alya

We are looking to vacation early December, we prefer smaller resorts and will be flying from Boston.

Places we have stayed and loved...

Idleawhile, Negril. Obviously an amazing beach, funky rooms, lots of good restaurants, easy to get too.

Jamaica Inn. Good beach, wonderful food, fantastic room with a view from the porch.

Coral Gardens, T&C, a beach to die for, easy island to drive around, snorkeling right outside the resort - I spent a LOT of time in the water, but snorkeling isn’t a big deal.

L’Esplanade, St Martin. Not beachside but a short walk into town, small quiet hotel with wonderful grounds. Lots of good restaurants nearby.

Bucuti Beach, Aruba. Lovely rooms with wonderful views of the beach, easy to get around using public transport, amazing restaurants on the island.

Nisbet Plantation, Nevis. Our absolute favorite! Wonderful suites, fantastic restaurant, not a good beach but good enough. Easy to drive around the island.

Any thoughts? Our budget is around 6k including flights.

BTW. We like to rent a car so we can explore but no biggie if we have to use cab or a tour to explore.

Odin

Cobblers Cove Barbados
Cocobay Antigua
Cocos Antigua
Tikaye St Lucia
Calabash Grenada or Spice Island

suze

I'd go to Negril again... but that's just me.

alya

Thanks Odin

time to start researching,

alya

suze,

weve been 3 times - time to try another beach ��

alya

any suggestions for Mexico?

We are open to any ideas -yes I know I should post this on the Mexico board but I’m coming to you personally as somebody I trust on Fodors. You give good advice.

posting it on the Mexico board might make things rather confusing to me

Odin

Reading about where you’ve been and what you are looking for, Mexico didn’t exactly pop in to my head. I’ve stayed at a small hotel outside Playa del Carmen which was fairly good, beach was adequate but nothing like you’d find in the Caribbean, I’m sure you could find/get recommendations on a better boutique hotel than where we stayed.

RoamsAround

Cheval Blanc St. Barth Isle de France on St. Barth's - fly into St. Martin then take short 10 minute island hopper flight or longer ferry ride to St. Barth's. Has everything you are seeking.

suze

I go twice a year to Puerto Vallarta. On the Pacific side of Mexico. I love it there. But I don't think it fits what you are looking for. It's a vibrant and busy Mexican city. It's not a resort town and the beaches aren't all that.

alya~ If you posted on the Mexico forum I would answer you there Also I post Trip Reports often, so if PV holds any possible interest, you can read about my adventures in recent years.

alya

Roams, sadly Chevalier Blanc doesn’t open until December 15.

Odin

That's a real shame, some of the hotels are still renovating after last year's hurricane. Eden Roc is not opening until just before Christmas.
I stayed at Le Village last year, it is not on the beach but a short distance up a hill from Eden Roc, I thought it was wonderful. There are other hotels that might be available and on the beach if you check somewhere like booking.com. Have you been to Anguilla, that could be an alternative.

alya

Odin - Le Village looks like a wonderful place, totally up our street.

however the “fully equipped kitchen” is a huge turn off - I don’t go on vacation to look at an oven

Odin

Neither do I. Our room was just a normal room without kitchen, it had its own garden.

janisj

>>however the “fully equipped kitchen” is a huge turn off - I don’t go on vacation to look at an oven<<

An oven just being there doesn't mean you need to use it. You'd nix a 'wonderful place' because it has too much equipment??

alya

Janisj, no we stayed at Coral Gardens on T&C and it did have a kitchen

We didn’t use it, it was to us anyway it was a waste of space.

funny thing is that it was owned by a dermatologist I’d visited recently here in our home town - happy I could help him afford the place

He was a nice guy and the apartment was good, the beach and the snorkeling made it though

alya

I did see that they have one room without a kitchenette- but it looked rather ‘American’ like Hilton/Raddison. How was it?

Don’t get me wrong 2 years ago we stayed at the Hilton in Barbados (long story) and really enjoyed it

I do like that resort, just fine tuning before I put my decisions before my DH

Odin

It’s nothing like a Hilton/Radisson, it’s a small family owned hotel, a French family, modest by St Barth standards. There is nothing American about it or St Barths, it’s a French territory with a Swedish past. There are other hotels on the island if this one doesn’t appeal eg Toiny.

https://levillagestbarth.com/

Hotel Christopher St Barth - Luxury Hotel in the Caribbean

http://www.letoiny.com/

suze

(just a slight aside for alya...) I rent condos in Puerto Vallarta near the beach twice a year, I've stopped for the most part staying in hotels. You don't have to cook just because there is a kitchen. I use it to make my own coffee in the morning and keep cold wine, cocktails, beverages and snacks, without going out.

alya

Odin,
didn’t mean the resort, I meant that particular room without the kitchen.

Odin

Alya - if by "that particular room" you mean a standard room, the bathroom was much bigger than anything I've experienced in a chain hotel and it had natural light, the room was double aspect with insect screens, it was in part shade and there was cross ventilation which meant it was cool enough to not run the AC, it had it's own private entrance via a gate and a wall all around the area so was very private, the decor was cool and minimal rather than frilly curtains, reminding me more of Copenhagen hotel room rather than a Hilton.The patio area was large and the garden had tropical plants. We didn't spend that much time in the room anyway. Breakfast was continental style with fresh croissants which were extremely good.