Polynesian vs. Caribbean Beach Resort
Caribbean Beach and the Polynesian are Walt Disney World’s tropical-themed hotels, and both have received reimaginings and added amenities in the last few years. It may seem like a ridiculous resort face-off, but thanks to improved transportation and dining, it’s a surprisingly close call. (Updated July 20, 2023.)
Essentially, this post head-to-head smackdown answers whether Moderate-tier Caribbean Beach Resort is good enough, or if they should splurge on the Deluxe-tier Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. In other words, the comparison not being incredibly lopsided depends heavily on pricing, since Caribbean Beach is much less expensive. When taking into account the cost differential, the verdict might shock you…or not.
This is reflected in our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Hotels from Worst to Best, which does take price and a variety of other variables into account. If you’d prefer to read that for a rundown of how all resorts rank, have at it. But, spoiler alert, both Disney’s Polynesian Village and Caribbean Beach Resorts are in the top 10!
Setting aside the price, this one is absolutely no contest. If our Polynesian vs. Grand Floridian post was any indication, the Poly is better than the flagship resort of Walt Disney World. However, we were already calling the rooms at Caribbean Beach “Poly-lite” and now that Caribbean Beach Resort’s re-imagining of its common areas and dining is complete, the resort makes a strong case…
What this post will seek to address is whether the gap in quality between the two resorts is enough to justify the giant chasm between the two in price. With that in mind, our first comparison here will be cost, with everything else following from there. While we won’t grade on a curve in the subsequent categories, you should mentally be doing that yourself, considering your own budget, how much time you’ll be spending at the resort, and other pertinent (to you) factors.
Now, it’s time to see whether Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort can pull off a Rudy against the heavy favorite…
Cost: Caribbean Beach Resort – On average, Disney’s Polynesian Resort costs almost triple what Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort costs. Even with discounts factored in, the Poly is still at least double the cost of Caribbean Beach every single night of the year. (In some cases, Caribbean Beach is an even better value.)
This is the backdrop against which the rest of this comparison is set. Now, we’re not saying the Poly needs to be twice (or more) as good than Caribbean Beach to be the ultimate victor. As mentioned, we’re not grading everything else on a curve. The reason being is simple: while cost is objective, its relative weight is subjective. For some people, it matters a lot. For others, money is no object, and absolute best is still absolute best. In other words, you might want to make a mental note of that huge price difference as you read the rest of this. Or, you might not…
Theme & Atmosphere: Polynesian – Technically, we’re comparing Polynesia to the Caribbean, which are separated by vast expanses of ocean, but are nonetheless fairly similar to casual guests. Both “feel like the islands.” Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has some of the nicest grounds of any hotel at Walt Disney World, and is truly transportive. From the vegetation to the carved signs to the longhouses, theme here is really effective.
By contrast, Caribbean Beach Resort feels like a hotel masquerading as another place. The details and architecture are not as convincing, so it falls short of being a wholly immersive themed environment. That’s the downside. The upside is that it does a really good job capturing and conveying some of the essence of vacationing at a tropical resort. Moreover, due to the way the Skyliner and Riviera were constructed, it doesn’t have the same serene atmosphere that it once had, and simply doesn’t compete with the Poly in terms of ambiance.
While it’s not as good from top-to-bottom, the grounds are lush and provide a relaxing morning walk, the new Centertown area is exceptional, from the interior of the new lobby to Centertown Market, Banana Cabana, and Sebastian’s Bistro. Even the outlying room buildings look a lot like Jamaica or Cayman when partially-obscured by palms or if you squint just right. There’s a ton to explore at Caribbean Beach, and I love wandering this resort late at night or in the early morning.
Rooms: Polynesian – Caribbean Beach Resort’s redone rooms are nice, and are why we dubbed the resort “Poly-lite” in the first place a several years ago. These rooms don’t look like budget motel accommodations, and feature a lot of details. Thematically, Caribbean Beach Resort has the best rooms of any Moderate.
However, the rooms at Caribbean Beach are starting to show their age both stylistically and in terms of wear and tear. These were among the earliest of Walt Disney World’s “new” rooms, and they’re darker and drearier than more recent counterparts. They also lack the functional improvements and space-saving design features that have been incorporated into newer remodels.
In addition to the Poly-lite style rooms, Caribbean Beach also has two new room styles as of 2023. First is the New ‘Under the Sea’ 5th Sleeper Rooms Inspired by The Little Mermaid, which replace the infamous pirate rooms and can only be found in Trinidad. These Under the Sea rooms are great for families who want more space while they’re not sleeping, as the pull-down beds make the main living area far less cramped during the day. These are fantastic–far better than the standard rooms.
Finally, there are recently redone rooms that refresh the 9 year old style. These are a soft goods refurbishment that removes the carpet, installs platform beds for luggage storage, replaces some fixtures and furnishings, and brings a fresh coat of cooler paint to replace the warm colors. All of that might sound good, but it’s better on paper than in person. These rooms are bland, boring, and sterile to a fault, with not nearly enough theme and way too much white. They’re definitely fresher, but are devoid of personality, which is really a shame.
Then there’s the “Moana Makeover” at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. (See our Review, Photos & Video: New Moana Rooms at Polynesian Village Resort for a tour and thoughts on the changes from our most recent hotel stay.) The room is packed with custom-made fixtures, furnishings, and Moana decor. The furniture is heavy and substantial, feeling high quality and durable. These little upgrades imbue the room with a greater sense of luxury, and the Moana styling provides fun Disney touches.
Size is really the big thing, as the Poly’s rooms are significantly larger than those at Caribbean Beach. This can be critically important for families, as trying to fit 4 people into a Moderate Resort room isn’t always easy or comfortable. The larger rooms of the Poly give adults and kids more space to spread out, and the addition of the balcony for some separate outdoor space also is huge.
If room size doesn’t matter to you, the two guest rooms are a lot closer in quality than you might expect–but the Poly still has a good edge. Overall, the Polynesian’s rooms are larger, showcase better attention to detail, have far better bathrooms, and do a good job of balancing theme and luxury.
Dining: Toss Up – As a Deluxe Resort, it should come as no surprise that the dining scene is solid at the Poly. Captain Cook’s is one of Walt Disney World’s better counter service restaurants, and the tandem of Kona Cafe and ‘Ohana are great casual table service options. With Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, the Poly has one of the best lounges at Walt Disney World.
With that said, this is not as much of a runaway victory as you might expect. The duo of counter service dining options, Centertown Market and Spyglass Grill, is actually better than Captain Cook’s. Then there’s Sebastian’s Bistro’s new family-style meal that is the best dinner deal in all of Walt Disney World. (I’d take that over ‘Ohana or Kona Cafe.) Add to that Banana Cabana, which is now arguably the best pool bar at any Walt Disney World resort, and you’ve got quite the formidable lineup.
If we added the dining slate at Disney’s Riviera Resort, which is a short walk from Caribbean Beach, that would easily tip the scales in favor of the Moderate Resort. Topolino’s Terrace has a ton of range, with a great character breakfast and romantic dinner. On top of that, Riviera has a solid slate of counter service, lounge, and snack options. However, if we include Riviera then we’d also probably have to include Grand Floridian since it’s likewise walkable from the Poly.
This dining comparison is way closer of a call than it should be, and we’re going to call it a toss up. Even though the restaurants are “less iconic” at Caribbean Beach, they’re higher quality. Trader Sam’s is great, but it’s also a bit of a hassle. Personally, if I could only dine at one resort or the other, I’d pick Caribbean Beach. A first-timer might be better suited by the Poly’s restaurants, though.
Pools: Polynesian – If there was one battle where Caribbean Beach Resort could’ve pulled off an upset without grading on a curve, it’s here. On our list of the Top 10 Pools at Walt Disney World, Fuentes del Morro Pool (aka “Pirate Pool) at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort ranked #3 and Lava Pool at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort ranked #2.
In those rankings, we gave a slight edge to the Poly because it’s totally new pool area has a slightly nicer and more diverse feature set, we could just as easily flip those rankings and call Caribbean Beach #2 because pirates. We were tempted to do exactly that for this post, but integrity won out over making this more competitive. We really do think the Poly presents the ever-so-slightly better option here–but keep in mind, the advantage is slight.
Transportation: Tie – You might be wondering: how can this be a tie? The Polynesian has some of the best transportation at Walt Disney World, with direct monorails to both Magic Kingdom and (if you take the peaceful walk to the TTC) Epcot. This means you have easy non-bus transportation to two theme parks.
However, now that the Disney Skyliner is open, Caribbean Beach offers something similar to both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Due to having the hub Skyliner station and a second station, Caribbean Beach has direct access to both parks, with less overall transit time than the monorails from the Poly.
Granted, Magic Kingdom is the flagship park at Walt Disney World, but Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the big ‘up-and-coming’ park thanks to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Being able to (easily) get to DHS before Early Entry starts is huge, and makes doing Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance with minimal wait much easier.
Likewise, the Skyliner gondola station drops Caribbean Beach Resort guests off at the International Gateway entrance to Epcot, which makes it easier to knock out both Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After during Early Entry. The equation will change a bit with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind being at the front of the park, but there’s still a lot to be said for aerial access to Epcot and DHS.
Then there’s bus transportation, which leaves something to be desired at both resorts. Caribbean Beach has an internal bus loop, and while that’s not as bad as it used to be, it’s still not ideal. Similarly, the Polynesian frequently shares buses with Grand Floridian, so it’s no faster than Caribbean Beach. Truly, this is a toss-up.
Verdict: It Depends – The Poly is one of Walt Disney World’s most iconic resorts, and it beats Caribbean Beach Resort handily in overall quality. Still, the gap between the two has closed considerably in terms of rooms, amenities, dining, and transportation. The resort’s reimagining and Disney Skyliner gondolas have been instrumental in turning Caribbean Beach into a resort with near-Deluxe offerings.
This story of this battle should be viewed like that of Rocky. Even though Creed wins in the end, no one cares because Rocky put up such a valiant effort as the underdog. The story of Caribbean Beach Resort here is similar: it put up a commendable effort, and the Poly’s victories were not nearly as decisive as you might’ve expected.
To the contrary, the most decisive victory of all here is Caribbean Beach on the pricing front. It wins that one by a wide margin, and is the main reason this is now a toss up. With that said, if money is no issue to you, choose the Polynesian–it’s the objectively better of the two resorts when price is taken out of the equation. Not by a huge margin, but by a big enough one to make that our recommendation.
Two other wildcards that don’t really fit into any of the above categories are crowds and construction. The Poly is a ‘destination’ resort, and its lobby can be packed with people each evening waiting for dinner at ‘Ohana, drinks at one of the lounges, or just checking out the atmosphere. Likewise, the beach has become unbearably busy around fireworks time, as there’s less space due to the bungalows and more demand from visitors.
There’s also the matter of the New DVC Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which is currently under construction and is currently slated to open in late 2024 at Walt Disney World. This tower is adjacent to the existing longhouses on the edge of the resort, so it only really impacts the Fiji, Tuvalu, and Aotearoa Longhouses. But it impacts those in a colossal way!
On a personal note, if we were ‘forced’ to choose between paying rack rate at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, without question, we’d choose the latter. Every. Single. Time. Even with normal discounts, the price difference is not proportionate to the quality difference for us. We can have a perfectly nice time at Caribbean Beach Resort, know how to leverage its amenities, and prefer the Skyliner to the monorail.
Plus, traveling without kids negates the size difference between the rooms and we routinely resort-hop for table service dinner, anyway. For us, most of the downsides of Caribbean Beach are negligible, and definitely not enough to overcome that glaring price difference. (Again, for us.) We do use DVC points to stay at the Poly, but it’s just really hard to justify paying rack rates and it’s pretty rare for decent discounts at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
That’s just us, though and your mileage may vary on the question of value for money. That’s really what we’re most curious as to what everyone else thinks with this one. Obviously, in a strict question of which is best, the Poly wins. However, when you factor in cost, a really strong argument can be made for Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
When comparing any two resorts, other factors will obviously come into play. Important amenities, location, recreation, and other variables are going to matter and weigh differently for different parties. Our goal is for this post to be helpful in offering a head-to-head comparison of the most crucial elements of each Walt Disney World resort experience, but we suggest supplementing this with our full review of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (if you haven’t seen the new rooms, it’s definitely worth checking out just for that) and our Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Review.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
We’d really love to hear your rationale for your pick in the comments. I think other readers would like to hear too, so please make your case in the comments. Deciding whether Caribbean Beach Resort is “good enough” or if it’s “worth it” to splurge for the Poly is a tough decision, and multiple perspectives beyond ours will help others when making that big (expensive!) decision. Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Disclaimer: I have never stayed at Poly.
That being said, I have stayed at Caribbean beach, and have dined at poly and wandered the grounds. It is a beautiful resort. As a kid, I always dreamed of staying there, but when I finally visited the resort, I was thankful I didn’t splurge and stay at that hotel. While it was beautiful, I couldn’t imagine spending that much extra money over a moderate (the first time I visited poly I was staying at riverside in May which is gorgeous!) I feel like my money splurging on a deluxe resort would be better spent on a Savannah room at animal kingdom, or at wilderness lodge, or on an experience liking dining at Victoria and Alberts.
We pretty much avoid WDW transportation in general by always having a rental car, so that would not be an issue for us if staying at CBR which gets my vote. Besides, am I the only one who thinks the décor at the Poly is sort of…tacky???
Me too!
We just came back from a stay at Poly and I was very disappointed in the decor. It reminds me of the living room of the Brady Bunch. Loved the grounds though.
Agree on the decor of the Poly. Walked in lobby and then walked right out during our first visit to WDW, which was 1995. Never returned until this past Sept, by way of boat from GF…we got a snack at the counter service restaurant, looked in the gift shop, and left. You are right about mostly date, tacky decor, but it seems sentimental to many and we saw a bit of the charm this time. Still, they could improve and update inside.
I also have to disagree that the theming at CBR is less “authentic.” I went with my future husband and his mother who are both from the Dominican Republic. They both laughed about how much it was like DR.
I actually have to disagree about the rooms. We are a family of 5, and we had 3 days in a Poly studio last April and 3 days at CBR in December.
I know that people rave about the double bathrooms in Poly, but I felt that they came at the cost of being able to unpack our suitcases. When you have a lot of people in a single room, being able to put things away as opposed to having stuff around on the floor and flat surfaces everywhere is a big deal. When we stayed at CBR I was really impressed that there was enough storage for everyone to have their own drawer, plus an obvious space to store suitcases out of the way and hanging stuff as well. I felt that any time we might have lost by having only a single bathroom in the morning was more than regained in frustration not felt searching through disorganized jumbles to find our clothes.
I tend to be cheap, so I voted CBR. We also stayed at CBR on our honeymoon in 1996, so it gets points form me for that (even on our honeymoon, I didn’t want to spring for a deluxe!).
I really like Poly dining, but thanks to it’s transportation it’s quite easy to get there otherwise to eat.
One plus I’d mention for CBR is Carribean Cay. If you stay in Jamaica/Aruba walking across the bridge and through the Cay to get to the food court/pool is pretty neat. (One negative is the remote location of the Customs House, making anything needing the front desk frustrating.)
We’ve actually had the best bus service (by far!) of any resort we’ve stayed at the one time we stayed at CBR. But from everything I’ve read on the internet, our experience seems to be an anomaly.
We also stayed at CBR on our honeymoon. No shame in not springing for the deluxe!
We also had a really positive bus experience at CBR. The only place we’ve ever had a terrible bus experience was Riverside, and people rave about that resort, so who knows?
Even if money were no object, personally we wouldn’t choose Poly. We find the theme more claustrophobic than convincing. I know we’re in a minority on this. But when we’re there, everything seems so oddly squished together, and we’re a bit weirded out that the paths through the resort are all so close to people’s first floor windows and patios. We’d sooner book CSR, especially for CSR’s dining and lounge options.
We have Caribbean Beach booked for end of April/early May, we booked it with a pin code and the price was very reasonable. We actually had wanted/intended to stay at Beach or Yacht club this trip but for half the price we couldn’t resist giving a moderate resort a try . I’ve only stayed in deluxes so I’m kinda keeping my expectations low and hoping the resort really impresses me. I’ve not stayed at the Poly so I can’t compare the two head to head but in my mind I’m sure I will be comparing the three deluxe resorts I have stayed at (and the cost of those stays) with Caribbean Beach (and it’s cost). I’m really not sure the deluxes will win but how well the buses run will probably be a big factor.
We stayed at CBR on our first trip to WDW (1991 or 1992?), and have not been back. The reason is the transportation system. We seem to have spend a lot of time on buses traveling around to each of the stops within the resort. At that time we did not know any better, but having since stayed at the other moderate resorts multiple times each, we have concluded that CRB has a unique and bothersome issue with transportation. It was beautiful, and we know that it has been refurbished, and that the landscaping is bound to me more mature than in the early 90’s, but nothing is going to make its bus transportation more convenient. Each time we consider going back and giving it another try, we end up at Coronado Springs or (most often) PO Riverside.
Stayed in a Poly club room about eight years ago at a very good discount. Liked it a lot better than the GF, but that’s not today’s comparison.
For my pocketbook, the CBR would win. Before that though, my choice in the moderate price range would always default to PO. However, given there’s only the two choices here, I’d say CBR wins for Disney on a Dime purposes, and Poly wins, hands down, in every other category.
Caribbean Beach Resort is sooo relaxing and laid back, you dont feel like you’re staying in a hotel.
Now sure, given a choice of the two with free rooms, we’d pick the Poly, since the transportation is hands down better.
But given the price difference- it’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Poly wins hands-down. While we’re not exactly in the “money is no object” camp yet, I am willing to pay more for the superior transportation, larger rooms, and more immersive overall experience of the Polynesian when compared to the moderate resorts. Having young kids probably skews this for me, of course, because there is literally no amount of money I wouldn’t fork over to have a short monorail ride versus a long, tortured bus ride at the end of an evening in the Magic Kingdom!
I was looking forward to the comparison between Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans Riverside, which I hope is still coming. As is implied by your comments, the decision of whether to stay at the Poly or CBR is going to be a financial one nearly every time. If people have enough money, or are willing to eat ramen all year to save up for a deluxe resort, the decision between the Poly and CBR has already been made. If people are “thrifty” or just don’t have the money for a deluxe resort, the decision has already been made in the other direction. The comparison between these two, on a point-by-point basis, is interesting, but as you said, when it comes to the final result, what did you really expect? I appreciate your comment that you feel that the quality difference does not justify the cost difference, Great info for the well-heeled-but-thrifty crowd.
Of course, you should compare resorts on whatever basis you want. It is your blog and it is always entertaining! The most useful information probably comes from comparisons within, not across, resort classifications, however. Is there a value resort that has features putting it above the others in its price class? What features at Coronado Springs make it possibly competitive with Riverside? (That would be the Pepper Market, BTW.) Your comparisons of deluxe resorts provide this type of data, and are certainly very useful for those readers in that market.
Don’t expect many of the cross-tier comparisons like this one. I thought this was interesting given the thematic and room design similarities, but I can’t think of any other resorts in different tiers that lend themselves to such a comparison.
While the conclusion might seem foregone based upon a personal assessment of value, I think this post is useful in that it offers a comparison a lot of people may have never considered, and now those who were previously thinking of doing Poly have an alternative to consider.
Hi Tom, possibly a bit of a niche one but here in the UK we get *heavily* incentivised to stay in Coronado Springs / CBR (with QS dining) or Saratoga / OKW (with Disney dining plan) to the point that none of the other resorts make any sense financially (assuming they’re trying to maximise occupancy in advance on the big resorts). Upgrading a 2 week stay at CBR to Disney dining still comes in around $20-30 a night cheaper than OKW but we’ve previously played it safe and gone for the deluxe . I’m not sure if there’s a similar offer situation/dilemma in the US but would love to know how the moderates stack up against these two deluxe villas!
I’ll keep that in mind for a future comparison–thanks for the tip on that!
Thanks Tom, this was a really interesting comparison.
I personally would never shell out the money for Poly. We’ve eaten there and walked around some, and it just doesn’t appeal to me. We’ve never been to CBR, but even as nice as you say it is, if I had to choose a moderate (as we’ve stayed at the other 3), I’d pick POR Magnolia Bend area. It was lovely during our last visit.
Well for us, it’s easy. We bought into DVC because we wanted to be able to stay at luxury resorts for the same price as moderates over time. So, Poly wins very easily.
If we were forced to pay rack rates, we have and would again choose Port Orleans Riverside 1st, but then CBR second over any deluxe resort because of the savings.
Nice idea. If you’re just staying in the room, then sure, the value of Caribbean probably outweighs the comparatively small difference in the room quality. But as the article rightly points out, a Disney resort stay is simply never just about the room. Poly is arguably the epitome of “the Disney Experience” at WDW. In this battle, you get what you pay for.
Great post! We would choose Polynesian over CBR if money were not a factor, but we’ve really enjoyed our stays at CBR and at a fraction of the cost of Polynesian, it’s a no-brainer for us.
I would love to see a comparison between The Polynesian and The Wilderness Lodge. Both are considered ‘Magic Kingdom’ resorts, and both are deluxe. Obviously Wilderness Lodge does not have the monorail, but it’s nearly half what The Polynesian is. Is the cost really worth it?!?!?!
I would pick CBR over Poly every single time. I would rather go cheaper and have 2 Disney trips per year than have one “luxury” trip per year. Besides, all my time is spent in the parks anyway!
So, given the rumors running around the mill about DVC at Caribbean Beach….. Do you think that staying there will be a better use of DVC points?
Expanding on this I’m wondering if you think Carribean Beach should be avoided over the next few years?
I booked a stay here for October, and then learned they just submitted construction plans that look like they could have a significant impact on a stay here. It’s such a bummer because I’ve never stayed here, and since the room re-fresh it’s been pretty high on my list. But now I’m worried that it won’t feel as special if the resort is full of construction walls. I’m not sure if I should wait it out until they make further announcements, or if I’m better off switching resorts early. Any thoughts?
Thanks for the ‘vs.’ posts – these are pretty fun!
I wouldn’t sweat it. Based on the plans that have been submitted, it looks like most construction is going to be away from primary guest areas. Unless you do a serious morning stroll, you probably will never notice it if you request a room on a building away from the construction.
Whether Caribbean Beach will be a good use of DVC points all depends upon the point charts. My guess is ‘no’ relative to the value rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge and BoardWalk, but perhaps as compared to SSR, it will be.
An interesting test, due to similar theming, would by Poly vs Aulani. We found the experience at the latter far superior. The rooms were much nicer (we had hotel room) and the service far better. When we pulled up at Aulani we were given leis and a drink. Valet and bell were right there. Another CM gave us our online check in packet. The last time we stayed at Poly (3 or 4 years ago) we felt abandoned when we pulled up. No greeting, no bell, nothing. And the rooms were okay. The hallways looked old.
At Aulani there were CMs cleaning pools decks throughout the day, servers whenever you needed them, several concierge. Just an entirely different level of service to anything we’ve expereienced at WDW. Too bad it’s so far away.
I have a very soft spot in my heart for Caribbean Beach as it’s the hotel we stayed in during our first, and currently only, WDW trip in 2015. I was very much hoping the underdog could pull off a surprise victory but I can see why the Poly took this one!
We booked our holiday through Virgin Holidays UK and not all hotels were offered so choice was limited. We went for the Free Quick Service Dining plan and the cheapest choice was Caribbean or Coronado. I was worried about the huge layout of CBR, especially as the bridge that offers the short cut to Port Royale was down for the length of our stay, but we had the most wonderful time at the hotel and loved the warm, evening walks to get a cup of tea from Old Port Royale at the end of the day. Would love to stay at the Poly but would not hesitate to stay at Caribbean Beach again.