Anguilla is pretty easy to get acclimated to, accommodation wise: your either is a huge, ornate Anguilla resort, or in a quaint little beach houses and villas. Some of the resorts and hotels in Anguilla are strangely colored and surprisingly crafted – the burgeoning tourist industry has tried to model its lodgings after a wide range of global styles – Moroccan architecture interweaves with buildings that you'd expect to see in a Miami Vice repeat. One example is the Fountain Beach Hotel Anguilla, which is small and overwhelmingly pink. Even though it seems like a desperate cry for attention from tourists, the immaculately maintained hotel is right on the shore of the island's famous Shoal Bay Beach and offers marble tiles and perfect access to the Caribbean's turquoise waves.
Moorish stylings are on display at the Anguilla resort of Cap Juluca. The food is excellent and the occasional celebrity makes their way past the poetic whitewashed domes that mark the resort's picturesque epicenter. Private verandas and intimate rooms make this Anguilla resort a popular honeymoon destination. The Frangipani Beach Club is another bright pink example of funky Anguillan architecture, located on Meads Bay in the southwestern corner of the island. Though technically a resort, there are many different lodging options, thus joining together the resort crowd with a few less wealthy travelers.
The other option for tourists are Anguilla villas. These can run the gamut from high class apartments to small spaces right on the beach. Blue Waters are an example of the former. On Shoal Bay West, surrounded by palms and featuring private patios and balconies, these Anguilla villas share a beach with one of the island's fine resorts, Covecastles. Some visitors may even be joined by the area's amiable goat population, who regard most travelers as mobile feeding stations. Another fine choice for an Anguilla villa are the Easy Corner selections, set high in the cliffs above Road Bay. Your calves will get a low-scale workout getting to and from your cabin, but the scenery is more than impressive enough to convince you it's a fair trade.
There are, of course, plenty of hotels in Anguilla too, but you have to be careful as many places in the islands consider the words “resort” and “hotel” interchangeable. The Arawak Beach Inn is certainly the latter. Hexagonal and with undisturbed views of Island Harbor and they offer a fine service indeed – allowing customers to mix their own drinks at the hotel bar. The adjacent cafe is painted like a Jimi Hendrix guitar and the harbor winds will cool you on even the hottest of Anguillan days.
