Carimar is an unusual "resort". It is high quality without being pretentious. The accommodations are perfect for a beach vacation. The pristine ocean is literally steps away, the beach as lovely as you will find anywhere, and restaurants are either a short beach walk away, or short drive. The beach (Meads Bay) itself is considered the best Anguilla has to offer, which is saying a lot given that there are several island beaches to explore. What is unique about Carimar begins with the staff: friendly, helpful, and patient. They will oversee your reservation needs, car rental, ferry and boat rentals, etc. All you need to do is relax. The property itself is carefully maintained. There is a real gym, and good tennis courts. Housekeeping is consistently attentive and thorough. Everything works without stress. Simply splendid. Anguilla itself is slightly off the major tourist route. Yes, there are several luxurious resorts, but the island itself is not overrun by overwrought vacationers or the celebrity set, thank goodness. There are numerous restaurants that will delight: the Carimar will assist with reservations. This is our second consecutive year at Carimar. After numerous winter trips in search of a welcoming location, we feel we have discovered a special winter getaway, far from the maddening crowd. …
I stayed at this hotel with a group of four people in July 2022.. We had all been to Anguilla before and stayed at a variety of other hotels between us and decided to try something different for this trip together which was for a milestone birthday. We had booked our trip months earlier -- two 2 bedroom beachfront villa units so we weren't cramming ourselves into one unit. We requested at time of booking that we be placed side by side or closeby each other (prefer ground floor) as we were travelling as a group. We were told, which I acknowledge, that you cannot request any specific unit. Over the course of months where we received communication from Carimar office we always politely reminded them that we were travelling as a group, though we were on two separate reservations. To make a very long and needlessly aggravating story short, They put us in units that were on complete opposite sides of the hotel complex. They identified one of the units as the "better of the two" which we promptly gave to the birthday girl. This room (604) was directly beside the vacant lot which now has the beginnings of a structure on it (and you guessed it construction all day, every day even weekends). We spoke to the front office on our second day and discussed our concerns--being so far away from each other and the ongoing construction noise. Cindy at the front desk said that they were told the guy was finished his work (the building had just started-perhaps she could leave her office and see for herself) and that we were to have been put it the unit underneath each other but there was a problem with one of the showers. We said we would be ok with them locking the faulty bathroom door and just share the one bathroom. It was most important to us to be close together. Cindy said this was not possible because the guys needed to work on fixing the bathroom to get the unit useable ASAP. (Note that we saw no workers in the unit for the duration of our stay). She reluctantly agreed to look to see if there were any other options for us to move, even off beachfront, just so we could be closer together and away from the construction (which had woken one of the people in our party up at 6:45 am on our first full day of vacation). We went out for the day and were cautiously optimistic they would come up with a reasonable solution by the time we returned to our rooms at the end of the day. However, No message was left on the phone and no note in the room. Next morning the gentleman in the room beside us said goodbye over the balcony. We waited to see if front desk would present this as a solution to our group that was in the unit adjacent to the construction but when no communication was forthcoming one of us went to the front desk to discuss the situation. To make an aggravating story short, it was made abundantly clear that Cindy had no intention of offering us this unit or any other to us. However, after much heated discussion she permitted the move. Why was it necessary that we waste what should have been relaxing vacation time together getting so upset about an issue that she could ultimately fix? After this was sorted out wehad a great week and didn’t hear a word from her or anyone at the front desk. I took the time to write this review for benefit of the owners of these condo units. I am also an owner of a vacation unit and regularly check reviews to ensure that the people entrusted with my investment are doing their job and offering great service to our customers. It takes very little extra effort to greet your guests with a smile and to try to work out issues as they arise. The absolute lack of care taken with customer service is regrettably enough reason for me to unable to recommend Carimar. Yes the location is great, the units are comfortable, but there is absolutely no reason to make your customers get as upset as was necessary in order that our concerns be adequately addressed. There are plenty of other great spots to stay in Anguilla that know how to treat their customers. Because issues will come up, it’s how they are handled that provide guests with confidence in their vacation booking decisions. In conclusion, after this issue was dealt with we never heard from the front desk staff at all, including when we departed. No wish for safe travel, a smile or wave, no thank you for staying with us. Do yourself a favour and stay elsewhere until they replace their front office staff with people who actually care about their guests experience. (The housekeeping staff were so friendly and we appreciated their attention to detail and their friendly disposition) …
We really enjoyed our stay at Carimar. The beachfront unit we stayed in was clean, the beds super comfortable, and the kitchen had everything we needed. We especially liked sitting out on the balcony looking at the fantastic view. The water was turquoise, clear as glass, and the snorkeling was the best right out front, just steps from the beach. We used the gym every day. It would be great if it had a DVD player so workout DVDs could be used. The staff was great! We had a minor issue with the air conditioning and they were right on it. Housekeeping came every day and they did a terrific job. Being August, many restaurants were closed, however, we enjoyed walking next door to Leons or just cooking ourselves. We found what we needed at the Best Buy, which was close by. The setting at Carimar was beautiful and the water was one of the best we have seen in our travels. We definitely recommend Carimar for those looking for a laid back vacation .... it is not a place for a party crowd.…
Our 8th visit to Anguilla and our first time at Carimar 😎 what a beautiful piece of paradise with some of the nicest staff . We celebrated our 30th anniversary in an oceanfront room and enjoyed our complimentary champagne very much ! I loved having our own umbrella waiting for us every day . Our air worked great and the bed was so comfy . I enjoyed my early morning reading and coffee on the patio . A swooping bird loved my husband but a call to the front desk helped us get out of our room without getting attacked 😅 hoping to return soon 😍
My wife and I stayed at Carimar for our 2nd year in a row, this time for 9 nights/10 days in June/July 2022, and it was an absolutely glorious vacation. We love the resort grounds, our One-Bedroom Beachfront room and patio, the wonderful front desk ladies/staff, and the gorgeous beach/water. We simply didn’t want our vacation to end! Carimar is a lovely boutique resort located on the best Anguilla beach-Meads Bay. Yes, we were required to get Covid tests to enter the British Territories, but this time there were no wristbands and Covid-bubbles to worry with on the island-we were free to explore Anguilla the way it supposed to be discovered. The awesome front desk ladies at Carimar arranged for our Calypso Charters transportation at Blowing Point on arrival/departure, had a taxi take us to our resort, setup a rental car for us for 7 out of the 10 days of our stay, and they stocked our room with everything I asked for prior to our arrival. The front desk ladies are wonderful, extremely helpful, and they thought about everything. I’d like to give thanks to as many people as I can remember, but forgive me if I forgot or misspelled your name: Rolf, LaVerne, Cindy, Hermia, Kerri, Annette, Elicio, and Marilyn for how well you treated us during our vacation. We thank you for your hospitality! :-) Thank you Rolf for accommodating us when our unit had a water issue-your quick help in this matter meant a lot to us. Although, Carimar cannot guarantee a ground floor for the Beach Front One-Bedroom room we chose, we thank you again this year for making it happen. We absolutely loved walking straight out onto the sand and into the clear blue water each day. We also enjoyed all of the different animals that greeted us each morning. It was heaven to us!!! :-) To finish up…Carimar now feels like a second home to us, and we can’t wait to return to our new “Carimar Home” next year. -Jim & Linda Briggs…
Amazing location on one of the island’s most beautiful beaches! You can’t get any closer to the water which is like a giant swimming pool! Walking distance to great restaurants and clean, comfortable, spacious villas. The pictures can’t capture the beauty of this special place. Can’t wait to come back!
We enjoyed our stay at Carimar very much. The room was airy, spacious, clean and comfortable. It had everything we needed for our stay. We do not cook on vacation but it was useful to have a refrigerator that is actually cold, kettle, coffee maker etc. The welcome rum & coke and bottle of water was a lovely touch. The local supermarkets really have nothing much in them that we'd want to buy, except drinks. Snacks etc we brought with us. We bought breakfast pastries etc at the Village Bakery and ate out every evening & some lunches. The bedroom and living area had air conditioning but as we don't particularly like aircon unless unbearable hot, we opened the windows and had the fans running. The breeze was wonderful and certainly enough to keep the rooms cool. The windows and patio door have insect screens so we did not notice any mosquitos in the room but there were plenty outside so bring good repellent. Bathroom was modern and clean. We did not have much interaction with staff at all, only when checking in and out but they seemed friendly enough. We liked the reserved beach chairs & parasols, this is a great idea. The location is great, have been to the island a couple of times before and still favour this area. Being next to Leons & the Malliouhana on one side and Blanchards Beach Shack/Restaurant and various other restaurants all along Meads Bay makes it a perfect location. The beach is fantastic, paradise. It was easy to access the water and have a great swim or float around…
This review is very important for all to know. My husband and I were to come back in 2020 but Covid hit. We rescheduled for 2021 but there was a stay in place order for Anguilla. Due to that we rescheduled for 2022. This island is a secret to many people and my husband and I love that. The Carimar Family will accommodate you in all ways. They go above and beyond making your stay absolutely perfect! This year I am very sad to say we didn't go. Our flight was changed three times. A month ago our Saturday flight was canceled. The Carimar was there to accommodate the change to the next day, which was a Sunday. We were so very excited to go back to our home away from home. This time we were going to rent a car to make every day an exploration. The Carimar set up our rental car and our groceries, from the list I gave them. Early Sunday morning as we were getting ready, our flight was canceled. We were in shock. After working with the airline we were able for rebooking on Monday. I called the Carimar and they were right there to help us for changing our trip from Monday to Monday. All was good, had to get retested for covid. At 6 pm that night our flight was again canceled. We could have changed it again to Tuesday but we didn't because it wasn't reassuring. We both work and scheduled these day around our work. We had to cancel our trip. I am still crying when I think about it. The Carimar fully understood our situation and reimbursed the deposit. They were all so sweet and kind and compationate welcoming us back next year. The Carimar should be raited a 10 star for their hotel and their Public Relations with their guests. We hope to be seeing you soon!…
Located on the most incredible beach we have ever seen. Turquoise clear water with soft white sand. The hotel is perfect for those wanting to travel to the Carribean without over spending. Fantastic rooms. Hotel had a small gym, washing and recreation facilities which was great. Amazing touch for the hotel to reserve beach chairs to avoid any issues between guests. Recommend getting a car and driving around the island. Sandy Island was breathtaking, as is Rendezvous Bay. Easily the best beaches in the Carribean. Sunshine Shack on Rendezvous Bay had the most incredible lobster and ribs we have ever had - definitely best on the island. Blanchards Shack is also fantastic - lovely service and incredible drinks. All up Anguilla is our favourite island and doesn't have too much USA westernisation. …
After three years and three canceled trips, we returned to Carimar this May for a two week stay. It was stay number ten for us. For those not familiar with Carimar, it consists of six buildings with four units in each building. You have the option to rent a one or two bedroom unit. While we did not cook dinner, we used the kitchen to make breakfast, lunch and happy hour snacks. All the units are steps away from a beautiful section of Meads Bay. Bathrooms are beautifully updated, and the units are fully air conditioned. We used the air conditioning in the bedroom but did not need to use it in the main living area. Windows and blinds had been replaced and the entire complex recently repainted. Landscaping is lush and provided us with a number of photo opportunities. I especially loved the reserved beach set up. So nice to know where you are sitting and that your chairs and umbrellas are waiting for you whenever you get to the beach. Please make this a permanent feature! On previous trips we noticed a number of people claiming chairs early in the morning. The office staff is the best. I had a lot of questions regarding protocols and testing and they answered all my questions. The GM, Rolf, reviewed our pre-arrival Covid tests to make sure they were acceptable. The ladies in the office will make dinner reservations for you, schedule your departing Covid test, and provide concierge services. Carimar will also stock your unit with groceries prior to your arrival with advance notice. Can't forget to mention that you can place an order with the front office the night before for goodies from Village Bakehouse. Carimar always exceeds my expectations and I can't wait to return!…
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing