Now in its ninth year, CJ’s Cool List has always sought to inspire different kinds of getaways — to hotels with personality, with purpose. And the latest edition is a journey through a diverse portfolio of places to stay, from mountain retreats at the edge of the Caribbean Basin to hip new beach resorts with world-leading restaurants, some of which you may have heard of — and others which may be wonderful new mysteries to discover. This year, we’ve also tried to focus on properties where you can really get away; hotels that, by their location, design and setting, are perfect for finding some space amid the new realities of travel.
Because cool doesn’t have just one definition. Whether it’s the look, the culture, the service or the sustainability, it’s ultimately about how a hotel makes you feel.
Here are the coolest hotels in the Caribbean for 2021.
Goldeneye, Oracabessa, Jamaica Ian Fleming’s Jamaican retreat isn’t just the “birthplace” of James Bond; it’s an energetic, hip, playful boutique resort that the sets the standard for Caribbean cool. Whether you’re staying in the Fleming Villa itself or the Beach Huts or the stunning Lagoon Villas, owner Chris Blackwell ensures you’ll have some spectacular stories of your own.
The leading resort on the island of Bimini in The Bahamas is open again, Caribbean Journal has learned.
Resorts World, which includes a marina, is headlined by the Hilton at Resorts World Bimini resort.
The marina at Resorts World Bimini.
Amenities include a rooftop infinity poo, a ground-floor lazy river pool, suites with floor to ceiling windows, a spa and salon and a 10,000-squrae-foot casino.
As for the property’s casino, it’s mostly operating its slots games with protocols to reflect the current realities of travel.
Carriers operating Bimini service include Fort Lauderdale-based Silver Airways.
The Bahamas is currently open for tourism, with protocols highlighted by a five-day pre-testing requirement.
Saint Lucia’s Coconut Bay resort has launched a new program that helps travelers “test out” and ease potential quarantine requirements when they return home.
The resort is now offering free “return home” tests for travelers before they head home at the end of their vacation, with free Abbot Rapid Antigen tests for those staying five nights or longer.
Shorter-stay guests can have the option of buying a test for $75 per person, according to Coconut Bay.
“We are committed to making the travel experience easier for our guests and believe offering a ‘Return Home Test’ will remove the worry of an extended quarantine following their vacation time for many,” says Mark Adams, President and CEO of Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa and Serenity at Coconut Bay. “Increasingly travelers now have to deal with quarantine restrictions on their return home in addition to meeting the arrival requirements of their vacation destination. As our guests’ home states now begin to offer the option to “test out” of quarantine when returning from a trip, providing a test before they leave our resorts is the best way we can help streamline their Worry-Free getaway from start to finish.”
