Frangipani Beach Resort is the small, sensibly priced way to honeymoon on Meads Bay, Anguilla's favorite beach. It has just 19 rooms and suites in a Mediterranean-style building set right on the sand in the middle of the bay, plus one four-bedroom villa. Step off your terrace and you are on the same mile of white sand that the island's priciest resorts share.
The practical perks make it unusual. Motorized and non-motorized water sports are complimentary, there is a tennis court and fitness center and the suites come with full kitchens and washers and dryers. The Straw Hat restaurant is on the beach and the Plumeria Balinese Spa is on site.
Published rates for a standard room start around $395 a night for two in summer and about $510 to $525 in the winter season, before tax and service charges. That is a fraction of the big names at either end of the beach. It suits couples who want Meads Bay itself more than a full-scale resort and who prefer a place where the staff know everyone by name.
Highlights at a glance
- 19 rooms and suites directly on Meads Bay
- Complimentary motorized and non-motorized water sports
- Straw Hat beachfront restaurant
- Plumeria Balinese Spa on site
- Suites with full kitchens and washers and dryers
Why Couples Choose Frangipani
The appeal is simple: you get prime Meads Bay frontage at a scale that feels personal. With fewer than two dozen rooms, the beach in front of the resort never feels like a pool deck and service has the warmth of a much smaller hotel.
The building has an easy Mediterranean look, with terraces facing west over the water. Sunsets come straight at you. Days settle into a rhythm of swim, read, kayak, nap.
You are also well placed to explore. Malliouhana's beach bar and the Four Seasons are a short walk along the sand in either direction and several of the island's best restaurants are on or near Meads Bay. That makes it easy to eat somewhere different every night without driving.
Rooms and Suites to Book
The resort's rate sheet lists a clear ladder of categories, so you can choose by view and space.
- Standard Frangipani Rooms are the entry point and the best value, though views are limited.
- Luxury Ocean View rooms add the sea view for a modest step up.
- Deluxe Ocean View rooms and Ocean View Junior Suites are the honeymoon sweet spot, with more space and the bay right in front of you.
- One-Bedroom Ocean View Suites have full kitchens, washers and dryers and a separate living room, useful for longer stays.
- Two- and three-bedroom suites and the four-bedroom villa suit groups.
If budget allows, book an ocean-view category. On a beach this good, the view is the reason you came.
Food, Drink and the Spa
The Straw Hat restaurant sits on the beach and has long been one of the better-known tables on Meads Bay, good for a long lunch with your feet near the sand or a candlelit dinner as the light fades. Expect island seafood on the menu.
With full kitchens in the suites, some couples shop at the island's markets and cook a night or two on their own terrace, which also keeps costs down on an expensive island.
The Plumeria Balinese Spa offers massages and treatments on site. Book a couples massage for a late afternoon, then walk straight out to the beach. For variety, the restaurants of Malliouhana and the Four Seasons are a stroll along the sand and Sandy Ground's beach bars are a short drive away.
Why guests fall for it
Things to Do
Frangipani includes complimentary motorized and non-motorized water sports, which is rare at this price level. Take out a kayak or paddleboard on a calm morning, when Meads Bay is like glass. There is also a tennis court, a basketball court, a fitness center and bikes for rent.
The resort runs guest-only boat tours, an easy way to reach the offshore cays. Prickly Pear Cays is the classic day out, with snorkeling and a beach lunch. Closer to home, walk the length of Meads Bay at sunset, snorkel the reef at Little Bay or spend an afternoon on the long powdery sand of Shoal Bay East. The concierge can plan an itinerary around the island's restaurants and live-music nights.
Getting There
Most couples fly into Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on St. Maarten, which has nonstop flights from many US cities. From there a boat runs to Blowing Point in Anguilla in about 25 to 30 minutes and Meads Bay is roughly a 20-minute drive from the dock. A private boat transfer costs more than the public ferry but saves time and stress with luggage.
Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) on Anguilla is about 15 minutes from the resort by car, with regional connections from San Juan and nearby islands. Renting a car on Anguilla is easy and worth it for a few days, since many of the best beaches and restaurants are spread around the island. Driving is on the left. Bring your passport.
Is It Worth It?
Yes, for couples who care most about the beach. Published rates run from about $395 a night for a Standard room in summer to around $1,150 or more for a Deluxe Ocean View room in winter, before 13 percent GST and a 10 percent service charge. Holiday weeks are higher. Rates are approximate and change by season. Booking direct adds a $30 nightly resort credit.
Given that the Four Seasons and Malliouhana typically cost at least double, Frangipani is one of the best-value ways to sleep on Meads Bay.
Pick elsewhere if you want multiple restaurants, a big spa or a full-service resort experience. The resort does not market itself as kid-free, so check the mood over school holidays.
Good to Know
With only 19 rooms, Frangipani books up early for December through April. Reserve months ahead for winter and further ahead for Christmas and New Year.
The resort is not kid-free, though its scale keeps things calm. The resort offers pool and beach service, so loungers and umbrellas are taken care of.
Anguilla's dry season runs roughly December to April. Summer is hotter and quieter with the lowest rates and late summer into autumn is hurricane season, so consider insurance. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and repellent for dusk. Dengue occurs across the Caribbean, so if you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices before you book.
Insider tips
- Book direct for the $30 nightly resort credit.
- Pay up for an ocean-view category; it changes the whole stay.
- Paddle out early in the morning, when Meads Bay is at its calmest.
- Rent a car for two or three days to reach Shoal Bay East and the island's roadside restaurants.
