Zemi Beach House, LXR Hotels & Resorts

We have been here with my family and we loved it. The place is simply stunning. The beach is breathtaking, very exclusive and with no much crowd. I’m not a fan of pools but hai one was so greatly integrated with the landscape and see that I liked it (and the kids loved it). A special mention goes the restaurants: thanks to Emanuele, the Executive chefC and all the team for the splendid service offered. Food quality was impressive and service likewise

What an amazing experience the one we had! From Miami we flew 3 hours (AA) and arrived on a little nice airport, where it took us 15 minutes to go through customs and get out, and 15 minutes more to get to the hotel with the Hotel Shuttle. The hotel is a beauty lost in the most beautiful beach on the island. It’s like staying on a luxury boutique hotel in Indonesia with an ancient spa on the top of the hill on Hotel lands. The food was spectacular too (fresh fish and salads all day). Nice italian restaurant too. The staff was great and always on top of us. Adriano, the chief engineer of the hotel, took me to a secret spot for kite-surfing 😊 What more can someone pretend? Thank you all and see you back Soon ;)

Hilton’s Zemi Beach House — underwhelming room, erratic service, undisclosed construction noise = overpriced disillusionment. ROOM: Zemi’s website photos do NOT accurately depict the room we received. Our Ocean View King Room’s furniture and decor felt and looked cheap like yard-sale leftovers. From the wrinkled and torn curtains to the yellowing phone jack, the small non-smart TV, the spindly table/desk, and the mismatched patio lightbulbs, the room was.... sad. Most disappointing however was the non-existent ocean view. Was the small sliver of dark blue above the buildings and treetops how our room qualified as Ocean View? Perhaps. Did we feel as though we’d been misled? Absolutely. **The bathroom and closets were fine, showing wear but functional. RECEPTION: When booking, I requested a non-adjoining room on a higher floor but we were given neither. We inquired about another room but were unenthusiastically offered a Garden View and told that otherwise, the hotel was full. They claimed not to have received the non-adjoining request (said they’d have honored it if noted — no mention of the higher floor) but assured me that a single, quiet, gentleman was currently next door. When he departed two days later, his replacement was a family of five - including a baby. We could easily hear them through the adjoining door. (**Be sure you note non-adjoining when you book your reservation but also that you call and email. I was told that was what I should have done.) At check-in, when asked if we’d like to be called by the manager or offered another room if one became available we said, “Yes” but were never contacted. STAFF: Unfortunately, it wasn’t simply the room and reception that were a letdown. Interactions with staff were also inconsistent. The beach attendants were outstanding as were the cleaners and room service runners (all of whom we had too few occasions with which to interact) but the restaurant staff (whom we interacted with most often) were hit or miss. A few were friendly, but most were indifferent at best. LOCATION: While Shoal Bay beach is one of the best in Anguilla, we spent most of our time closer to Shoal Bay Villas (opposite end of the beach from Zemi). We went there to escape the construction noise directly next door to Zemi Beach House. We were informed of the construction only after we’d arrived. Had we been offered the choice to delay, we would have, as the noise was too loud to enjoy Zemi’s beach and chairs which were much more comfortable than the free chairs down the way. Thankfully the workers took a break one of the weekend days and in the evenings. So, with a price tag of $1,000+ a night is the beach location special enough to justify the expense? No. It is not. I wish we had stayed at The Four Seasons.