Lighthouse Bay Resort, Barbuda

There's a lot to be said for a resort's Wow Factor -- that feeling you get when you first walk onto a property and are so blown away, you gush. Lighthouse Bay is off the charts the second you step through the open, airy atrium of this resort on Barbuda and spy the most gorgeous, endless pink-tinged beach on the planet, stretched out for 19 undisturbed miles on either side of the resort. Wow, indeed.

The nine-room Lighthouse Bay Resort is as isolated as any you'll find in the Caribbean, located on a narrow strip of land between the sea and a shallow lagoon, said to be the largest in the Caribbean. The lagoon separates the resort from the tiny town of Codrington where most of the island's 1,100 residents live, giving Barbuda the lowest population density of any inhabited Caribbean island.

The hotel lobby is an attraction unto itself, with colorful local art and crafts, a long hall beckoning you to the light beyond, and that insanely beautiful beach bumping into a turquoise ocean. The resort's stand-alone bar is housed in a faux lighthouse, with a unique mosaic step-up counter; some of the tiles are phosphorescent and glow at night. Atop is an observation area which provided us with great views one rainy afternoon of a rare double rainbow, extending from the town of Codrington to the wilds of Barbuda many miles away.

A resort this small virtually guarantees super-attentive service and Lighthouse Bay does not disappoint in that regard.

All nine rooms are located in a low-slung, L-shaped building, the concrete structure painted in muted yellow with a red-metal roof that provides a soothing rain-water symphony at night when a storm blows through. There are four junior suites (king bed or two doubles), four master suites (more expansive with living room and terrace), and one grand suite (huge living room, spacious private terrace with direct beach access, outdoor shower, and Jacuzzi tub). Suites boast Turkish Travertine tile floors and blue Bahia marble bathrooms, and have flat-screen televisions with satellite reception, an iPod compatible surround-sound DVD player, and feature dark mahogany wood, light-wood flooring and elegant furnishings.

The trust factor is high here as well; staff give you a key to your room, but we rarely locked the door, the isolation of the place is its own security. We had a master suite and it was superb, with a massive stone shower and huge living area. Only drawback: The jet-engine sound of the toilet fan, which had to be retrofitted in each room and for some reason was incredibly loud.

Walking, snorkeling and lying on the beach are the three major forms of recreation at Lighthouse Bay Resort. One of the most romantic forms of recreation we found was a late-night beach walk under a blue-black sky flecked with stars that, in sheer abundance, seemed to match the grains of sand on the beach we walked. For the more adventurous, daytime a la carte offerings include a trip to the world's largest frigate bird sanctuary ($100), a bone-fishing lagoon trip ($300), and horseback riding on the beach ($100).

There is one restaurant in the tiny resort, and the dining area, a raised, open terrace right on the beach, is especially gorgeous at sunset. If you love Caribbean spiny lobster, you'll love the menu. Try the massive lobster salad for lunch, it'll pretty much guarantee you naptime on the exquisite beach.

Breakfasts are ample and superb, and all the great meals are due to the expertise of head chef Lennox, a gentle soul who once cooked at the now-defunct K Club on Barbuda and respectfully talks of cooking for frequent guest Lady Diana and her boys. A lovely touch at dinner here are the individual dinner menus provided each day and bearing your name. The wine list is French-inspired, the cocktails flow freely, and dinner lingers long into the night, after which a long walk on the beach is in order.