Anguilla, from Maundays Bay to Meads Bay
Five-star hotels in Anguilla
2 hotels
Anguilla is the flat, quiet island that the Caribbean's beach connoisseurs keep to themselves. North of St. Martin, it is a British territory sixteen miles long with no casinos and no cruise pier, reached by boat from St. Martin in under half an hour or by small aircraft, and known for one thing above all: sand. Its hotels have taken the best of it – the mile-long crescent of Maundays Bay at the West End, the long beaches of Meads Bay and Barnes Bay on the northwest coast. Both hold five-star standing. We looked at every serious address on the island and kept only those whose service holds up to the sand. Two made the cut.
The neighborhoods
West End & Maundays Bay
The island's western tip: the mile-long crescent of Maundays Bay and one of the two hotels. The crescent's sand is fine as powder, Cove Bay and Shoal Bay West lie on either side of the point, the ferry pier at Blowing Point is a few minutes east along the south coast, and St. Martin sits on the horizon.
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla · Meads Bay, Barnes Bay & Long Bay — © Four SeasonsMeads Bay, Barnes Bay & Long Bay
The northwest coast: Meads Bay's long beach, the island's restaurants along the sand, and the other of the two hotels. The bluff stands at the beach's western end, Barnes Bay lies over the headland beyond, and the quieter cove of Long Bay opens to the east toward Sandy Ground.
Good to know
Which are the five-star hotels in Anguilla?
Two. Every hotel we list in Anguilla holds five-star standing: Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, Anguilla; and Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla. Each has its own page, reached from the list above, with a concierge behind every stay.
Which part of Anguilla should I stay in?
The West End and Maundays Bay hold one of the two – Cap Juluca on the mile-long crescent at the island's western tip, with Cove Bay and Shoal Bay West on either side and the ferry pier at Blowing Point a few minutes east. Meads Bay and Barnes Bay hold the other – Four Seasons on the bluff between the two beaches; Meads Bay is also where the island's restaurants line up on the sand. Choose the West End for the crescent and the quiet; Meads Bay for the sunsets and dinner on foot.
When is the best season for Anguilla – and when do the hotels close?
November through April is the season – dry, breezy days, the sea at its calmest, and the calendar at its fullest from Christmas through Easter, when rooms go earliest. May through July is warmer, quieter and softer. August through October is the hurricane season in this part of the Caribbean, and most of the island's hotels close for several weeks of it: Four Seasons closes each year from 23 August to 19 October. The island comes back to life in November; the concierge will confirm each hotel's dates for the year before you book.
How do you get to Anguilla?
Anguilla has no runway for the big transatlantic jets, so most guests fly into St. Maarten and cross the channel by boat – the public ferry from Marigot, on the French side, to Blowing Point takes about twenty-five minutes, and private boats run straight from the airport side for a shorter, smoother transfer. The island's own Clayton J. Lloyd airport takes small aircraft, with connections from San Juan, Antigua and St. Maarten and seasonal service from Miami. Once ashore, everything is close: the island is sixteen miles long, English-speaking, drives on the left, and takes the US dollar everywhere alongside the Eastern Caribbean dollar. The hotel will arrange the boat or the connecting flight with your booking.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on the hotel's page to see reference rates, then send the concierge a request. The concierge confirms exact rates and availability with you before anything is booked, and any payment and its timing are set out before you confirm.
