Overwater Bungalows with Private Pool (2023 Update)

Why We Like it: The newest of only three overwater bungalow resorts in Mexico, the other two being the nearby Palafitos El Dorado Resort and the even more nearby Rosewood Mayakoba, Banyan Tree Mayakoba is another very much exclusive resort near Playa del Carmen. It wins consistently great reviews for its eco friendly principles, its choice setting, its luxury accommodation and facilities, which include a Greg Norman designed 18 hole golf course and an award winning spa, and gourmet food & drink. Their overwater bungalows are more European chalet-like than rustic Polynesian. The interiors are sleek, modern and plush but with plenty of some nice earthy, back to nature touches. They are set over two floors and offer a far greater sense of privacy than most. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: The above mentioned over water villas are all doubles with king size bed and are very spacious indeed – over their two floors they cover a full 2400 square feet / 222 sq. meters. They have a heated plunge pool on the private terrace which has views over the lagoon. Their bathrooms are particularly nice with spa baths as standard. As with the resort in general, though they have a sleek modern design, the overriding philosophy with the overwater villas is harmony with nature. The decor and furniture are generally of wood or other organic materials and the many native Yucatan potted plants add an extra earthy, jungly vibe. These overwater villas are an extremely popular choice, and there are only 6 in total, so you can be expect to be disappointed unless booking well in advance. If they do happen to be booked out though the Banyan Tree has a tremendous choice of luxury accommodation, all with private pools, some of the finest in the Cancun region in fact. Prices & Availability: Check out all the details at Booking.com here at Expedia here. or at Trip.com here. Resort Facilities & Things to Do: Banyan Tree guests have access to the Greg Norman designed El Camaleón Golf Course right next door and the resort’s top of the range spa facilities have won many plaudits and awards. It has a READ MORE

Why We Like it: Lily Beach Resort is a 5 Star all-inclusive with water villas on a stunning private island in southern Ari Atoll, Maldives. Their all-inclusive plan offers a generous array of quality services, with a range of free water sports activities and excursions and lots and lots of premium quality food and drink. It is a well-known resort and consistently popular; people return here year after year, so advance bookings are recommended. Water Villas & Other Accommodation: They have a choice of water villas, beach villas and lagoon villas at Pearl Beach. The typically romantic overwater villas come in two categories: their ‘Deluxe Water Villas’ have 1356 ft² of space including a private outdoor deck with a jacuzzi plunge pool. Their ‘Sunset Water Villas’ then are a step ahead with 1960 ft² to play with, a proportionally larger deck and larger pool, as well as a 24-hour personal butler service. All the overwater choices have a section of glass floor panels so you can gaze at the sea life below from the comfort of your bungalow. The Lagoon Villas are at the edge of the lagoon and cover just short of 1000 ft², are secluded and private and come with an outdoor bath on the terrace. The Beach Villas have a nice location right on the beach with a private deck and about 730 ft² of space for the ‘standard’ villas and 1463 ft² for the two-bedroom ‘family’ villas, which are effectively two interconnected standard villas. The style is modernist and fairly minimalist, with the emphasis being more on comfort than fancy decor. All the accommodation choices include luxury hotel standard facilities and features as standard: air-conditioning, WiFi, flat-screen TV & home theatre system, tea/coffee making facilities, minibar and safe etc. The bathrooms are all suitably plush too and come with powerful rainfall showers and luxury spa bathtubs. Water Villa Prices: Check out all the details – prices, reviews and more photos, on their Booking.com page here and on their Expedia.com page here. Resort Facilities & Things to Do: There are four restaurants and three bars at the resort and the quality of the food and drink is READ MORE

Why We Like it: The family friendly Four Seasons Resort forms an exclusive enclave by the coral reefs to the north east of Bora Bora and offers overwater bungalows, and beach villas, that are spacious, sleek and very well equipped. Their style is more modernist than most and they have the feel of luxury design apartments where everything feels crisp, clean and new. All come with tremendous views over Mount Otemanu and the lagoon, the overwater bungalows particularly, and the resort itself is a pleasure to stroll around with plenty to do and see, and a cosy, friendly, atmosphere throughout. Though the vibe is, this being Bora Bora, generally one of romantic indulgence, The Four Seasons takes care of children better than most with a kid’s club and plenty of organized activities. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora has one hundred over-water bungalows and seven beachfront villas to choose from, ranging in size from 1070 ft² to over 3200 ft², with a maximum occupancy of 6 for the larger units. All are extremely comfortable, spacious and beautifully styled with teak woods and pastel shaded soft furnishings. The outside spaces are expansive and well kitted out, with the overwater bungalows having private access to the water as well as outdoor showers, chaises lounges, circular daybeds and dining tables. All the overwaters have internal glass floor panels to watch the sea life in the lagoon below too and some also have plunge pools on the deck. You can expect king size beds as standard in all of the units as well as plasma screen satellite TVs, DVD players, coffee machines, mini fridges, music stations etc. in the lounge areas. All the bathrooms come with nice, large and deep, baths and with some opening out to the sea via sliding doors. Room service is 24 hours and the service throughout the resort, which also provides concierge and business services, is of the highest quality. Overwater Bungalow Prices: Check out all the details – prices, reviews & more photos, on the booking page here. Resort Facilities & Things to Do: You can enjoy some tremendous food at the Four Seasons, READ MORE

Why We Like it: Soneva Jani is one of The Maldives’ most exclusive private island resorts and has water villas that are almost uniquely spacious, stylish and luxurious. The very largest of them, the two and four-bedroom ‘water reserves’ around the end of the walkway, being really quite extraordinary. These opulent wooden palaces come with private pools, water slides and retractable roofs that allow stargazing direct from the master bedroom. Soneva Jani is also an eco-resort that has, since its inception, striven to keep its environmental impact as low as possible. Water and waste is recycled and treated via the on-site waste management center and most of the resort’s electricity is solar generated. Facilities include, amongst others, a luxurious spa, tennis courts, a gym, four restaurants and a bar, a cinema, a night-time sky observatory, a water sports center and a kid’s club. All inclusive packages have been available here since 2021. Check below for details as to what is included. Most of the island is left natural and wild so, anytime the feeling takes you, you can have a wander through mangrove forests and deserted beaches, and feel yourself enticingly detached from civilization. Water Villas & Other Accommodation: The first stand-out feature of Soneva Jani’s water villas is their sheer size – all of them are spread over two floors and their very smallest one-bedroom units still cover 4477 square feet/416 square meters while their largest, the four-bedroom water reserve, covers a whopping 15295 square feet/1421 square meters. There are five other categories between those two extremes none of which will disappoint. The majority of them have water slides from the upper floor if you’re ever in a hurry to get downstairs. Other standard features include large private pools, various glass floor viewing panels, study rooms, huge walk-in wardrobes, kitchenettes and stunning bathrooms. Outside of the water villas you can also choose to stay in their two-bedroom beach bungalow hidden away in the mangrove forests. It is titled the Robinson Crusoe Residence and comes with lots of very private space. Or you can also choose to stay in their very indulgent, 23-meter private yacht. It has two en-suite bedrooms READ MORE

Why We Like it: There may be a lot of competition in terms of luxury retreats in Bora Bora and indeed in the broader region of French Polynesia, but the 5 Star InterContinental Thalasso Bora Bora is really quite a place. It is located on its own private island, a 20 minute boat ride from Bora Bora Motu Mute Airport, and it is hard to overemphasize the extraordinary setting, with the craggy peak of Mount Otemanu towering above and the most beautifully clear turquoise waters you could ever imagine swaying gently all around. It also has consistently high levels of service, great facilities and a laudable commitment to eco-friendly and sustainability principles, all of which make it stand out somewhat from the rest and lend the place an extra exclusive feel. It is very much a once in a lifetime vacation venue, and smoothly manages to be both family friendly and ideal for honeymoons. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: The overwater bungalows and villas are in a choice position to enjoy the setting with their boardwalk jutting out right in the middle of the bay. They are also all exceptionally spacious; the smallest cover a minimum of 1020 ft² while the largest, the ‘Marlon Brando Suite’, comes in at a whopping 3465 ft². As you will see there is a great range of accommodation to choose from, most, but not all, of which are overwater. Of those that are overwater they come with glass floor coffee tables from where you can peer down into the coral reef and see all manner of exotic creatures. Many also have their own private, on deck, infinity swimming pools. The design and interior decoration are a pleasing mix of modern and traditional Polynesian and they have all the modern facilities and comforts you would expect from a luxury hotel: air-con, WiFi, cable TV, music system, refrigerator, coffee maker, mini bar, some lovely bathrooms with bathtubs and rainfall showers, as well as plenty of lounging and dining furniture both inside and out. Room service is 24 hours and you can expect the absolute best in service throughout the resort. As mentioned above InterContinental Thalasso makes READ MORE

Why We Like it: This adults only, all inclusive near Cancun is home to Palafitos, the very first overwater bungalows in Mexico (there are now still just three: the other two being the very nearby Rosewood Mayakoba & Banyan Tree Mayakoba) and consistently hits world class standards for luxury all inclusives. It really is a tremendous resort – it has a fabulous location on Maroma Beach, Playa del Carmen – rated one of the Caribbean’s, and in fact the world’s, best beaches – the accommodation is wonderful across the board, their gourmet food and drink is of the highest quality, and the activities on offer are numerous. Overwater Bungalows: As mentioned, the Palafitos’ bungalows were the very first in Mexico and come with all the features you would expect from such a pioneering resort – glass floor panels, jacuzzis, private infinity pools, outdoor showers and direct access to the crystal clear waters below your feet. There are two types – the standard Palafitos are closer to the shore and have partial ocean, partial beach views. The ‘Elite Suite Bungalows’ on the other hand are farthest out, at the end of the pier, and have unobstructed ocean views. Thus they are more exclusive and peaceful, and give more of a at one with the water type feeling. You’ll be paying an extra premium for that privilege though of course, that’s if you are lucky enough to get one – The Elite Bungalows are, despite the hefty extra charge, extremely popular and get booked out much further in advance. Check them both out on the booking page here. Both are pretty much identical internally though – they both cover roughly 600 square feet and are incredibly luxurious. They come with extra large, terrifically comfortable double beds, a seating/dining area, sections of glass bottom floor, a jacuzzi, an infinity type plunge pool on the terrace overlooking the water plus an outdoor shower. Other facilities include WiFi, cable TV, air con, iPod docks, mini bar, 24 hour room service and private butler service. Prices & Availability: Check out all the details and compare prices at Booking.com here or at Expedia.com here. Note: Like all luxury READ MORE

Why We Like it: The 5 Star, St. Regis Bora Bora was the setting for the 2009 comedy ‘Couple’s Retreat,’ starring Vince Vaughan, an extra publicity boost that such a confident, sophisticated resort really had very little need for. You can expect to very impressed with almost everything, even judging by Bora Bora’s high standards. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: The resort is spread out over 44 acres which includes a private lagoon and various beach areas. The accommodation is a mixture of overwater bungalows and beach villas, all of which are extremely spacious; the largest overwater bungalows and villas in Bora Bora in fact. The very smallest on offer at the St. Regis are 1550 ft² for example, with the very largest being a quite magnificent 3960 ft². The design and decor are mostly traditional Polynesian; airy and with lots of wood. You will have a large bedroom(s) with a super comfortable King size bed, seating, closet space and a giant flat screen TV. The lounge areas have comfy sofas, another TV and a mini bar, and outside there is lots of deck space with lounging, seating and dining furniture, outdoor showers and, in the case of the overwater bungalows, private access to the water. The bathrooms are suitably luxurious, and large, too. There you have a rainfall shower, a deep bath to sink into and a choice of exotic bath salts and other pampering products. Another very nice feature is that all the overwater bungalows are equipped with glass floor panels in the hallway, living room and bathroom which allows some gorgeous glimpses into life under the water below. The overwaters come in various levels and prices as you will see on the booking page with the top of the range being their Royal Villas which are really quite magnificent and, surprisingly enough, are the only ones which have private pools on the deck. You have a private butler service at your disposal at the St. Regis and one of the best concierge teams around. They are particularly adept at arranging grand romantic gestures, for honeymoons or otherwise, via their ‘Romantic Concierge’ service, and they organize weddings too READ MORE

Why We Like it: The 5 Star celebrity haunt that is the Conrad Bora Bora Nui sits neatly in a private cove on Motu To’opua, a little islet southwest of the main island. The setting is beautiful – secluded and thoroughly romantic, and the resort really has an extra touch of class, even by Bora Bora’s high standards. It also boasts what are surely Bora Bora’s, and one of the world’s, finest overwater bungalows – their incredibly opulent Presidential Overwater Villa. Their hilltop Hina Spa has soothing treatments and tremendous panoramic views, there are four excellent dining options, a large infinity pool and pool bar, and some some lovely stretches of the purest of white sands. The Conrad is family friendly; it has its own Kid’s Club, but overall the atmosphere is one of romance and relaxed, indulgent tranquility. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: They have a total of 114 accommodation units at the Conrad, with a choice between overwater, beach and garden. The Conrad, in its previous incarnation as a Hilton, was the first resort in Bora Bora to offer the now ubiquitous overwater bungalows and these are of course as plush and opulent as you may imagine. They all offer lots of space too, with the smallest on offer covering around 1200 ft². They have sleek and stylish interiors, king size beds and wall to wall sliding doors opening out to a large deck where you have direct access to the sea, lounging and dining furniture and an outdoor shower. Some, the ‘Pool Villas’, also come with an infinity plunge pool and overwater catamaran style hammock nets to sink into. The crème de la crème of their overwater bungalows are the two Presidential Overwater Villas. They are absolutely stunning two story overwater palaces, probably the finest in Bora Bora. These are where celebs, the likes of the Kardashians, stay when in town. Feast your eyes here. The Conrad’s Beach Villas though are also quite special and compare well to the overwaters. Sitting on the beach, just feet from the water, they boast the same luxurious qualities and come with infinity style plunge pools as standard, overlooking the sand READ MORE

Why We Like it: All-inclusive resorts can tend to fall short when it comes to real luxury but Ozen Maadhoo is the Maldives’ finest example of how to get it right. It is a fabulous place: the setting is stunning, as is the accommodation, there is a generous supply of top quality food and drink and, if staying more than 4 nights, complimentary activities to enjoy too – spa treatments, scuba diving and a meal at the resort’s very special underwater restaurant, just to give you an idea. All that plus tremendously high levels of service make Ozen All Inclusive excellent value compared to other similar resorts in the Maldives. Water Villas & Other Accommodation: You have a choice of classic water villas and beach villas here, ranging in size from 85 m² to 285 m². They are all doubles, with king size bed and a sofa bed in the lounge area if needed, with the exception of the large ‘Beach Pool Pavillion‘, which has two bedrooms – a master bedroom and one twin bedroom. The water villas are a classically romantic choice with direct access to the water and with uninterrupted views as far as the eye can see. They also all have, amongst other luxury features, glass floor panels in the living room and standalone ellipse-shaped bathtubs which open up to the outside via sliding doors. The standard villas will not disappoint but the ‘Water Villas with Private Pool‘ are the pick of the bunch, having 1205 sq ft/112 sq meters of space and a nice infinity-style plunge pool on the outside deck. The beachside villas may not have that but they all have a private pool as standard and across the accommodation choices the interior design and decor is crisp and smart with sleek furniture, bright fabrics and tasteful art pieces. Modern luxury hotel facilities are standard too with AC, WiFi, flat-screen cable TV, Segafredo coffee machines and free mini bars that are generously restocked twice a day. The service is top quality at this resort and you will have room service, a private butler and concierge services throughout your stay. Water Villa Prices: Check out all READ MORE

Why We Like it: One of three overwater bungalow resorts near Cancun, Mexico – the others being the nearby Banyan Tree Mayakoba and Palafitos El Dorado resorts – Rosewood Mayakoba shares the same serene Caribbean coast setting along with high quality accommodation, service and facilities, in particular its award winning spa. It is a sophisticated resort and though it attracts a very much high end clientele, there is little in the way of snootiness. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly throughout. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: The resort has 129 sleek and modern suites and villas of varying sizes from 780 sq. ft. to 1500 sq. ft, all of which come with an array of luxury facilities and the very finest interior design. They have a sleek and classy modern design, and a real sense of luxury. Features include private plunge pools, spacious open plan bathrooms with bathtubs, indoor and outdoor showers, walk in closets and a separate lounge area with seating and dining space. Facilities include WiFi, Satellite TV, DVD player, iPod docks, Bose music systems, personal butlers and 24 hour room service. The bungalows are adults only, though the rest of the resort is family friendly, they have a maximum occupancy of two and feel very spacious indeed with 977 sq. ft. of interior space and 498 sq. ft. of private terrace outside which includes an infinity style plunge pool (that can be heated, rather unnecessarily perhaps). Prices & Availability Check out all the details at Trip.com here or at Expedia.com here. Resort Facilities & Things to Do: Though the overwater bungalows at Rosewood Mayakoba, like in most places, are adults only, the resort itself is family friendly, there is in fact a kids club, and children can be accommodated in the other suites and villas. There are a number of fantastic restaurants to choose from here; Caso del Lago serves Italian with a Mexican twist, Agave Azul mainly does Asian influenced seafood dishes. Punta Bonita is a Mexican bistro while the cool Aqui Mi Quedo serves Mexican and Caribbean street food, has a casual bar like atmosphere, and is adults only. La Fondita is a Mexico City READ MORE

Why We Like it: Banana Island is an island paradise just off the coast of Doha which is home to Qatar’s only overwater bungalows, and one of only two overwater bungalow resorts in the Gulf region (the other being the Palm Resort in Dubai). All are three bedroom units and cover a full 2370 sq. feet/220 sq. meters, so for sheer scale alone they are very impressive. They are also nicely designed, sleek and very luxurious, as you might well expect from one of Qatar’s finest luxury resorts. Banana Island has a very highly rated spa and wellness center, commonly thought of as the country’s best, seven restaurants to choose from and a host of leisure and sports activities both land and water based including golf, tennis, ten pin bowling, scuba diving, snorkeling, boating, fishing, etc. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: They have a good range of accommodation choices all of which are spacious and luxurious. Even their cheapest rooms will be at least 500 sq. feet and display high levels of comfort and more than a touch of class. Pride of place though of course goes to their fabulous overwater villas. They are as mentioned enormous with three bedrooms centered around a central living area, which has a giant TV and lounging and dining areas, leading out to a very spacious and well furnished terrace which also includes a private plunge pool. Their sleek bathrooms are noteworthy and come with especially inviting curved bath tubs. Each has also a small kitchen/kitchenette area which, though not a deal breaker of course, may disappoint somewhat, especially when the rest of the villa is so bold and grand. They come with a microwave oven, fridge and pod coffee maker. There are only 11 overwater villas in total at Banana Island and they can be booked out. If that’s the case the rest of the accommodation doesn’t have to be such a downgrade, our favorite alternative in such a case would be the ‘Two Bedroom luxury Sea View Pool Villa’. Note: Banana Island is an alcohol free resort. Note 2: All couples must present a marriage certificate on check-in.  Overwater Bungalow Prices: Check READ MORE

Why We Like it: Sun Siyam Iru Fushi is an award-winning 5-star all inclusive with water villas on a stunning private island in The Maldives’ Noonu Atoll. The resort has a great reputation for family vacations, winning the World Travel Awards’ category of Best Family Resort in the Indian Ocean three years running from 2016 to 2019, while also being nominated multiple times for the world’s best family resort. It is also though a popular place for a romantic getaway – this being the Maldives adults/couples dominate anyway, there are also dedicated adults only zones and the resort is large enough to find plenty of space for rest, relaxation and romance. It offers various options – b&b, half board, full board and all inclusive. For a multiple award winning, 5 star resort in The Maldives Sun Siyam Iru Fushi is pleasantly very reasonably priced, with the all inclusive being overall the best value package. Water Villas & Other Accommodation: It has a nice choice of accommodation on offer, villa style, around the beach or overwater. All of them fit a maximum of two adults and two children up to the age of 12. They are all as plush and comfortable as you might expect from a 5 star private island paradise with sleek interiors and a nice sense of open space both inside and out, though some may deem the water villas too close to each other careful design means that even on their outside terrace they are still very private. The pick of their Maldives over water villas is very much the ‘Infinity Water Villa with Separate Living Room’, all 1668 square feet/155 square meters of it. It, as the name suggests features a separate lounge area and an infinity pool on the terrace. The others are smaller, though none of them could be accused of being too small – your most basic choice will still be over 900 square feet/85 square meters and though won’t have a private pool it will still have either a semi-open bathroom with a photo-worthy spa bath overlooking the sea, or a jacuzzi on the terrace. All their water villas also come with those READ MORE

Why We Like it: The couples-only Sandals Royal Caribbean, near Montego Bay and just minutes from Sangster International Airport, was the very first overwater bungalow resort in Jamaica and indeed the first in the entire region. The concept was an immediate success and the Sandals company soon followed it with more bungalows at Sandals South Coast (also in Jamaica) and in their branch in St. Lucia. Sandals Royal Caribbean though was the ground breaker, or well…water breaker, in this region and its standards have been extremely high from the beginning. It is a high end luxury, all inclusive paradise with a private island (where the overwater bungalows are to be found), top of the range facilities, superb food and drink, and consistently excellent service. It also has a tremendous location: getting to most overwater bungalow resorts usually involves a fairly long journey from the nearest airport but here you are, tantalizingly, just minutes (via the resort’s private shuttle) away. Overwater Bungalows: They have a great range of accommodation to choose from; hotel rooms, suites and over the water accommodation offering varying levels of space and luxury to suit most budgets. Their beautiful overwater bungalows, attached to a gorgeous little private island, have set the standards high from the very beginning. They have a tangible sense of luxury, are sleek, modern and spacious (just over 1,100 square feet), and come with outdoor terraces, infinity plunge pools, large glass floor panels, romantic spa style bathrooms with bathtubs, a wealth of modern facilities and 24 hour room service with an exclusive in-room dining menu. Those with the infinity plunge pools will cost you quite a bit extra but they are also more spacious. Prices & Availability: Check out all the details and compare prices at the resort’s own website (Sandals) here, at Expedia.com here and at Booking.com here. Note: Like most luxury overwater bungalows in the Caribbean the overwater bungalows at Sandals Royal Caribbean are incredibly sought after – you should really reserve your stay as soon as possible. You are allowed free cancellation on most bookings.  Last Minute Deals? In order to fill gaps in occupancy (if they have any) due to cancellations READ MORE

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. Dreamoverwater may be compensated if you make a purchase via certain outbound links but at absolutely no extra cost to you the visitor. Why We Like it: W Maldives is a sophisticated 5-star, private (heart-shaped!) island resort with cutting-edge design and facilities. It is a ‘Luxury Playground’ which receives its fair share of international celebs and all in all is a glamorous and fun place to hang out. Facilities include high-quality restaurants and bars, a sublime sauna & fitness center, and a water sports & dive center. The resort sits by what is considered the best house reef in the Maldives and you can admire a huge amount of sea life direct from your water villa: reef sharks, angel fish, stingrays and glow-in-the-dark plankton and jellyfish for example. Water Villas & Other Accommodation: Most of the accommodation units at W Maldives are overwater bungalows. Their entry-level overwater villas are termed as Fabulous Overwater Oasis and Spectacular Lagoon Oasis. Entry level or not these are incredible places to stay and could be marketed as pretty much presidential suites in a lot of other resorts less extravagant than W Maldives. They are sleek and stylish, and cover 1570 square feet/146 square meters of space which includes one double bedroom, a lounge with glass floor panels, bathroom and an outside terrace which has lounging space, a plunge pool and direct access to the water below. The only difference as far as we could see between these two is that the ‘Spectacular Lagoon Oasis’ has an overwater hammock on the terrace and the ‘Fabulous Overwater Oasis’ doesn’t. For such a minor difference you’d expect them to be priced very similarly but for some reason, as you will see on the booking page, the Spectacular Lagoon Oasis will cost you a couple of hundred dollars more per night. Nice feature but definitely not worth that much more. Then on to the Vice Presidential and Presidential Overwater Villas. These are jaw dropping two bedroom units which are enormously spacious, the former being 3476 square feet/323 square meters and the latter a full 5295 square feet/492 square meters. They share the READ MORE

Why We Like it: First opening its doors in May 2019, Royalton Antigua is an all inclusive resort that is home to Antigua’s only overwater bungalows. The resort offers opulence and luxury and has a choice setting on the clear, calm waters of Antigua’s Deep Bay, less than twenty minutes from St. John’s, and a half an hour from V. C. Bird International Airport. Having been recently (late 2021) acquired by the Marriott Hotel group, you can expect it, little by little, to become one of Antigua’s most sought after resorts. Overwater Bungalows & Other Accommodation: The accommodation choices are many, with of course the over water villas taking pride of place. They cover a full 1442 square feet and have king size bedrooms, lounges (with sofa bed), dining areas and gorgeous outdoor terraces overlooking the Caribbean. They are also sleek, sophisticated and luxurious. Expect private infinity plunge pools, jacuzzis, glass floor viewing panels, private butlers and 24 hour room service as well as in-room aromatherapy, satellite TV, top of the range music systems, complimentary IPTV movie selections, twice daily re-stocked minibars and a pillow menu for example. The other accommodation choices are a mixture of suites in different locations around the private beach and all of them share the same sleek interiors and modern luxury features. They can all sleep up to four but are generally smaller than the overwater bungalows which have over 1,100 square feet (106 square meters) of space. Note: Children (under 13) are not allowed to stay in the overwater bungalows, hence we have placed The Royalton in the Adults Only category. In all the other accommodation though children are welcome. Prices & Availability: Check out the details at Trip.com here, Expedia.com here or on the resort’s own website (Marriott) here. Note: Like all luxury overwater bungalows in the Caribbean those at Royalton Antigua are extremely sought after – you should really reserve your stay as soon as possible. You are allowed free cancellation on most bookings.   Resort Facilities & Things to Do: The resort has seven restaurants in total, with complimentary in-room private dinner and drinks service also available. The choice of food is enormous READ MORE

Why We Like it: The 5 Star, adults only Anatara Veli Resort has 67 chic overwater bungalows in a sublime setting just half an hour by speedboat from Mali’s International Airport. The location is more private and secluded than other water villa resorts in The Maldives, and is very much designed for romantic getaways. It is still though just a two-minute speedboat shuttle to the busier (& family-friendly) Anantara Dhigu Resort across the lagoon. There you’ll find a broad range of facilities and entertainment; restaurants, bars, shops, water sports etc. Antara Veli also has facilities of its own though with tennis courts, a fitness center, an outdoor spa and three very fine restaurants serving Japanese, Thai and international food at your doorstep. The service here is consistently impeccable, and you are allowed as much, or as little, interaction with staff and other guests as you would like. Water Villas & Other Accommodation: You can choose between a classic water villa/overwater bungalow on the lagoon or an ocean bungalow set on a secluded cliff edge overlooking the ocean. All the accommodation choices are doubles and all come with a suitably grand king size bed. Your choices among the water villas are: ‘standard’ 62 m² units with an outdoor sun deck and direct access to the lagoon, deluxe units which have about 30 m² of extra space plus some very special open-air bathrooms with terrazzo bathtubs overlooking the lagoon. The ‘superior’ water villas go a step further with a plunge pool overlooking the lagoon and a full 125 m² of space over two floors. Finally, there are the ‘Ocean Bungalows’, not overwater bungalows per se but their position on the edge of a small, secluded cliff directly over the ocean grants them a similar feel. They are broadly similar too in layout, and in size, to the superior overwater bungalows, also having that lovely plunge pool, but this time overlooking the Indian Ocean. All the accommodation choices are B&B and have a pleasing array of modern facilities; air-con, WiFi, cable TV, music system, refrigerator, coffee maker, mini-bar (with private wine collection), bathtub, rainfall shower, walk-in closets, yoga mats etc. plus plenty of lounging READ MORE