Zemi Beach House

Zemi Beach House sits on Anguilla’s Shoal Bay, which is just as idyllic as it sounds: on one side there’s sugar-white sand, on the other there’s acres of forest, including the pristine Fountain Cavern National Park.

The beautiful rooms, suites and villas have a luxurious, contemporary style with natural touches, with the use of wicker furniture, rugged wooden furniture, marble countertops and wall art depicting scenes from the natural world. All feature personalised Caribbean mini-bars and private furnished balconies, many looking out to the Caribbean Sea, while the ultra-luxe Penthouse Suites have rooftop terraces with private plunge pools.

The 20 Knots restaurant has a suitably maritime menu, with fresh seafood offerings including grilled mahi mahi, spiny lobster and shrimp skewers. There’s also burgers, steaks and tacos, while the breakfast menu includes fresh fruit, pastries and cold cuts alongside frittatas, churros and quesadillas, and you can enjoy multi-course barbecues on the beach, accompanied by live Caribbean entertainment. The gourmet Stone restaurant is inspired by Anguillian cuisine, with dishes like tuna tataki and pan-seared mahi.

The Shoal Bay Zemi Beach Club offers exotic cocktails by the swaying palm trees and the sea, while in the elegant Rhum Room, Zemi’s ‘rummelier’ will talk you through the best rums from the Caribbean and Latin America at regular tasting sessions, selected from more than 100 small-batch, single-estate rums. 

The Zemi Thai House Spa is a beautiful space, inspired by traditional wooden Thai architecture, with a hammam and treatments that reflect international wellness traditions, from Balinese healing programmes to Indian head and shoulder massage, with a relaxation deck overlooking the beach. Early-morning yoga is also on offer, while there are no fewer than three swimming pools to choose from, including a gorgeous infinity pool with panoramic bay views.

The lovely Fountain Cavern National Park is right next to the hotel, where you can discover petroglyphs (rock artworks) created by indigenous Arawak people, which date from around 300 AD. Take in the scenery on a coast-to-coast nature trail, and out on the water, go stand-up paddle boarding, beach volleyball and snorkelling, and enjoy a leisurely sunset cruise, where you may be lucky enough to spot the elusive ‘green flash’ on the horizon as the sun dips into the sea.