You go. You eat. You swim. You sip. All the relax-long day. It is hard work, but someone has to do it. Your only job: Choose from our ultimate list of the best places where just about everything is included in one package deal.
1. Antigua: Hermitage Bay
(Hermitage Bay Antigua)
On Antigua's west coast, this resort feels like a Caribbean Bali Hai. Along the white-powder shore, chaise lounges and umbrellas invite relaxing days. Although most guests never stray from the property, the resort is only 10 minutes from Jolly Harbour's lively marina and shops.
—Marion Laffey Fox
Dine: Here, the five-star dining revolves around locally source ingredients interpreted in Indian, Chinese, and Jamaican-kissed fare: spiced king fish with jasmine rice and jerk chicken wontons with mango chutney? So awesome.
Don't miss: Learn how to make some of your favorite dishes from the resort in a cooking class. It's pure fun hanging out with the chef in the alfresco kitchen, using organic vegetables from the garden and Caribbean spices. Book in advance; the class fills up fast. Rates start at $920; hermitagebay.com.
2. St. Lucia: Calabash Cove
(Calabash Cove)
The entrance of the open-air, Bali-style Calabash Cove Resort & Spa reveals endless water views. The resort's intimate spaces are ideal for couples looking to relax; 13 Sunset Junior suites overlook Mosaic Beach with private hot tubs, and four Swim-Up Junior suites have lanais that lead to the resort's infinity-edge pool.
—Jacquelyne Froeber
Dine: All meals are served in Windsong (although the swim-up bar serves a casual lunch menu) or via room service; the menu has an Asian twist, but still draws on local produce and island flavors like the smoky St. Lucian crab backs with mango mojo on organic leaves, and the local octopus tempura with tart pickled ginger and fresh spicy chili seaweed.
Don't Miss: The swim-up bar is the place to be at sunset with a drink in hand. (Try the Lucian Mama, a sweet concoction of orange juice, banana, cacao Creole, and dark rum.) Then watch the golden sun disappear into the sea from the edge of the infinity pool.
Rates start at $595; calabashcove.com.
3. Antigua: Jumby Bay
(Rosewood Hotels)
Jumby (which means "playful spirit" in Antiguan) completed a $28 million renovation in 2009; the two new restaurants, open-air spa, and accommodations—40 rooms and suites and 14 seaside villas outfitted in soothing tones of sand and cream—feel polished and opulent.
—Marion Laffey Fox
Dine: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in The Verandah, the buzzy matrix of the resort, with an inspired menu—anything from grilled lobster to house-made mango tarts—that also can be enjoyed on the beach with your toes in the sand.
Don't Miss: Book a stargazing night on Pasture Bay Beach, where the staff will set up lounge chairs for you to spot brilliant constellations and will fill a basket with gourmet treats and champagne.
Rates start at $1,550; rosewoodhotels.com.
4. St. Lucia: The Body Holiday
(The Body Holiday)
The Body Holiday has a slight edge when it comes to all-inclusive packages: spa treatments. Each day, one 50-minute treatment (from hydrotherapy to massages) is held at the hillside, coliseum-style Wellness Centre. And although the word "spa" conjures feelings of zen, this property is buzzing with energy, from the sleek, white reception area to the sandy Cariblue Beach.
—Jacquelyne Froeber
Dine: The open-air Cariblue Restaurant is your not-so-typical buffet for breakfast and lunch with an extensive fresh salad bar and made-to-order dishes. The Deli and Clubhouse serve casual meals and drinks, but it's TAO restaurant that takes dining to a new level. The romantic location on a second-tier balcony offers a similar Pan-Asian menu to other TAO locations, including tender flat iron steak with bok choy and a smoky eggplant puree.
Don't Miss: The piano bar is an old-school blast: Cozy up under soft candelabra light with a dry martini or scotch on the rocks and enjoy music from the baby grand piano. Rates start at $900; thebodyholiday.com.
5. Antigua: Curtain Bluff
(Curtain Bluff Resort)
The curved, white-roofed buildings of Curtain Bluff ascend a rocky promontory like clouds floating between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Here, all 72 rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling windows for ultimate water views. The breezy interiors are Caribbean-chic, with white, coral, and shades of blue against pale marble flooring.
—Marion Laffey Fox
Dine: Breakfast and candlelight dinners are served in the breezy Tamarind Tree restaurant. Barefoot buffet lunches are far from ordinary, with plump barbecued shrimp and made-to-order gourmet sandwiches served in the open-air Beach Café & Bar
Don't Miss: Just a few minutes from the property is Nelson's Dockyard, a national park—the working marina is a great place to spend the afternoon admiring gleaming yachts and ships. It's also home to a collection of 18th-century structures that now house great boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants.
Rates start at $760; curtainbluff.com.
See more of the best all-inclusive Caribbean resorts.
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