I'm going to post the hotel rate info shortly, but figured I should give a little info on the third hotel, Carimar Beach Club (http://www.carimar.com/). Carimar, situated right on Meads Bay Beach, is a series of villas with four rooms in each building. The rooms are one- or two-bedroom, and each has a full kitchen, living room/sitting area, and patio. Two of the villas are right on the beach, and the rest are in a horseshoe around a garden area backing away from the beach. But the furthest villa building is about 100 yards from the beach, and you have ocean/beach views from every room.
Carimar is right next to Malliouhana (reminder: location of D.J. and Korinne's engagement - there will be a test when you get to Anguilla), and frankly the two beach villas almost look as if they are part of Malliouhana. The resort has water sports, tennis courts, and a concierge that can set up anything you might need to do. There is not a restaurant at Carimar (that's why there are kitchens), but you are obviously right next to Malliouhana, which has probably the best restaurant on the island - Michel Rostang (Racz - he's a Frenchy). Meads Bay Beach is also home to a number of other restaurants, including the world famous (seriously) Blanchards and Straw Hat at Frangipani.
The prices at Carimar are very reasonable, and again, it is right on a fantastic beach. I'm told by Jackie that there are only eight rooms left there, so they will not be offering a wedding discount. So the message is if you want to stay at Carimar, make your reservations soon. I'm kind of surprised it's this close to sold out, but it is a nice hotel with a great location and a great price.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Finally, Hotel Rate Info
I just got all of the hotel special rate information from Jackie (oh...oh! - no, not Jackie the Jokeman, VTOB, Coop,nd Millertime), who is in Anguilla and helping us with all the hotel stuff. I will be posting it shortly, and will also be asking a question over email about who wants to stay at the Frangipani. One of the potential situations is that we rent the whole damn thing - 18 rooms - for the wedding. If people want rooms there, and want different kinds of rooms, we may do it. Anyway, you'll be seeing an email from me shortly on this topic, because we'll need to figure this out before we do so with the rest.
I shouldn't say this since I may want to edit it after Saturday, but...go Irish...beat Southern Cal.
I shouldn't say this since I may want to edit it after Saturday, but...go Irish...beat Southern Cal.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Hotels - Frangipani
Frangipani (http://www.frangipaniresort.com/) is a great little hotel right on the beach at Meads Bay, which is a long stretch of beach on the northwest part of the island. The rest of the hotels that we are recommending are on Meads Bay Beach. It has 18 rooms that include luxury rooms w/ one king or two queens; junior suites; one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites; and two penthouse suites.
Prices are more moderate here, and though the service level probably isn't as high as a Cap Juluca, it has all the amenities that one would need. There's a nice pool that's right on the beach, as well as one of the best restaurants on Anguilla - Straw Hat. The beach is outstanding, and the hotel is literally right on it. There are also water sports and a tennis court. We haven't stayed here, but we've seen a number of the rooms and eaten at Straw Hat multiple times.
We hope to actually secure most if not all of this hotel for your lodging pleasure, and again, we hope to get the wedding special rates soon. The rooms are nice, the views are of the ocean to the north and the beach, and the restaurant has great food and atmosphere. There is one room that has an "island view" that goes for a much lower price than the rest (I can think of a few of you for whom this might work!). I don't have a photo to post because Korinne hasn't downloaded her photos to my computer. But there's a good photo gallery on the website.
Next up...Carimar Beach Club.
Prices are more moderate here, and though the service level probably isn't as high as a Cap Juluca, it has all the amenities that one would need. There's a nice pool that's right on the beach, as well as one of the best restaurants on Anguilla - Straw Hat. The beach is outstanding, and the hotel is literally right on it. There are also water sports and a tennis court. We haven't stayed here, but we've seen a number of the rooms and eaten at Straw Hat multiple times.
We hope to actually secure most if not all of this hotel for your lodging pleasure, and again, we hope to get the wedding special rates soon. The rooms are nice, the views are of the ocean to the north and the beach, and the restaurant has great food and atmosphere. There is one room that has an "island view" that goes for a much lower price than the rest (I can think of a few of you for whom this might work!). I don't have a photo to post because Korinne hasn't downloaded her photos to my computer. But there's a good photo gallery on the website.
Next up...Carimar Beach Club.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Cap Juluca Photo
Here is a photo showing Cap Juluca from the beach below the main house and in front of the restaurants. The villas the furthest to the left are the multi-bedroom big ass places with their own pools, etc. The rest are the ones with six rooms per, as described in the earlier post. Can't wait to be back there in seven weeks.
Short Flight Note
I know, it can't be short based on the other posts. Well, it will be. Just wanted to mention a couple additional notes on flights. Spirit Air flies to St. Maarten from Ft. Lauderdale (not that all or any of you live there). But it's a cheap one. Also, if you have the ability to get to Antigua or St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands), you can get to Anguilla via LIAT, which is a Caribbean commuter airline. Korinne and I flew LIAT last year when we stayed in St. John for a few days. St. John is only accessible by boat from St. Thomas, so we flew American non-stop in and out of St. Thomas and LIAT to and from Anguilla.
Also, based on a couple emails I've gotten, I now understand that there are some flights that arrive in St. Maarten after the last official ferry has left. I'm pretty sure that wherever you stay will arrange some kind of transportation if this is the case, but I will confirm and post.
Also, based on a couple emails I've gotten, I now understand that there are some flights that arrive in St. Maarten after the last official ferry has left. I'm pretty sure that wherever you stay will arrange some kind of transportation if this is the case, but I will confirm and post.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Hotels - Cap Juluca
This post is the first in a series detailing the hotel possibilities for your respective trips to Anguilla. Unfortunately, as I described in a previous post, Anguillians are on "island time" and I haven't received confirmation of room blocks or special wedding rates. Also, everyone is on vacation for hurricane season. I hope to get something soon, but it's been a long damn time and I haven't yet. So, we'll start it off with Cap Juluca (http://www.capjuluca.com/), which is where Korinne and I will be staying this coming November and for the wedding in May. I will post special room rate information if and when I get it.
We also stayed there for our first trip to Anguilla, and tried to stay there for our second. Alas, Hurricane Omar swept through the island last fall, and Cap Juluca was unable to open by the time we went in November. Basically, there was some minor damage to the less permanent structures, but most importantly, the beach was essentially washed away by the rain and surf. Fortunately, Mother Nature naturally replenishes the sand, and it is back to being the unbelievable beach that it was before.
Cap Juluca is, in our collective opinion, the best luxury resort on the island. The others, not far behind, are Malliouhana and CuisinArt, and from what we hear everyone that goes to Anguilla has differing opinions as to which is the best. (By the way, we've stayed at the other two as well, and were engaged at Malliouhana - I know, aww, how romantic!)
The hotel has about 100 rooms spread between 14 or so Moorish-style villas along a crescent-shaped beach at Maundays Bay (southwest end of the island). Each villa has six rooms - three upstairs and three downstairs - steps from the beach. Well, that's not entirely accurate - the villas furthest down the beach from the main house are individual villas with multiple bedrooms and their own pools. Robert DeNiro was there the first time we went there. No, we did not hang out with him, but we did meet his personal chef at the hotel bar/lounge.
There are two great restaurants, a bar/lounge at the main house, and a more casual restaurant for breakfast and lunch (and a beach BBQ/buffet dinner once a week). There's a pool, which we did not even use, but apparently it has been upgraded since we were there. One doesn't need the pool, though, with a beach like the one at Maundays CJ also has all the watersports and Hobie cat boats and kayaks for people to use, plus a spa, gym, tennis, and over-water driving range Great service, great rooms, great food, great beach, etc...
This resort was recently purchased by Adam Aron, former Chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, along with a couple partners. The new owners have invested something like $20 million in the resort in the last year or so, on everything from new beds and TVs, to solar powered golf carts for every room to get around the resort, to refurbishing the main house and restaurants. The place looks great, and is the most recently renovated of the big three resorts.
Cap Juluca isn't the cheapest place to stay, but is definitely worth the expense. All the other hotels we'll be suggesting, at a wide range of pricing points, are on the same beach at Meads Bay on the northeast side of the island, and we'll have transportation from all recommended hotels to the wedding events. It is in the tentative plans now to have a Friday night welcome event at Cap Juluca. Check out the website, and look for more information from me about this and other hotel options.
We also stayed there for our first trip to Anguilla, and tried to stay there for our second. Alas, Hurricane Omar swept through the island last fall, and Cap Juluca was unable to open by the time we went in November. Basically, there was some minor damage to the less permanent structures, but most importantly, the beach was essentially washed away by the rain and surf. Fortunately, Mother Nature naturally replenishes the sand, and it is back to being the unbelievable beach that it was before.
Cap Juluca is, in our collective opinion, the best luxury resort on the island. The others, not far behind, are Malliouhana and CuisinArt, and from what we hear everyone that goes to Anguilla has differing opinions as to which is the best. (By the way, we've stayed at the other two as well, and were engaged at Malliouhana - I know, aww, how romantic!)
The hotel has about 100 rooms spread between 14 or so Moorish-style villas along a crescent-shaped beach at Maundays Bay (southwest end of the island). Each villa has six rooms - three upstairs and three downstairs - steps from the beach. Well, that's not entirely accurate - the villas furthest down the beach from the main house are individual villas with multiple bedrooms and their own pools. Robert DeNiro was there the first time we went there. No, we did not hang out with him, but we did meet his personal chef at the hotel bar/lounge.
There are two great restaurants, a bar/lounge at the main house, and a more casual restaurant for breakfast and lunch (and a beach BBQ/buffet dinner once a week). There's a pool, which we did not even use, but apparently it has been upgraded since we were there. One doesn't need the pool, though, with a beach like the one at Maundays CJ also has all the watersports and Hobie cat boats and kayaks for people to use, plus a spa, gym, tennis, and over-water driving range Great service, great rooms, great food, great beach, etc...
This resort was recently purchased by Adam Aron, former Chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, along with a couple partners. The new owners have invested something like $20 million in the resort in the last year or so, on everything from new beds and TVs, to solar powered golf carts for every room to get around the resort, to refurbishing the main house and restaurants. The place looks great, and is the most recently renovated of the big three resorts.
Cap Juluca isn't the cheapest place to stay, but is definitely worth the expense. All the other hotels we'll be suggesting, at a wide range of pricing points, are on the same beach at Meads Bay on the northeast side of the island, and we'll have transportation from all recommended hotels to the wedding events. It is in the tentative plans now to have a Friday night welcome event at Cap Juluca. Check out the website, and look for more information from me about this and other hotel options.
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