Goldeneye
Somehow both spectacular and totally laid-back, Goldeneye (above) Ian Flemings Jamaican hideaway, is pure Bond, with six luxurious suites and 13 ocean-front beach cottages reached via a beautiful footbridge that spans a soft lagoon.
Set on the northern coast of Jamaica, the main house at Goldeneye is where Ian Fleming wrote all 14 of his original James Bond adventures, from Casino Royale to Diamonds are Forever. Owner Chris Blackwell has added his music-biz cool to the raffish old-school ambience, and youre as likely to find Arcade Fire at the spontaneous jerk-pork parties as you are Kate Moss sipping pirate rum with her full Jamaican breakfast (Johnny cake, fried dumpling and callaloo).
Capella Pedregal
Down on the southernmost tip of Mexico, Capella Pedregal is set in 24 acres of unspoilt beachside luxury, and any thoughts of freezing England will be dispelled from the moment you sip your first Margarita. Each of the 66 suites looks out to sea and has its own plunge pool on the balcony. Come nightfall you can light the fireplace and all its teeny lanterns for a romantic cocktail on the terrace, or head to the beach for a candlelit supper under the stars.
Read ELLEuks full review of Capella Pedregal
Hotel Villa Bahia
Made from two 18th-century townhouses in the historic centre of Salvador, Hotel Villa Bahia is a quirky boutique hideaway with a colonial feel. Think eclectic antique furniture and bathrooms with huge walk-in marble showers and copper sinks. Bahia is the perfect place to head if you want to mix the culture of the city with the beach, as the beautiful sandy stretches of Porto da Barra, Farol da Barra and Itapolean are close by. To chilled to move? Just hang out by the rooftop pool on the terrace and soak up the sun.
Read our full review of Hotel Villa Bahia
Viceroy Sugar Beach, St Lucia
For relaxation, Sugar Beach formerly Jalousie Plantation- is hard to beat. The sand is white, the sea is warm, the drinks are chilled you get the picture. The 12 rooms and 100 villas are scattered among palm trees and divided into the vintage villas (French colonial-style) and the 44 new villa suites. These are all white, with ceiling fans, four-posters draped in voile, plantation chairs by the private pools, and lush foliage to ensure privacy. And did we mention each place has a personal butler, who will cater to your every need? Book a treatment in the Rainforest spa , dine in style in the Greta Room, or prop up the Cane Bar, which comes with its own rum-elier. Perfect.
Lux* Le Morne, Mauritius
Bathed in blazing sunshine underneath the dramatically beautiful UNESCO world heritage site of Le Morne Mountain, Lux* Le Morne ticks all the boxes for the ultimate winter sun getaway. Each of its 149 rooms and suites is a luxurious private hideaway, with terraces that open out onto the palm-shaded shores of the Indian Ocean. Its all too easy to while away sunny afternoons in the hammock, but theres also a world-class spa, three sea-facing restaurants and a variety of complimentary watersports to discover, from waterskiing to sailing. Oh, decisions, decisions
