L’Esplanade
This lovely, beautifully managed small hotel is located a minutes walk from Octopus Diving in Grand Case. Along with its sister hotel, Le Petit — located directly on Grand Case Beach — it’s easily one of the most pleasant places to stay on the entire island. Everything is wonderfully maintained. With a collection of suites set on a steeply sloping hillside above the village of Grand Case, it almost has the feel of a boutique inn in the French Alps.
Flowered vines frame terraces with gorgeous views of the village and sea below. The resort is connected by a network of steps and terraced gardens, and cascades of bougainvillea drape white walls accented with hand-painted tiles and blue slate roofs. The lovely pool is just steps down the hill, and access to a beach is via a 6-minute walk on a winding pathway. There’s no restaurant, but you can order a delicious lunch prepared by a local cook at the pool bar; in any case, the village of Grand Case is famous for its fine restaurants in the Caribbean.
All guest rooms have private terraces that angle out toward the sea and the sun setting behind Anguilla. Each individually decorated unit contains a kitchen with up-to-date cookware, Italian porcelain tile floors, beamed ceilings, plasma-screen TVs, DVDs, mahogany and wicker furniture, and very comfortable queen- or king-size beds (many four-poster). Slate and tumbled marble bathrooms are beautifully equipped. The loft suites on the upper floors are worth the extra charge — they include a sofa bed downstairs, an upstairs master bedroom with a king-size bed, and a partial bathroom downstairs. The cordial owners, Marc and Kristin Petrelluzzi have completely redone each suite; additional, even posher villas are in the works.
Facilities:
Bar (winter season); outdoor pool; car rental; boutique; babysitting; laundry service; rooms for those w/limited mobility
