What makes a boutique hotel … boutique? Is boutique just another word for a small hotel? Is a boutique hotel a small hotel with an upscale image, a unique design or a special theme? There are so many special small hotels in the Caribbean where you can hide away right in the middle of it all, and these small gems are at the heartbeat of the Caribbean. We think a boutique hotel should be very small — no more than 25 rooms. But small is by no means short on hospitality or service levels, experiences or amenities. Indeed, it’s quite the opposite. A well-managed boutique hotel oozes charm, personal service and luxury. Congratulations to the 25 Best Boutique Hotels of the Caribbean for 2014!

The Sugar Mill — British Virgin Islands

This 23-room hotel and restaurant in Tortola simply exudes old-fashioned Caribbean charm, set around a nearly 400-year-old sugar mill. The exemplar of what a boutique Caribbean hotel should be.