I just returned from a wonderful stay at Carimar Beach Club (I have stayed there before) and I was so impressed with the beautiful condition of the resort- the addition of more flowers on the property and how lovely the landscaping is. The great staff at Carimar are always so pleasant and helpful. Mead's Bay Beach is just beautiful, the ultimate walking beach. The constant updating and improvements make Carimar an ideal vacation location. As I like to try out new restaurants, I especially like that I can either walk to some excellent restaurants or drive a short distance to enjoy some of the best dining in the Caribbean. I had an Oceanview Suite and loved the view. I will return to Carimar and recommend it to anyone.

Joyce Nelson, Peabody, MA

Decent spot, well kept for an older place with no a/c other than bedroom. Bedroom a/c was not too cool. Try for upper room near beach. Cannot believe so many gave 5 stars. Good value and beach is tremendous. Rating hotel not beach though. Did not find staff friendly. Blanchards next door was great for lunch. Mahi blt was spectacular.

Spent three nights (July'12) and what a lovely experience. Beautiful long beach setting, well-decorated & appointed condo-like 2 bedroom with a full kitchen. People are most helpful and attentive to your needs. A comfortable, tasteful, and colorful condo type experience. The entire resort is so well-maintained that it looks brand new. (We drove to the Anguilla Guest House which we briefly considered and were so glad we did our research and chose not to stay there. It looks pretty bad. And for a bit more you could get heaven.) Meads Bay easily rivals Shoal Bay/Beach as the best beach. But there are so many great beaches. Overall, though an expensive island, Carimar was a good value: a high-end choice for a modest level budget. (for Anguilla, that is) Though many cite the fact that the bedrooms are the only rooms that are air-conditioned as a negative, we didn't find it an issue. The island receives strong breezes, even in July, and is noticeably cooler than St. Martin. The mornings are cool, perfect to enjoy a balcony or dining room breakfast, if you choose. And generally there are amply screens windows and doors when you are in. The A/C works very well at night. Would, and want to, return.

We spent 3 nights at the Carimar and 3 nights on St. Martin. If I had to do it again, I'd have spent 4-5 nights at the Carimar and 1-2 nights in St. Maarten. For a family vacation, the fact that you get two bed rooms, the living area, and the full kitchen is very convenient. Every morning we had breakfast on the patio and would then head to the beach, which for the most part we had to ourselves. The lack of air conditioning in the living area wasn't really missed and as others have said, it is now standard in the bedrooms and allows for a good night's sleep.

The staff was very friendly and helpful. At check-in I mentioned that we had reserved a car with Avis. They went ahead and called Avis and arranged for them to deliver (and later pick up) the car at the hotel, saving me both time and cab fare. Our maid taught us how to fry plantains and one day brought us a freshly picked papaya.

As others have said, the Meads Bay is superb. The hotel provides the lounge chairs and umbrellas, towels, and snorkel gear. Plus you're just a short walk to Blanchard's, the Straw Hat etc. With a car (highly recommended) your an easy drive from many more places.

In brief, the Carimar allows you to get away from it all, but not too far away.

Just a couple of other tidbits: We were advised to not drink the tap water, but to buy bottled water at the grocery store. (The hotel starts you off with a large free bottle in the fridge). When you visit the nearby grocery store to buy that water don't freak out over the prices as they are in EC$'s ($110 EC = $41 USD = breakfast for the four of us for three days). I didn't think about getting a GPS with the car and for the most part didn't need one, but we did get hopelessly lost trying to find Limestone Bay. Eat at at least once at B&D's barbeque. Get your morning coffee and fresh pastries at Geraud's (10 minute drive).