Parrot Cay Resort

Frommer's Review

This laid-back luxury resort gets a lot of press as a favored retreat of celebrities -- the place where Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner married and Bruce Willis maintains a home. It comes by its good press not from the movie stars it coddles but because its high service standards are impeccably and rigorously maintained. Even those of us not pursued by paparazzi get the same stratospheric level of service and friendly welcome that the famous enjoy. Parrot Cay defines excellence.

Parrot Cay lies on an isolated and very private 400-hectare (988-acre) island with a powdery white-sand beach. The compound features 10 white "modern colonial"-style buildings, each with a terra-cotta tile roof. Rooms have louvered doors that open onto terraces or verandas, oyster-white walls with tongue-and-groove paneling, and mosquito netting artfully draped over four-poster beds. The large tiled bathrooms are beautifully appointed with a big tub and a shower and the spa's Invigorate toiletries. The best units by far are the roomy beach houses and villas, which offer utter privacy and direct access to the beach. Beach houses have plunge pools and hardwood verandas; beach villas (one to three bedrooms) are even bigger, with swimming pools and kitchenettes.

Many come to Parrot Cay primarily for the sublime treatments in the COMO Shambhala holistic spa, the finest spa in the Caribbean, which encompasses a 613-sq.-m (6,600-sq.-ft.) space wrapped in a sea of glass that looks out over the island wetlands. In addition, the resort has an infinity pool and access to scuba diving, Hobie Cats, snorkeling, kayaks, and water-skiing. It also partners with Big Blue to provide guests diving and eco-tours. Kids are welcome, especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, when families come for long stays and the activities director devises such magical games as treasure hunts where the shallow waters are seeded with conch shells and messages in bottles are planted on the beach.

The Terrace restaurant, in the resort's main building, serves breakfast and dinner, specializing in Mediterranean cuisine. Lunch and dinner are served in Lotus, a torch-lit poolside restaurant with Southeast Asian-inspired cuisine (along with regular-Joe favorites like hamburgers); both restaurants also offer a healthful Shambhala spa menu.

Facilities: 2 restaurants; 2 bars; outdoor pool; 2 tennis courts; spa; fitness center; Jacuzzi; sauna; kayaks; excursion desk; library/game room w/high-speed Internet; boutique; limited room service; babysitting; laundry service; nonsmoking rooms; fishing; nature trail; snorkeling.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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