Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
|
|
Can anyone recommend a nice won't break the bank completely hotel on Anguilla? Thanking about a week on Anguilla and a week on St. Barts for my next trip.
|
georgedp
Reged: 06/22/04
Posts: 2772
Loc: Beautiful hunterdon county new...
|
|
My wife and I stayed at a very nice hotel in Anguilla a number of years ago - La Sirena. It is within walking distance to the beach at Mead's Bay, I think. Large rooms, two swimming pools, nice restaurant. The walk to the beach was a couple of minutes through a walkway between several villas and there was a pool halfway between the hotel and the beach in case you needed to cool off on the walk there or back. cost at the time was very reasonable and they had package deals (like stay six nights and get the 7th night free - or something like that). Not sure what their pricing is like these days. take care georgedp
|
carolyn
Reged: 05/10/04
Posts: 13
|
|
My husband and I stayed at Rendevous Bay quite a few years ago, and really enjoyed it. It wasn't overly expensive, beautiful beach, really mellow place and very relaxing. Good luck!
|
KathyD
Reged: 05/12/03
Posts: 139
Loc: NYC
|
|
I have friends who love the Frangipani ..good price, service and right on the beach..Wait til you see the beaches there..the best I've ever seen.
|
Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
|
|
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I'll look into all three.
|
Cheri
Reged: 10/13/02
Posts: 1682
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
|
|
We stayed at the Sonesta when we went to Anguilla in 2001. The last I heard the Sonesta had been bulldozed to make way for a golf course. We decided that when we go back we would stay either at Frangipani or Cap Juluca. We didn't see a room but we walked around the grounds of both hotels. The Frangipani is a small condo unit hotel located on very quiet Mead's Bay, a beautiful and long beach....great for long walks. It also has a restaurant on premises and a nice pool although the pool is not right on the ocean. Seemed like a very serene hotel and setting.
|
Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
|
|
I have a friend who has done two separate split-trips where he spends part of the week at Cap Juluca and part at Malliouhana. He loves both but gives a SLIGHT nod to Malliouhana though he conceeds it is a coin toss between the two.
|
Jahmondu
Reged: 06/11/04
Posts: 20
|
|
We stayed at The Arawak Beach Inn in early December of 2003 and it was very inexpensive and quite comfortable. They have package rates which are as low as $649 per person for a beachfront room for seven nights and eight days. That rate includes a full breakfast each morning, four dinners at their restaurant, which features Caribbean cooking by their chef Maude, a native Anguillan. The package also includes a private day excursion to a deserted island with a free picnic lunch, a full-day trip to Marigot on St. Martin, and includes transfers and ferry tickets, a three-day car rental, transfers to and from the airport, and free champagne upon arrival. The inn is run by Maria, who lives there with her three children (ages 11, 13 and 15?). They are all delightful and it is very informal. There is a bar in the restaurant, and you make your own drinks, and just write down "1 martini" or whatever you're fixing yourself on your personalized notepad. The same goes for snacks, water, etc. At the end of the week, your tab is totalled and you pay at that time. It seems like the drinks were something like $3.00 or $3.50 even if you fixed a double or a triple. An elementary school is only about 50 yards down the beach and at lunchtime the children come to the Arawak Inn for lunch. They were very polite and so cute in their school uniforms. If you're looking for an inexpensive, informal, and very laid-back place to stay, you might check The Arawak Beach Inn out.
|
Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
|
|
Cap Juluca is a little out of my price range but I am very interested in learning a bit more about the other places. Cheri, are their similarities between Cap J and Frangipani? Also, for the other places mentioned what type of room did you rent? There are big variations in price. Is there a particular part of the island that is most desirable? thanks so much.
|
DAL
Reged: 04/28/03
Posts: 101
Loc: Easton, Ct
|
|
Kat - Go to Anguillaguide.com (which also has a forum like this one) and News.ai. Both will be very helpful with maps and information about the different places to stay on the island. Depending on the time of year Cuisinart Resort has a special for I believe $350 per night for a Jr. Suite. That usually runs April thru just before Christmas. If that is not in your price range, I would suggest Rendevousbay Hotel as previously suggested or Blue Waters Beach Hotel. There are numerous places to stay on the island that won't break the bank. There are also villas to rent as well. I prefer the West End which is closer to all of our favorite restaurants. BTW we returned last week from a SBH/AXA trip and noticed there is construction directly next to Frangipani. There is also a major construction project about to begin on Meads Bay. If it were me, I would choose between Rendevousbay Hotel or Blue Waters. Blue Waters does not have a/c, but the villas look almost identical to Cap Juluca. All have kitchens and the first floor walks directly onto the beach. Blue Waters is usually booked well in advance and they do not have a website. News.ai has great pictures of all of the resorts as well as links to their webpages. We have been going to Anguilla for about 6 years sometimes twice a year so don't hesitate to ask questions. Good luck! Diane
-------------------- Diane
|
Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
|
|
Diane, thanks for the additional information. I just Googled Blue Waters and I think I found their website at http://www.bluewaters.net. If you had to draw a comparison between Blue Waters or Rendevous bay to something on St. Barts what would you compare it to? I am looking for something like the old Filao. Thanks so much!!
|
Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15639
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
|
|
Kat..look again...that is the Blue Waters Antigua web addy you got there......not Anguilla..and there is a HUGE difference between the two islands
-------------------- karma is a beautiful thing at times
|
DAL
Reged: 04/28/03
Posts: 101
Loc: Easton, Ct
|
|
Kat - That website will give you information, but I don't think it is sponsored by the hotel. They will not respond to an e-mail. You will have to call. Anguilla is very different from SBH, there is no shopping to walk to from either of these spots. The beach is probably the best at Rendevous Bay Hotel and you can walk over to Cuisinart from there. They have a great restaurant at RBH called Cedar Grove. Cuisinart also has a couple of great restaurants as well. Blue Waters is next to Tratatoria Termentano which is a great Italian restaurant on the beach. It is really a toss up. Check their websites and see what appeals to you. Both are considered "west end" and both are on the beach. Diane
-------------------- Diane
|
DAL
Reged: 04/28/03
Posts: 101
Loc: Easton, Ct
|
|
Kat - this is the website I have. http://www.caribbeanconcepts.com/bwb/AboutProp.html I am sure it is a 3rd party website. It will give you an idea of what the place looks like. Diane
-------------------- Diane
|
Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
|
|
Whoops!! So much for my internet searching skills! Thanks again for all the information.
|
Eric
Reged: 10/07/02
Posts: 679
|
|
Kat, I'd be interested in what you find. We're considering a AXA/SBH trip and we'll always be looking for another Filao. I miss that place. Eric
--------------------
|
Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
|
|
Will do Eric.
|
Cheri
Reged: 10/13/02
Posts: 1682
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri
|
|
Sometime after we came back from Anguilla I read there was construction going around Frangipani. With Mead's Bay being a rather long beach, I can imagine there might be construction going on there at any given time. Compared to CJ, Frangipani was much quieter....not a lot going on there. However, we liked the hotel and setting and it is not a budget buster and like St. Barths, everyone drives to different beaches and restaurants anyway. Except for Cap Juluca, the beach there (Maunday's Bay) is wonderful and since CJ occupies the whole beach....the whole setting is just magnificient. As someone said, Anguilla's beaches are all to die for though. However, when it comes to island ambience.....SBH has it beat hands down in many ways. But, I think people go to Anguilla for total rest and relaxation and it is fun to make the comparisons.
|
andynap
Reged: 10/24/02
Posts: 12072
Loc: Philadelphia
|
|
With the extension of the airport, the St. Regis resort and a Greg Norman golf course, it will attract a whole different kind of crowd and will become more crowded. I saw a lot of building there 2 weeks ago. I can see it changing- we will see.
-------------------- Andy -
St. Barts- where no day is ever the same and one day is not enough
|
Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
|
|
Very interested in Blue Waters. How bad is it w/o AC? Sounds fantastic.
|
Iboo
Reged: 01/11/05
Posts: 104
Loc: LR, AR, USA
|
|
My husband & I spent a week last May in Anguilla - stayed at Malliouhana and booked again for this year, however, after much thought wanted to return to St. Barts where we honeymooned in 2001 at Le Toiny. We LOVED Anguilla and Malliouhana. It is a beautiful hotel - off season about $365 US per night. Room 201 is the BEST. Has a wrap-around porch which is large enough to accommodate 2 lounge chairs and a round table with chairs for dining. Wonderful spa, first class service and amenities. We will go back and highly recommend Malliouhana. Further, dining on the island is a fabulous experience. I would be happy to share any further info with anyone who is interested.
|
LindaP
Reged: 03/15/03
Posts: 208
Loc: Albany, NY
|
|
Kat, Wev'e been to Anguilla 3 times.....just got back 3 weeks ago, did a 2 day stay in Anguilla then on to SBs for 7 days. We stayed with friends at Serenity Cottages, at the end of Shoal Bay east(the best beach). It was a 2 bdrm place, really nice. We have stayed at Cap and La Sirena(that was in one of their villas with our kids), not on the beach though. Blue Waters is very nice, I know people that have stayed there. We have seen it, as it is next to Trattoria Tremonto, a great italian restaurant. Its right on the beach, and its a beautiful beach(shoal bay west).One other sugestion, Rendezvous Bay Hotel....its resonable, on Rendezvous Bay(same as Cusinart), and supposed to be excellent.
|
Petri
Reged: 01/19/04
Posts: 1258
Loc: Helsinki, Finland
|
|
We've been to Anguilla three times over the last few years and always during the high season, Christmas and/or New Year. The season kind of rules out all the most expensive places, I just cannot see the point of staying somewhere where the same room costs 2-3x more than the next month. 20-30% I can accept.
If you want to stay within the hotel facilities for the full time, then you're better off with the more luxurious choices but we prefer to mainly sleep there and eat around the island, visit different beach every day and do our own shopping in the grocery store instead of minibar or room service.
La Sirena was basicly fine, a bit "German" (the owners are Swiss?) in athmosphere and the room was a bit wearn, nothing major though. The mandatory New Year dinner was ok but we don't like that kind of mandatory things. We could stay there again, no problem. The location is quite fine, walking distance from Meads Bay which is the best beach on the island for sunset walks.
This year we stayed at the Paradise Cove Resort. The room was spacious, small kitchenette and large balcony. We didn't use the pool or the other facilities but they seemed quite fine, there were even laundry facilities for the guests. We stayed in the new building (one or two years old?) so I don't know if all the rooms are as good but it was definetly worth the money and exactly what we wanted. This is #1 for our future trips to Anguilla for the moment.
Of the other more expensive places I would probably like to stay at Malliouhana or Cove castles. Cap Juluca and CuisinArt are too much "we stay within the hotel facilities" places. Frangipani seems to be nice as well but I doubt it's worth higher price than e.g. Paradise Cove. The hotel choice also depends if you want to be surrounded by a lot of people and/or want to be on the beach, we prefer less people and the beaches are never far away in Anguilla.
We typically eat both in the smaller local places and occasionally at the bigger hotels. On our last trip we noticed that the pricing for local places was pretty much the same but that didn't apply to the quality. The bigger places have typically fine (and expensive) food but lack character. I guess the british heritage doesn't give much ingredients for culinary enjoyment..
Anguilla and St. Barths are our favourites; Anguilla for the quiet and superb beaches, St. Barths for the french characteristics, food and scenery. No bad things to say about neither of the islands.
Petri
|
Kath
Reged: 02/19/03
Posts: 116
|
|
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. We are planning a June Anguilla/St. Barts trip. I'll be sure to post a trip report.
|
Island Visitor
Reged: 12/19/02
Posts: 10396
Loc: Retraité
|
|
Quote:
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information. We are planning a June Anguilla/St. Barts trip. I'll be sure to post a trip report.
Isle de France used to have a package called "Partners In Paradise" where you split a week between IdF and Cap Juluca and they made the puddlehopper transfer arrangement. Dont know if they still have that package but you could contact them and see.
|