Royal St. Kitts Hotel

The name “Royal St. Kitts” paints a regal, old-fashioned picture, but this completely renovated property is anything but staid. The lobby is grand, with soaring skylight ceilings and square stone pillars, but that’s where the royal vibe ends, and the modern beach house minimalism begins. A lush palm garden framed with contemporary outdoor furniture (made for lounging) serves as the lobby's centerpiece. Cushions in lime green and water-blue hues and abstract oceanscapes on the walls contribute to a beachy vibe. Most guests are vacationers, but local college students sometimes come here to party and can make things noisier, particularly on weekends. Otherwise, the vibe is quiet for the most part. 

Set on a vast lake, The Royal St Kitts hotel is a 10-minute drive from Robert L Bradshaw International Airport and the island’s main bar and restaurant strip on Frigate Bay Beach. It’s also around 10 minutes by car from the Basseterre Ferry Terminal (with a regular ferry service to Nevis). It’s a two-minute walk to the Royal Beach Casino and a public beach, both of which adjoin the Marriott right across the street. Royal St. Kitts Golf Club is right next door. There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance, and a taxi stand is located across the road from the hotel -- so cabs are more or less available on demand from the front desk. 

The hotel's contemporary aesthetic flows into renovated rooms, which take on a more urban, apartment-like feel. They're decked out in modern furniture, with full open-plan kitchens and every modern luxury required for a self-catering stay. Layouts range from studios to two bedrooms (some are available for long-term stays), and kitchens are complete with gleaming stainless-steel appliances (including large refrigerators), and Keurig coffeemakers. Teal and white walls work well with dark-wood furniture in the living spaces, while kitchens add a splash of sandy yellow in tiled feature walls. Matching curtains and bed runners add more color contrast, and some bring patterned texture into the decor mix, along with the wood-grained flooring. Drum lighting and stainless propeller ceiling fans are suspended overhead, and glass sliders open up to furnished balconies, many with views of the pool, golf course, or lake. Attention to furnishing and equipment detail, down to the wooden salad bowls and servers, means guests can entertain or dine in style -- in the privacy of their hotel room. Oceanscape imagery (like that in the lobby) acknowledges the coastal location. All rooms feature spacious work desks, large flat-screen TVs, iHome clocks with Bluetooth and iPod capabilities, USB outlets, safes, and a dining set up -- either a breakfast bar or a four-seater dining table. Bathrooms have large walk-in showers with rainfall showerheads and roomy sinks with plenty of counterspace. 

Royal St. Kitts Hotel checks off the expected amenities for a four-pearl property. There are two pools: the Activities Pool, which overlooks the lake in the Splash bar area, and the Quiet Pool, reserved for, as the name suggests, quiet swimming. Both are surrounded by plenty of lounge chairs. Splash bar, and its neighboring pizza joint, serve drinks and cocktails throughout the day, but both close early. The hotel also houses a privately operated convenience store with limited stock. 

The on-site restaurants, Dolce Vita (an Italian spot with wood-fire pizza) and Tiranga (Indian food), are also privately owned, and both are highly regarded by locals in the know. Tingara features an open-air sports bar off the lobby decked out with big flat-screens above the bar, but also offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating overlooking resort grounds with easy listening music on the speakers. Dolce Vita, off the entrance, blends dim lighting with loud music and offers cozy booths and bar-table seating and a sweeping bar (also lined with flat-screens) surrounding the wood-fire pizza oven.

The hotel's fitness center is huge and decked out with the latest state-of-the-art equipment. A virtual workout room was in the pipeline when Oyster visited the property -- scheduled for completion mid-2016. There’s a vast event space for large functions and a boardroom-style conference room equipped with a kitchenette. Wi-Fi is provided throughout the hotel free of charge. Self-serve laundry facilities are available, and the hotel is pet friendly.