Fodor's Expert Review St. James's Club

Management has diligently smartened the public spaces and exquisite landscaping at this venerable resort, taking full advantage of the peerless location straddling 100 acres on Mamora Bay. Regularly refurbished rooms are commodious and vibrantly decorated (the Royal Suite, Premium, and Beachfront units are worth the extra cost, boasting elegantly enhanced bathrooms). Activities galore satisfy the most jaded travelers; in inclement weather you can enjoy movies in the screening room, treatments at Spa Tranquility, and trivia contests or dance classes in the smartly renovated Jacaranda Lounge. The newly renovated, self-catering two-bedroom villas cascading down the hillside are a good value for large families. Though the restaurants are spectacularly situated over the water—especially Coco Beach, the Docksider, Piccolo Mondo, and the Rainbow Garden—food varies in quality. Next to Coco Beach, Eleven/11 becomes a nightclub in the evening. The sometimes harried staff and occasional invasion of younger, rowdy Brits on package deals further diminish deluxe pretensions, but this hotel remains a favorite with many regulars.