Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort

Set on glass floors above turquoise water, the resort's overwater bungalows let guests watch the sea move beneath the bed. These sit just off a private island reached from the main resort, a stretch of sand and pool decks separate from the Georgian-style Great House and its gardens on the mainland side. Peacocks cross the lawns there, and afternoon tea and croquet keep a British thread running through an otherwise tropical property. The island itself trades that formality for palm shade and open water, with swim-up suites, plunge pools and one-bedroom villas fitted with private infinity pools. Bungalow suites add a soaking tub and a hammock strung over the sea. It is a short boat ride across. Rooms are grouped across several named buildings, from poolside garden suites to beachfront Butler suites with retractable glass walls opening onto 180-degree ocean views. Butlers are assigned to the higher suite categories and handle bar stocking, dining reservations and daily requests without needing to be asked twice. Bathrooms throughout lean spa-style, with soaking tubs standard in most upper suites. Between the two settings, the resort reads as one address with two moods: a colonial-style house on one side of the water, a low-lying island retreat on the other, joined by the same stretch of Caribbean Sea.