Cayo Espanto
- Style
- Private island beach houses
- Setting
- Caribbean coast of Ambergris Caye
Embraced by the topaz waters of the Caribbean, Cayo Espanto tops the A-list when it comes to bespoke boutique breaks, with butler-serviced wooden villas snuggled among the palms of a tiny island.
Need to know
- Rooms
- Six villas.
- Rates
- $995–$2,249, including all meals, snacks and drinks (except champagne, wine and spirit); excludes 9 per cent tax and a 15 per cent resort fee.
- Check-out
- 10am (but flexible by an hour or two); check-in, 4pm.
- Facilities
- Spa treatments, small gym, library, CD/DVD selection, free WiFi throughout the island. In villas: flatscreen TV, CD/DVD player, iPod dock, Yves Delorme linen, Lady Primrose toiletries.
- Poolside
- All villas have heated private plunge pools – perfect for cocktail hour(s) – except Casa Ventanas, which is encircled by the sea.
- Children
- Infants under one year old stay free and cots are available, although Cayo Espanto is much more suited to canoodling twosomes than frolicking families.
- Also
- There’s a five-night minimum stay – seven nights between 16 December and 17 January and 14 over Christmas and New Year – although exceptions can be made depending on availability.
In the know
- Our favourite rooms
- Two-floored, two-bedroomed Casa Estrella captures the feeling of staying in a glamour-drenched tree house, with open-plan living areas, cream-cushioned wicker furniture and a panoramic ocean view. Floor-length turquoise shutters line three of the house’s four walls, allowing you to configure the balance of inside/outside space as you see fit. Casa Aurora has the largest pool, and smaller, more private Casa Ventana is set out to sea on its own wooden pontoon.
- Packing tips
- None – even if you forget your Heidi Klein swimwear, the hotel’s staff will whip you out a designer bikini without problem or complaint.
- Also
- Almost activity featuring water can be enjoyed at Cayo Espanto. Kayaks, pedal boats, fishing rods and other non-motorised sports equipment can be freely plundered, and there’s a vast range of excursions, including diving, snorkelling and golf.
Food & drink
- Hotel restaurant
- The hotel sends you a questionnaire before your arrival to get a picture of your culinary tastes, then award-laden chef Patrick Houghton constructs a bespoke daily menu of dishes, which you can savour anywhere on the island you wish.
- Dress code
- As you like it – dress to the nines, or lounge in a Hefner-esque dressing gown all day.
- Top table
- Your personal butler (or houseman, in the hotel's parlance) will bring you food wherever you choose. Ask him to arrange a private picnic – you’ll be taken to a deserted beach to find your meal prepared, then be left alone until you wish to return.
- Last orders
- The hotel’s food and drink schedule is entirely in your hands, with a ‘what you want, whenever you want it’ policy.
- Room service
- Your houseman is on call 24 hours a day.
- Hotel bar
- From the blue-hued Espanto Wave cocktail you receive on arrival to the premium cognac nightcap, all drinks are brought to you where and when you want. Sip a sundowner in a hammock or perched on a pier, or even have your drinks brought out to sea.
Smith card offer A massage each
All members booking through Mr & Mrs Smith are eligible for special privileges at any Smith hotel they stay in, with perks ranging from free champagne on arrival to spa treatments and gourmet dinners. Check the bottom of each hotel page to see what offer is available at that particular hotel and remember to mention your Smith card when booking with us - and don't forget to show your card at front desk when you check in.
Click here to become a Mr & Mrs Smith member
Book this hotel
To book this hotel please click here, or contact our travel team on 0845 034 0700.
