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Review: Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel, Anguilla

A romantic fantasy of a hotel—newly revamped but keeping the elements that draw loyalists back year after year—which creates its own narrative on the best beach in the Caribbean.
Readers Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Hot List Gold List 2021
  • Belmond Cap Juluca
  • Belmond Cap Juluca
  • Belmond Cap Juluca
  • Belmond Cap Juluca
Richard James Taylor/Courtesy Belmond Cap Juluca
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Amenities

Bar
Beach
Free Wifi
Gym
Pool
Spa

Rooms

70

Set the scene.
The Moroccan-style domed white villas, which encircle the place like sugar cubes, satisfy the pilgrim’s sense of arriving at a glamorous landmark conjured from the glossy magazines of her youth. But those impressions of '80s-era flash-glam are dispelled when stepping into the open-air lobby, the first sign of the recent renovation which replaced the old Arabian Nights-style decor with creamy linens and natural woven-grass rugs. Just beyond is the marshmallow-white mile-long cove of Maundays Bay, lapped by the bluest water.

What’s the story?
Linda and Charles Hickox spotted their future here on a boat trip around the island in 1984. The couple returned to Maundays Bay with architect Oscar Farmer, known for his work on Bing Crosby’s Palm Desert estate, to build a restaurant, which they christened Pimms. It was an instant draw for friends who would zip over from St. Martin for dinner. When Cap Juluca opened properly in 1988, it quickly became a jet-set favorite. Handshake deals were struck from the chaises on the beach, and actors including Denzel Washington and Liam Neeson came to hide in plain sight. Countless guests returned year after year to rebook ‘their’ villas, which they never locked. By the time Belmond acquired Cap Juluca in 2017, the hotel was long overdue for an update. One week after they closed it, Hurricane Irma rolled through, destroying everything but those concrete sugar-cube villas. It reopened again in late 2018 with five new villas, two new restaurants (including a revamped Pimms), and a gleaming spa. Just days later, LVMH announced it had reached a deal to acquire Belmond, as sure a sign as any that the smart set will continue to find their way to Maundays Bay for years to come.

What can we expect from our bedroom?
The villa suites are relaxed: four-poster beds, seagrass armoires, twisted-abaca chairs, linen curtains that balloon when the doors open, soft Beni Ourain carpets, and cool-grey arabesque tiles underfoot, as well as enormous bathrooms that lead onto private solariums. Retreating to one’s room in the middle of the day feels like a cop-out at many places, but here the indoor-outdoor flow transforms a late-afternoon nap into a pleasure without the guilt. Each residence is just steps away from the beach, so close that putting on shoes would be foolish. All the villas are at a distance from the main house—the higher the number, the farther it is—but you’re hardly stranded. You can thumb a lift from the frequently roving golf carts, beach-cruiser-style bicycles, or vintage Volkswagen buses.

How about the food and drink?
Pimms, now pared back and scrubbed up, still doesn’t stand on ceremony. British chef Andrew Gaskin’s multi-course menus, featuring scallops and peas in pumpkin oil and lobster bisque with seaweed Johnny cakes, are full of Caribbean flavor, but light enough to keep anyone planning to join tomorrow’s sunrise-yoga class happy. Next door, with a green-tiled, open-air terrace over the surf, is Cip’s, an offshoot of the Cipriani’s Venetian lagoon restaurant, serving octopus-and-fennel salad and grilled-lobster pasta. And Maundays Club, which turns out Peruvian tapas, backs onto the hotel bar, where guests gather for rum cocktails. The walls are hung with brass-framed antique mirrors and quirky 1913 sketches by belle-époque artist Georges Goursat that poke fun at high society. The message is clear: you’re on holiday. Don’t take yourself so seriously.

Anything to say about the service?
Throughout the years, one of Cap Juluca’s main draws has been its staff. While the hotel was closed post-hurricane, Belmond kept most of them employed in restoration and landscaping work. Nearly all returned after the re-opening, now outfitted in cheery sorbet-coloured uniforms—among them favorites such as Terrance ‘Casa’ Rogers, who ran the beach cabana between villas three and five, always quick to recall a guest’s preferred drink.

Who stays here?
Cap Juluca loyalists are back in force, talking about what had improved (the decor, the food) and what remained blessedly unchanged (the view, the amazing staff). There were a few younger couples, too, with women in Pippa Holt caftans toting expensive straw bags. And families, during school holidays, especially now Belmond has built an infinity pool near the lobby.

How does it fit in with the island’s scene?
The hotel sits on its own beach—and while technically a public beach, it’s isolated enough that no one else comes by. It’s also set between the Cuisinart resort (whose whitewashed architecture was no doubt inspired by that of its chicer neighbur) and the Four Seasons Resort (formerly the Viceroy), which has more of a modernist aesthetic. But don’t second guess yourself: Maundays Bay beach trumps them all. It’s a short taxi ride to Sandy Ground, the public beach near the island’s biggest port, where Elvis Beach Bar has live music on Fridays and Sundays and drinks are served out of a boat-turned-bar. The Strip in the heart of the Valley is a must for late-night ‘liming’, with open-air BBQ at Ken’s (order the ribs and garlic bread) followed by dancing at Willy’s Bar.

Anything we missed?
The new Arawak Spa, named for the local indigenous tribe, occupies a breezy former villa with its own serenity pool, and herbal treatments inspired by the island’s first inhabitants. One welcome new addition for those looking for something more low-key during the day is the Cap Shack at the far end of the beach, which has proper island vibes and daily live bands, a killer rum punch, and BBQ tapas served out of a food truck.

Is it worth it—and why?
Completely. Anguilla is relatively easy to reach from the U.S.—a nonstop flight to St. Martin from several East Coast cities, followed by a bracing 20-minute water taxi ride, at the end of which is the kind of ridiculously pristine Caribbean beach that exists almost nowhere else.

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