4 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.

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.

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.