4 Best Hotels in Guadeloupe

Facing the island's best white-sand beaches, La Caravelle is one of the original clubs in the Caribbean—yet all the facilities, including the seafront restaurant and its deck, have a smashing, contemporary look. Known for its water sports, this Club Med also has land-based classes, including trapeze lessons. The stunning buffet restaurant has a separate air-conditioned section and much-better-than-average food. The best accommodations are in the oceanfront Marie-Galante wing and the generous suites in Grande-Terre, all of which are done in the club's color scheme: maroons, mauves, and reds. The children's programs are notably creative, including sports and mini-theater performances; there's even Club Med Baby Welcome Program. Special delights include an adults-only Zen Oasis and spa treatment rooms on the beach.

The magic of this 10-acre complex—with a contemporary, colorful lobby, cosmopolitan bar, and dual pools—lies in the fun atmosphere that the staff is able to create as they unite the disparate, mostly French clientele. All of the rooms have been renewed and boast new artwork by a painter known for his rendition of tropical fauna. The separate Mahogany section is the hotel's pride, holding the fully renovated, minimalist, standard rooms and one- and two-bedroom bi-level suites. Large terraces with kitchenettes have sea views. Expert, Parisian-trained technicians staff the spa, which also welcomes nonguests. So do the laudable, moderately priced restaurants: Le Zawag and the Route des Épices buffet. Whether you enjoy aqua aerobics, yoga stretch, playing pétanque (French boccie), or moving to a zouk band, there's always something to do. The bar serves the best rums from throughout the Caribbean.

Few hotels on Guadeloupe command such a panoramic view of the sea—spanning four islands, no less—and all the suites offer full sea views, some breathtaking. The cliffside suite offers the most dramatic vistas, but a pair of two-bedroom suites have private pools. Many bungalows have some kind of view, even if it's only partial. But all accommodations have furnished balconies, and high-end bedding with colorful accents. Three sumptuously decorated luxury villas have four bedrooms and private pools, and have proven particularly popular with Americans. In front of the restaurant, with its own bar, swimmers in the infinity pool feel that they can almost touch the surf. A small cove, far below and dramatically lighted by night, offers swimming on a private beach. The pier, chaises, and beach restaurant all help draw sophisticated yachties and French expats, who make it wildly popular on weekends. All that plus a deluxe eco-spa, with a sauna and fitness room, makes this one of the island's in places.

This well-priced, friendly, and fun resort offers both simple beachfront bungalows and regular rooms in a mostly all-inclusive environment geared toward less fussy travelers. Contemporary Nordic style characterizes everything, including a complex with a big wooden deck, a restaurant, beach bar, a huge pool, and a whimsical kids' club. The decor in the bungalows mimics that of the larger hotel rooms—contemporary minimalist, with splashes of vivid color and red tile floors. The global staff is young and dynamic, and all speak English. The resort offers a wide range of excursions as well as a litany of water sports and even evening entertainment from November to August, with everything from karaoke to local bands. Although several meal plans are available, most guests go all-inclusive; nonguests can buy a day pass. However, this resort is probably not going to please older, sophisticated travelers.