Sugar Beach - A Viceroy Resort, St LuciaPrince Harry, we’re told, is lodging on a tanker during much of his visit to the Caribbean. What a waste. The islands on his itinerary are packed with great hotels. Here’s where he should have stayed.

St Lucia

There’s certainly no shortage of lovely hotels in St Lucia but I think Prince Harry would enjoy Sugar Beach – A Viceroy Resort. It has undergone extensive renovation over recent years and everything at this beautiful resort is now picture perfect – from the view of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pitons to the dazzling white sand especially imported from Guyana; the spa, set in the rainforest, is one of the loveliest I’ve seen. If money is no object, then an ultra-luxurious Residence like this one should be just the ticket, though just about any room in Sugar Beach would be more than acceptable – even for a Prince. From around £649 per night.The Sandpiper, BarbadosBarbados

I’ve stayed in hotels all over Barbados but you really can’t beat a Platinum Coast location. I vacillate between Coral Reef Club and its sister hotel, The Sandpiper, but if I were Prince Harry, I’d give the latter a try as it’s just had a multi-million dollar makeover. Improvements include a 60ft lap pool surrounded by tropical gardens and three exquisite new Beach House suites with fabulous views of the Caribbean Sea. One of them should do it. From £1,010 per night in December.Blue Waters Resort & Spa, AntiguaAntigua

There are lots of wonderful places to stay in Antigua, from the super-luxurious Jumby Bay, on its own private island, to Hermitage Bay, with its romantic hillside pool rooms. I’ve also been hearing great things about Blue Waters Resort & Spa recently. I must admit Blue Waters has never been a particular favourite of mine but it has spent several years and millions of dollars on renovations, which were completed this summer, so it’s clearly time to take another look. From £396 per night for a three-night stay in a Deluxe Beachfront room before !8 December 2016.Spice Island Resort, GrenadaGrenada

There are several luxury hotels on Grenada, but for me it has to be Spice Island Beach Resort on the beautiful, horse-shoe-shaped Grand Anse Beach. I happened to be staying at Spice Island in 2004 when Hurricane Ivan hit and I witnessed the considerable damage it caused first hand. However, the owner, the redoubtable Sir Royston Hopkin, KCMG (who received his knighthood from Prince Harry’s grandmother in 2005) embraced the catastrophic event as an opportunity to make his hotel even more gorgeous. I’ve been back since and it was as if Ivan had never been. Glorious. From around £800 per night in December.Montpelier Plantation, NevisSt Kitts and Nevis

There is a Four Seasons resort in Nevis but for maximum privacy, Prince Harry should head for the foothills of Nevis Peak and check into Montpelier Plantation. Set in an old sugar plantation 750 ft above the Caribbean Sea, this charming boutique hideaway has all the contemporary luxuries a prince could desire; for extra privacy, there’s The Little House, in the grounds of the main hotel. The only drawback is that its private beach is five miles away, though that shouldn’t worry Prince Harry as hopefully he’ll be seeing plenty of sand during his visit. From around £200 per night in December.

BY MAGGIE O’SULLIVAN