St. Kitts and Nevis open to international travelers
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis is allowing fully vaccinated travelers to visit the islands as of July and The Points Guy will walk you through everything you need to know to enjoy the sunny warm beaches of these island destinations.
What you need to visit St. Kitts and Nevis
Currently, only fully vaccinated travelers are allowed entry into St. Kitts and Nevis. The islands consider travelers to be fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second dose of a two-dose series (Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca) or after a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson), according to the St. Kitts Tourism website. This does not apply to citizens or residents of the islands. Unvaccinated children under the age of 18 accompanied by fully vaccinated parents or guardians are also exempt.
Additionally, all visitors must show proof of a negative PCR test result within 72 hours before arriving in St. Kitts and Nevis, a hard copy of a required travel authorization form, vaccination record card and cash for taxi fare (as only approved taxis are allowed to transport travelers to their accommodations). Travelers to Nevis will be transferred via a certified COVID-19 sea taxi.
COVID-19 PCR tests must be taken by nasopharyngeal sample. Self-samples, rapid tests, or home tests will be considered invalid.
As of Oct. 12, within 24 hours of arriving to St. Kitts and Nevis all international travelers staying at their "Travel Approved" hotel (see list of hotels below) will undergo a PCR test which will be administered on-site. The test must be taken by a Ministry of Health-approved medical professional and will cost $150 for non-nationals and non-residents and $100 for nationals and residents.
Upon receipt of a negative test result, visitors can integrate and participate in all open tours, visit attractions, and can travel throughout St. Kitts and Nevis. This requirement also applies to non-vaccinated children under the age of 18 traveling with fully vaccinated parents.
All visitors are required to "Vacation in Place" at their travel approved hotel where they may move freely about the property within and use any and all available amenities until they have a receipt of their negative test result.
Related: A guide to Caribbean reopenings
How to get there
Flights to St. Kitts and Nevis (SKB) tend to be expensive, and only two airlines currently offer nonstop service from the U.S., American Airlines and Delta.
American Airlines has direct flights from New York (JFK) as well as twice-daily from its Miami (MIA) hub from Wednesdays through Sundays. Delta offers nonstop flights from Atlanta (ATL).
If you are booking for January round-trip from New York for a seat in the main cabin it will cost $644 or 40,000 points (+$75.27) roundtrip and $1,672 or 170,000 points (+$75.27) round trip for business class.
From Miami, in January, American Airlines also has basic economy, seats available for nonstop flights for $588 roundtrip or 34,500 points (+69.67). Main cabin will cost $668 roundtrip or 34,500 points (+$69.67) points and business class is $1,201 roundtrip or 114,500 (+$69.67).
Delta has cheaper economy nonstop flights from Atlanta at $473 or 34,000 points (+$70) roundtrip, $553 or 42,000 points (+70) for main cabin seats, $771 roundtrip or 61,000 (+70) for Comfort+ seats and $1,607 roundtrip or 158,000 points (+70) for first class seats in January.
(Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)
Where to stay
Foreigners visiting St. Kitts and Nevis are limited to a list of seven hotels that have been preapproved by the government. The silver lining of this, though, is that the list includes some of our favorites, including three points hotels: the Park Hyatt St. Kitts, Four Seasons Nevis and the St. Kitts Marriott Beach Club. Other options include Paradise Beach and Royal St. Kitts Hotel.
If you plan on staying at the Four Seasons Nevis, you won't be able to use hotel points in the traditional sense, but you can get extra value and elite-like perks by booking through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, to which you're given access by holding either The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
Hilton's Koi Resort St. Kitts, part of the chain's Curio Collection was closed through Oct. 15 but since opening, the resort is currently sold out for the rest of 2021. Most January 2022 dates range from $145-200 per night or 42,000 to 60,000 points per night.
Related: Review of the Park Hyatt St. Kitts
If you want to use points while visiting, we love the Park Hyatt St. Kitts, which is a Category 7 property in the World of Hyatt program. You can book rooms for 30,000 points per night, for standard rooms or cash prices start at $754 per night for standard rooms in January.
Related: Comparing the Park Hyatt St. Kitts rooms and suites
Suite at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)
If you don't already have World of Hyatt points, it's easy to get them. The program is a transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards; you can transfer those points to Hyatt. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is offering a sign-up bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
Related: Park Hyatt St. Kitts video review
If you're a Marriott loyalist, consider the St. Kitts Marriott Beach Club. It's a Category 6 property in Marriott's Bonvoy program, which is a great deal for a beachfront resort of this kind. A free night will run you 40,000 points for an off-peak night, 50,000 for a standard night and 60,000 for a peak night. This makes it a great candidate for use of certain Marriott co-branded cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.
Bottom line
St. Kitts and Nevis have done well in the fight against the coronavirus. The clear guidelines make it easy for international visitors to enjoy everything this destination has to offer.
The designated hotels for international tourists include some of the best on the islands — and there are plentiful ways to get there using points and miles.
Additional reporting by Caroline Tanner, Nick Ellis, Nick Ewen, Zach Griff, Summer Hull, Eric Rosen and Liz Ramanand.
Featured photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy.