The Hottest Hotels for a Sun Drenched Holiday
If your last vacation ended with a tan and an existential crisis about why you ever came home, this one’s for you. Island time is calling, and there’s a fresh wave of newly opened resorts and jaw-dropping renovations making a very convincing case for disappearing into vacation mode.
These properties aren’t just pretty, they’re perfectly timed. The kind of places that remind you how good room service tastes after a swim, and how little you miss your inbox when you’re off-grid.
From understated luxury in Costa Rica to breezy indulgence in Aruba, Marriott International’s luxury brands are serving up sunny suites (and maybe a crisp cocktail) with your name on them. Each one brings its own flavor, but they’re all fluent in the language of vacation.
Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
“Barefoot luxury” gets tossed around a lot. Nekajui actually means it. Tucked into Costa Rica’s wild and wonderful Peninsula Papagayo, this Ritz-Carlton Reserve is what happens when you pair pristine coastline with polished, whisper-level service. It’s secluded, spoiled, and basically the luxury version of going off-grid (without having to give up Wi-Fi).
W Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
W Hotels don’t do subtle—and we wouldn’t want them to. W Punta Cana is full-on tropical swagger, set along the Dominican Republic’s sugar-soft sand. Think punchy colors, beachy bites, DJ sets, and infinity pools that beg for late checkouts. It’s giving main character energy in the best way.
St. Regis Punta Cana
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
St. Regis just arrived in Punta Cana, and let’s just say: she understood the assignment. This is where you retreat after your beachfront wedding or just when your inner minimalist demands fresh sheets and a butler who anticipates your every whim. (Don’t worry, the champagne sabering made the move, too.)
St. Regis Aruba
Palm Beach, Aruba
If you thought Aruba couldn’t get any dreamier, the St. Regis just raised the bar. Perched on a private stretch of Palm Beach, this address is all modern elegance with that breezy Caribbean ease. Translation: your SPF has never worked this hard.
Almare, a Luxury Collection All-Inclusive Resort
Isla Mujeres
All-inclusive can mean a lot of things. In this case, it means private island vibes without the effort of being marooned. Almare brings Luxury Collection standards to Isla Mujeres—so you’ll get the mezcal cocktail, the beachfront suite, and a level of polish that reminds you why you booked through your travel advisor in the first place.
Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
This newcomer in Guanacaste offers everything you want from a Costa Rica retreat—spa, surf, ceviche—without the overdone eco-resort clichés. Salterra makes sustainability feel sexy (finally), and its blend of nature-meets-nurture just might get you to skip that return flight.
Whether you’re in it for the infinity pool or the pre-dinner massage, the newest crop of Marriott hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America is giving us every excuse to chase the sun. And while each of these spots brings its own spin on paradise, they’ve got one thing in common: they’re really good at making vacation feel like an art form.
Ready to go? Your travel advisor knows how to make it happen—suite upgrades and all.
