It has been about 20 months since we visited CuisinArt so this review won't account for any changes that may have taken place since then. When we travel we generally like to stay at small boutique properties that offer serenity, relaxation, and attentive but unobtrusive service. We were a bit concerned about CuisinArt before we visited because it is a bit larger than the norm for us, but reviews on TripAdvisor described the amenities to be consistent with those we desire despite the larger size. We were not disappointed.

We knew we were dealing with quality service even before we arrived. We missed the last ferry of the day from St. Martin by 5 minutes and thought we were going to have to wait until the next day to get over to Anguilla. But we called CuisinArt to find out what we should do. They couldn't have been more helpful - they told us there was a Jazz Festival on island and that some of the musicians were coming in by charter boat later that night and that we may be able to convince ($$) the captain to take us as well. It all worked out fine, and although we arrived very late we were very warmly greeted with cocktails and helpful staff. We could not see the property all that well since it was dark out, but the areas that were lit, mainly the common areas and pathways, we're beautiful - very luxurious and well landscaped. We were escorted to our oceanfront Junior Suite and upon entering the room we continued to be delighted. Very beautiful and clean with great attention to detail and comfort..... and huge! Very spacious and sparkling shower and bath area! The bed was amazingly comfortable. There was a very comfortable sitting area with a large TV (not that you need a TV here) and a reasonably sized balcony overlooking, and very close to, the beach/sea. We decided to leave the sliding doors open (they are screened) so we could sleep to the relaxing sound of the gentle waves. We enjoyed this so much that, although we used AC when we were in the room during the day, we slept with the doors open every night. It was cool enough and the breezes were fantastic.

The next day we got to really see the resort. Often darkness hides some of the less attractive aspects of a place, but not at CuisinArt. The entire property was beautifully manicured and maintained.... and the beach is to die for! Soft white sand and crystal clear water with gentle surf just a few short steps from the room. If you like long walks on the beach you won't be disappointed here as CuisinArt sits on a section of a very long and beautiful crescent of beach surrounding Rendezvous Bay. CuisinArt beach was fairly crowded, but not so much that each group or couple didn't have their own space, and if you wanted more space and privacy all you needed to do was move away from the center part of the the beach near the buildings . Beach service from lounge/umbrella set up, to towel service, to drink service (we were never without a bottle of ice cold water or other cold beverage) was fantastic - among the best of any place we have been.

The spa was also a treat - we did a couples massage and some individual treatments - and highly recommended to help unwind. We only used the main pool a few times briefly (it was hard to pull ourselves away from that fantastic beach!) but it was nice, large, and uncrowded for the most part. If there was any complaint at all it would be that the pool is very close to the open air restaurant and back lobby areas so there is less privacy than we prefer.

We were really looking forward to the dining (we are admittedly food snobs) as it is supposed to be a highlight of CuisinArt. While the food was outstanding and fresh at all meals, we generally did not find it to be a "palate altering" experience (perhaps our expectations were too high), especially as compared to the some of the finer St. Martin/Grand Case restaurants. Service was mostly good, but a little spotty, and wait staff were all very friendly. They have a good wine list as well.

While CuisinArt is fantastic and it would be very easy to never leave the resort, we do recommend taking at least one day to explore the island and also venturing out to some other restaurants. Recommendations are as follows:
- There are many beautiful beaches on Anguilla, but right up there with Rendezvous Bay as our favorite is Shoal Bay on the North East part of the island. Simply spectacular!
- Take the short boat ride out to Scilly Cay for lunch, it is an experience..... (note: beware the rum punch - it is legendary but limit consumption because it is also sneaky strong)
- We didn't dine "out" as much as we probably should have, but we did find 2 very good options - Mango's and Straw Hat.

We will absolutely return to CuisinArt. It easily makes our top 10 list.

We just came back from 10 glorious days at the Cuisinart and we miss it already! The Cuisinart itself is a beautiful hotel with lush gardens. The rooms are very spacious and the balcony is amazing with views of the turqoise water and St. Martin. We enjoyed our breakfast every morning there just taking in the serenity. Unlike other reviews, we had a very positive experience with staff. They went out of their way to please their guests. Managers were very visible asking if we needed anything. They did not allow you to lift a finger for anything!

There are two restaurants at this resort. Cafe Mediterrano and Santorini. We ate a few lunches at Mediterrano which were good but did not eat at Santorini as some of the other guests said it wasn't worth it. We did however, have the lobster buffet which is available every Tuesday night. It was great but be aware that the lobsters that they serve here and all over the island are Anguillian Spiny lobsters which taste different than Maine lobsters. Most of the time we ate dinner off the property as there are so many fine restaurants in Anguilla.

The Cuisinart is set on beautiful Rendezvous bay. Rendezvous bay is a long stretch of beach - about 2 miles which makes it a great walking beach. Beach chairs and umbrellas were plentiful whatever time you came down to the beach (none of that waking up early to get chairs!) Unfortunately, the beach in front of the Cuisinart is very windy and waves tend to pick up. Since we are beach people, we were not very happy when after five days into our vacation we could not sit on the beach. The sand storms made it impossible that we had to go to the pool. Sometimes we walked down to the Rendezvous bay hotel to swim where the water was calm and other times we just drove to Maunday's bay. This is what we liked about Anguilla, if beach conditions were not good at one location, you can find another! We absolutely loved Maunday's Bay which is the beach that Cap Jaluca sits on. There was less wind and the water was just like a swimming pool! Shoal Bay east was also beautiful and calm but our favorite was Maunday's Bay.

Overall we had a truly excellent stay and I would definately return to the Cuisinart! As I stated before, the resort is heavenly with great service but if you are beach lovers you might consider staying somewhere where the wind and water are less of a problem. Before booking the Cuisinart, I read many posts and did a lot of research on this site. I was aware about the wind problem but chose the Cuisinart due to the great reviews and the fact that it was a newer property. Next time, I think we will try Cap Juluca just because of the beautiful beach. I did not see their rooms but hopefully they will be remodeled by next year.

Hope this was helpful!

My wife and I decided to celebrate our 10 year anniversary with a long weekend away from the kids. We went away in January (just the 2 of us again) and decided to go to Grace Bay Club in Turks & Caicos that time, with Anguilla coming in second place. When we decided to go away again, Anguilla was a no-brainer this time around. When booking, I had it down to Cuisinart & Cap Juluca. Fortunately for us, Cap Juluca was booked for a wedding so the decision was made for us. After visiting Cap Juluca, we're thinking about sending the couple that was married there a gift. As far as we're concerned, Cuisinart was far superior. The pool was magnificent and offered a wonderful view of both the Carribean and St. Maarten. On the other hand, the pool at Cap Juluca reminded me of one you would see in a cheap LA apartment complex. In addition, our room was amazing. We had a 3rd floor Junior Suite and the view was wonderful, the space was more than adequate, the bathroom was spacious and the shower had a great open air feeling with a ton of natural light. Breakfast every morning was very good; however, a little more variety would have been welcome. My wife and I utilized the gym which was very well equipped and the spa (we did a couples' massage and she also got a facial which she raved about). What we loved at Cuisinart were the grounds. Walkways with vegetation, bocce courts, little gazebos - all made for a wonderful place to call home for 5 days. We think the addition of hammocks would be a good move. The beach was also incredible. The staff is attentive - from bringing towels and drinks to afternoon sorbet, they would get whatever you want. Cuisinart does have a weird policy that you can't eat at the pool - but I guess it helps keep it in pristine condition. Also, we loved the happy hour down by the beach. My man Garvey works a mean blender! We also took the hydroponic farm tour which was very cool. The quality of the food starts with this farm. We walked around it and I was pulling tomatoes off the vine and wrapping them in fresh basil. Incredible! On that note, the food at the resort was excellent. We had the lobster buffet the first night which was excellent, ate lunch most days at the resort when taking a break from the beach - the paninis and pizza were all good as was the seafood. As far as activities go, we kept busy. We didn't like the fact that Cuisinart offers a catamaran trip only on Wednesdays so we asked around and met a couple that hired their own boat. We hooked up with Ritz and his boat Footprints and he took us and another couple snorkeling, sight seeing, and for lunch at the Prickly Pear. Well worth the time and money - especially if you can find another couple. Ritz charges the same price for 2 or 4 so it pays to make friends! We had a great time and would highly recommend Ritz. I played golf next door at Temenos and I've been on courses all over the world and this ranks up near the top. With no exaggeration, I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON THE COURSE! I was done in a little more than 2:30. There were very view divot marks anywhere on the fairways, tee boxes, etc. It is a magnificent course that doesn't get any action. I guess the $415 in season rate will do that! It is considerably less in the offseason. We also rented a car for 2 days and went exploring. We found Little Bay which had some good snorkeling and hit some local shops. If you're not into exploring, you definitely don't need a car. As far as dining goes, we ate at the hotel the first night at the lobster buffet, then on to Blanchard's, Pimm's, and Mango's. We liked all 3 - Pimm's has an amazingly romantic setting and we really liked it there. Overall, it was an amazing trip. We loved the Anguillan people and everything about the island. Cuisinart to us was the perfect place to go and we will certainly return.

This is the best resort in the Carribean. My wife and I had the most wonderful relaxing week vacation ever. Service was perfect the staff was friendly and attentive. The only negative is the amount of people from the New York metropolitan area. They constantly complain about everything, are loud and bring their small children. Nobody wants you there go home!! I would not recommend bringing children at all there is honestly nothing for them to do. This is a place for couples to have a romantic getaway. Leave the kids with grandma.