Hotel Bakoua

The truth is that most of the Caribbean islands don’t really change all that quickly — certainly not quickly enough to keep pace with their constant re-branding and re-ranking in the travel press. So while Martinique’s image has gone from somewhat mass-market to hidden gem to resurgent luxury-resort territory, it has never actually strayed from its essential appeal: that of a tropical island idyll with a charming French accent, where wildly beautiful landscapes combine with the laid-back sophistication of the French West Indies. And the same goes for Hotel Bakoua. It has undergone its share of re-brandings over the years, but it has always remained a crowd-pleaser — a classic Caribbean resort, set on a gorgeous little peninsula jutting out into the sea.

The guest rooms eschew any serious design fireworks in favor of a simple, contemporary island style. They’re perfectly comfortable, but it’s clear that the main attractions are outdoors. In fact the rooms’ best features are their porches or balconies. Book well and you’ll have a furnished open-air dining area set right above the beach, surrounded by sliding wood-slatted doors for privacy and shade when you want it — or for throwing open when you want to feel as close to the sun and the sand as possible.

Beyond the beach (and it’s a beauty), the resort is home to a pair of casual restaurants that make the most of the fresh local seafood, as well as a small thatch-roofed bar set on stilts above the waves. Just a few tables and chairs at the end of a pier, the bar reminds us that in the right setting, the greatest pleasures are the simplest ones. A warm breeze, an icy drink and a view of the sea — what more could one really need?