Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, Anguilla

Character and identity

Strung along the mile-long marshmallow curve of Maundays Bay, Cap Juluca's Moorish-Greco villas sit like sugar cubes against turquoise water, no building taller than two storeys. A $121 million Rottet Studio renovation swept away the old Arabian Nights decor for creamy linens, woven-grass rugs, and arabesque tiles, while leaving the bones (and the staff) intact. Across 70 keys you'll find an ocean-facing infinity pool, the Arawak Spa in a converted villa with its own serenity pool, and a serious dining lineup: Pimms for Caribbean-inflected tasting menus, Cip's for Cipriani classics over the surf, Maundays Club for Peruvian tapas, and the laid-back Cap Shack down the beach. Service is warm, long-tenured, first-name.

Who's it for

Bottom line

What you're paying for is the beach itself, plus a staff and setting that justify the trip. Maundays Bay genuinely outclasses its neighbours, and the post-Irma rebuild has brought the food, spa, and rooms up to the level of the view. Book a beachfront villa suite (the indoor-outdoor flow is the point), come for holidays well in advance, and budget a taxi or two for off-property dining.