound verandahs. Mango Cottage is nearest the 17-foot oval pool; the cozy Sweet & Simple efficiency has a microwave,TV, and fridge. Reasonably priced catering is available, using fixings from the permaculture garden and fresh eggs from the family's chickens. You can pluck your own breakfast from the extravagant fruit trees.

Rented to island hoteliers by the family of music producer Sir George Martin, this 1950s villa brims with history, including items that nod to the island's fabled AIR Studios (where Sting, Elton John, Eric Clapton, and Paul McCartney recorded) and guest rooms that are each named for a Beatles tune and are furnished with antiques. Three rooms have access to the wraparound porch; the other three have air-conditioning. The 5 acres of lush grounds offer spectacular views of the steaming Soufrière. A Montserrat Who's Who gathers in the restaurant, where bountiful British breakfasts feature fresh seasonal juices and homemade preserves.

Overflowing with character and characters, this rain-forest retreat is a photo album in the making, with memorable snapshots that include gardens framed by emerald hills and azure sea; colorful cocktail hours brimming with bonhomie and island gossip; and evening entertainment featuring hotly contested board games, comical calypso concerts, karaoke, ghost stories, or Montserratian dialect lessons. Warm and witty Lou and Shirley Spycalla treat guests like family, offering such complimentary extras as island tours, snack baskets, Wi-Fi access, Skype calls, beach transportation, and a cell phone loaner when hiking or beachcombing. Separate entrances guarantee privacy in the two snug, self-contained units (the poolside room is larger). If you'd rather not cook, you can feast family-style in the kitchen on enticing themed meals.

This aptly named inn, where rooms and suites are plain but cheerful, is run by dynamo Theresa Silcott, who can take you to beaches and local shindigs and who can brew bracing bush teas using ingredients coaxed from her lovingly tended garden. \"When I'm not cooking for people,\" says Theresa, \"I'm planting the food they eat.\" Locals justly laud her traditional cuisine: the intensely flavored goat water, stewed saltfish, and baked goods are made using cherished family recipes. A sports bar lures locals for darts and events on the large-screen TV.