AURORA ANGUILLA RESORT AND GOLF CLUB

Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club stretches across roughly 121 hectares on the southwest side of Anguilla, along both Rendezvous Bay and Merrywing Bay, with 178 suites, villas and private residences. Created by merging CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa with The Reef by CuisinArt in late 2021, it brings together what exists nowhere else on the island: Anguilla's only golf course, a Greg Norman design, a water park with a lazy river and slides, eleven pickleball courts, six restaurants and a twelve-room spa. The plan is room-only, with meals settled on property or according to the package booked. This is the address that makes Anguilla work for families and golfers, on an island otherwise built for couples.

Aurora Anguilla at a glance

Two bays, one resort. Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club spreads across roughly 121 hectares on the southwest side of Anguilla, along both Rendezvous Bay and Merrywing Bay, with 178 suites, villas and private residences split between the two shores. It was formerly CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, merged with its neighbour The Reef by CuisinArt and rebranded in late 2021 after Best Buy founder Richard Schulze acquired it through Olympus Ventures.

Three things set it apart from everything else on the island: Anguilla's only golf course, a water park with a lazy river and slides, and eleven pickleball courts. On an island known for small, intimate, couples-first properties, Aurora is the exception that welcomes families.

One thing to understand up front: this is not an all-inclusive. The base rate covers your accommodation, meals are extra.

Is Aurora Anguilla all-inclusive?

No. Aurora sells on a room-only basis, and meals are settled on property, à la carte or according to the package you book. Even breakfast is charged separately on the standard rate unless a specific package includes it.

Two packages exist at the time of writing. The golf package, called Aurora Classic, adds a daily round on both courses, a grab-and-go breakfast at the D Richard's clubhouse, a cart on the International course and a pro shop credit. A wellness package pairs daily breakfast with spa treatments. In both cases, lunch, dinner and drinks remain extra.

On property, the bill adds up quickly. It is the most consistent theme in recent reviews, and it is better known before you leave than discovered at checkout. Government tax and a service charge apply on top of the listed amounts. Your AquaTerra advisor will confirm the current rates and exactly what your fare covers, because it shifts from one season and one package to the next.

Rendezvous Beach or Merrywing Beach: which side should you choose?

The question comes up at booking, because the two sides have distinct personalities.

Rendezvous Beach is the resort's historic heart, the former CuisinArt. White Mediterranean architecture with arches and domes, tropical gardens, suites and villas set right on the sand of one of the island's longest beaches. Chef's Table, the beachfront C Level and Tokyo Bay are all here. It is the quieter side, and the pricier one.

Merrywing Beach occupies the former The Reef, which opened in 2016. It includes The Tower, a high-rise with views across to St. Martin, plus suites and villas below. The large family pool sits here, along with Breezes and Sole di Mare, a Mediterranean addition for the 2025-2026 season. Rates on this side are generally more accessible.

One detail changes everything for a fall trip: Merrywing accommodation closes from 15 July to 31 October. Travel in that window and you stay on the Rendezvous side.

Which suite or villa should you book?

Categories run from a 65 m² room to a villa of nearly 900 m², which leaves plenty of room to manoeuvre.

• For two, best value: the Deluxe rooms in The Tower, about 65 m², with ocean or island views, in a king or two double beds.
• For two, steps from the sand: the Beachfront Junior Suite at Rendezvous, about 74 m², or the Oceanfront Junior Suite at Merrywing, about 60 m².
• For more space: the Oceanfront Deluxe Suite, about 72 m², and the Beachfront One Bedroom Suite at Rendezvous, about 207 m².
• For an extended family or two couples: three-bedroom villas between 197 and 246 m² depending on whether they face the garden or the beach, and five-bedroom villas up to 900 m² on the Merrywing side.
• For the full treatment: the Estates, about 585 m², with a private pool and butler service.

Two-double-bed layouts are common, which makes life easier with children. Several suites include an outdoor shower, a detail guests mention often in their reviews.

How do you get to Anguilla from Quebec?

There is no direct flight from Montreal to Anguilla. The trip happens in two stages and takes a full day.

The usual route goes through Sint Maarten. Nonstop flights link Montreal to SXM in just under five hours, seasonally for the most part, with frequencies building from October and peaking in winter. From there, three options reach Anguilla: the public ferry from Marigot on the French side, a 20 to 25 minute crossing with eight daily departures; a private sea shuttle from the terminal across from the airport, pricier but easier with luggage; or a short connecting flight to Anguilla's Clayton J. Lloyd airport.

A second route opens in winter, through San Juan or a U.S. connection, with direct flights to Anguilla operated by small regional carriers. It skips the ferry and can save a couple of hours.

Once on the island, the resort sits about 8 km from the airport, a quarter hour by road, and eight minutes from the Blowing Point ferry dock. Aurora runs its own transfers, shared or private, bookable in advance.

The calculation that matters: a morning departure from Montreal lets you catch a ferry the same day, the last crossing leaving in late afternoon. An evening arrival means a night in St. Martin or a private transfer. An AquaTerra advisor assembles the whole thing into a single file, connection and crossing included, and this is exactly the sort of itinerary where that pays off.

How good is the golf?

Aurora International Golf Club is the only course on Anguilla, which gives it a place of its own in the region.

The International course runs 18 holes, a par 72 at roughly 6,550 metres from the back tees, designed by Greg Norman and fully remastered by his team in 2022. Water comes into play on fourteen holes, with the ocean framing several tee shots. A 74.4 rating on a 125 slope from the tips tells you what to expect.

Alongside it, Avalon Links offers nine short holes, a par 28 over roughly 1,200 metres, opened in January 2023 on 8 hectares tucked between holes 5, 6 and 7 of the main course. Eight par 3s and one par 4, walking only, no carts. The World Golf Awards named it the Caribbean's best nine-hole course in 2024. It is an excellent place to start a child, or to squeeze in a round before dinner.

The academy rounds things out with Trackman simulators, 3D motion analysis and Titleist rentals, junior sets included.

Two practical points. Green fees are added to the room rate unless you book the golf package. And the summer schedule changes everything: from 6 July to 15 October, the International course opens Thursday through Sunday only and Avalon Links closes entirely.

Where do you eat on property?

Six restaurants, two cafés and two lobby bars, spread across the two bays and the golf clubhouse.

• Chef's Table, at Rendezvous, built around a wood-fired oven and an open hearth. It closes in low season and reopens in mid-October.
• C Level, casual, feet in the sand, with Caribbean flavours.
• Tokyo Bay, Japanese, sushi, sashimi and teppanyaki.
• Breezes, on Merrywing beach, in clambake, lobster roll and fish taco territory.
• Sole di Mare, Mediterranean, house-made pasta and pizza, added for the 2025-2026 season.
• D Richard's, at the golf clubhouse, the only steakhouse on the island.

Add a café on each side for pastries and ice cream, a pool bar, a swim-up bar at the water park and room service. The resort's organic and hydroponic farm supplies the kitchens and hosts private dinners by reservation, which remains one of the most memorable experiences here.

Reviews praise the quality of the produce and flag service in the dining rooms as sometimes slow, particularly at dinner and on the beach. Nothing disqualifying, but anyone who wants an early dinner should book on arrival.

Is the water park worth it with children?

Yes, and it is the single reason families choose Aurora when they would otherwise have ruled out Anguilla altogether.

Aurora Water Park holds roughly 2.3 million litres of water: a zero-entry lagoon pool, three slides including two spirals and a saucer, open from 122 cm, a lazy river of about 425 metres, a splash area for toddlers, a swim-up bar and cabanas with service. It runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and access is complimentary for hotel guests.

The adjacent activity centre adds eleven pickleball courts, billed as the largest such complex in the Caribbean, two lit tennis courts, a half basketball court, beach volleyball, three bocce courts, a climbing wall of about 8.5 metres open from age 5 and an 18-hole mini-golf. The kids' club runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the teen club 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with table tennis, billiards and video games. A 500-seat outdoor amphitheatre hosts shows and open-air movies.

All of it is included in the stay. Private tennis and pickleball lessons are charged separately.

The beach, the pools and the spa

Rendezvous Bay unrolls a long ribbon of white sand and calm water, one of the best beaches on an island that already counts 33 of them. Merrywing offers a more sheltered stretch, popular with young swimmers. Each side has its own large pool, the Merrywing one geared to families, in addition to the water park lagoon.

Non-motorized water sports are included: kayaks, paddleboards and beach equipment. Charged separately are scuba diving, fishing, private sailing or snorkelling outings, Hobie catamarans and guided excursions to the island's caves.

Sorana Spa has twelve treatment rooms, including two couples' suites and one with a sand quartz table, plus a hammam, sauna, hydrotherapy and a hair and beauty salon. The fitness centre stays open around the clock. Note that the spa closes from 17 August to 15 October.

When should you go, and what closes off season?

The dry season runs December to April: high season, the most expensive and the busiest. Hurricane season stretches from 1 June to 30 November, with peak activity between August and October.

Most hotels on Anguilla shut down entirely in September and October. Aurora stays open year-round, which often makes it the only large resort operating on the island during that window, at noticeably softer rates. The trade-off shows in the partial closure calendar:

• Merrywing accommodation: closed 15 July to 31 October.
• Sorana Spa: closed 17 August to 15 October.
• Chef's Table and the Rendezvous lobby bar: reopen 16 October.
• Merrywing lobby bar: reopens 1 November.
• Avalon Links: closed 6 July to 15 October.
• International course: Thursday to Sunday only, 6 July to 15 October.

These dates shift from year to year. Have them confirmed at booking, especially if golf or the spa is part of why you are going.

Who is it right for, and who is it wrong for?

A strong fit for:

• Golfers. The island's only course, a Greg Norman design, an academy and a short course: the argument is unique in the eastern Caribbean.
• Families with children and teenagers. The water park, the two clubs, mini-golf and climbing wall change what an Anguilla holiday can be.
• Groups and extended families, thanks to the three and five-bedroom villas.
• Travellers who want plenty of facilities at hand rather than a small quiet property.

Less suited to:

• Anyone who wants the budget settled in advance. With no all-inclusive plan, the extras accumulate, and that is the most widespread complaint in the reviews.
• Couples looking for absolute quiet. The resort is large and lively, with a water park and live entertainment.
• Travellers who dislike walking or waiting for a shuttle: the scale of the property is paid for in distance.
• A September or October trip where golf, the spa and the Merrywing side rank among your priorities.

The overall score remains excellent, 4.8 out of 5 across more than 600 TripAdvisor reviews. Guests come back most often to the warmth of the staff, the beach and the size of the rooms. They also flag uneven dining-room service and a few maintenance details.

If what you actually want is a small, intimate property with no golf and no water park, Carimar Beach Club sits at the opposite end of the Anguilla spectrum: 24 beachfront apartments on Meads Bay, a kitchen in every unit, no restaurant on site. Two opposite philosophies on the same island.

What to know before you book

• Documents. Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory. A valid passport is required. Check current entry requirements, including those for St. Martin or Sint Maarten if your itinerary transits there, on travel.gc.ca.
• Currency. The East Caribbean dollar is the official currency, though the U.S. dollar circulates everywhere and serves as the reference in hotels.
• Language. English is the language of the island.
• Electricity. North American plugs and voltage, no adapter needed.
• Driving. On the left, British style. A temporary local permit is issued at the rental counter.
• Two transfers, not one. The flight and the crossing are booked separately if you assemble the trip yourself. A missed connection costs an unplanned night in St. Martin.
• Travel insurance. Recommended in any season, essential between June and November.

Booking Aurora Anguilla with an advisor

Anguilla is difficult to plan piece by piece. The flight, the crossing, the transfer and the choice of bay form one whole, and a mistake on any one of them is paid for on the others. An AquaTerra advisor assembles the complete file, verifies what your rate actually covers, confirms the seasonal closure dates and books your tee times before you land.

To explore other options, see our Anguilla vacations page, our Anguilla travel guide and all of our all-inclusive destinations.

Call 1 866 628-6241 or use our online form. Our advisors know the product, compare the plans and stay with you before, during and after the trip.