One property first hit the British Virgin Islands around 40 years ago, while the other just celebrated its first birthday. But both resorts are the height of luxury on the islands, and your discerning, affluent clients would be well taken care of at either.

Biras Creek Resort is a 31-suite, bungalow-style boutique resort on Virgin Gorda, probably the BVI’s most popular island. Originally opened in 1973, Biras Creek was acquired and renovated by Victor International Corp., a resort development and management company, in 2006.

Scrub Island
The BVI’s first new resort in around 15 years, Scrub Island has a private marina.

A member of the Relais & Chateaux hotel group, Biras Creek Resort is a great pitch for couples seeking a romantic getaway with a private-island feel. Your primary target should be honeymooners, followed by couples in general, although adventurous couples may also feel at home here. The property comes with an array of activities that includes kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, sailing, fishing, boating and diving.


The best rooms here are either the Premier or Grand suites. The Premier Suite has two bedrooms and two baths along with a private plunge pool. An arched entry door opens into an expansive living area with two sofas and comfortable chairs. Doors on either side lead to the two identical bedrooms, each with private access to its own outdoor furnished verandah with impressive ocean views. A third, covered verandah extends from the living room, which has a great view of the Caribbean Sea, to the private plunge pool.

Each of the Grand Suites at Biras Creek comes with a furnished verandah that extends from the living room and provides both an ocean-side sitting area and sun deck. An arched doorway leads to the bedroom, which has a king bed, large walk-in closet, desk and dresser. The bedroom opens to a covered verandah with lounge chairs and a private plunge pool.

On the 140-acre estate, both Grand and Premier suites are on the side facing the Atlantic Ocean, less than 20 feet from the ocean, along Berchers Bay.

Agents should contact either Torey Knoll, guest services supervisor, at [email protected] or Rik Blyth, general manager, at [email protected]. Both contacts can also be reached at 284-494-3555.

Scrub Island, the BVI’s first new resort in roughly 15 years, was pretty fabulous, we thought, during our first visit for its opening in January 2010. But it wasn’t even close to being 100 percent finished. Since then, the resort has opened multiple restaurants, shopping and dive facilities, at least one of its villas and more.

The resort now has two restaurants, Caravela for fine dining and Tierra! Tierra! for outdoor casual dining, both of which have a bar. The resort also has a swim-up bar called Freebooters. Caravela’s menu is described as Contemporary Classics with a bit of a twist (examples would be the Lobster Thermidore, Veal Oscar, Steak Tartare, Coq Au Vin). Tierra! Tierra! serves multifaceted casual cuisine and has a regular menu as well as specific events throughout the week. For instance, Caribbean buffet on Monday, Tuesday is Tapas & ‘Tinis, Continental fare on other nights (examples would be Crispy Snapper, Jerk Game Hen, Snapper Ceviche, Truffle Boudin Blanc).

For shoppers, Scrub Island now has a great boutique that carries some fine lines of clothing: think Desigual, Tommy Bahama, Hi-Ho, Melissa, Paul & Shark, RYZ Shoes. The resort also opened a Gourmet Market & Café in the marina complex and there is a dive shop onsite.

The new Ixora Spa is on a hillside, in one of the villas with beautiful views of Great Camanoe and surrounding waters. The menu of services includes massages, body scrubs and wraps, facials and hydrotherapy baths. The fitness center, open 24/7, is adjacent to the marina and has a complete line of Life Fitness Signature series machines (15 of them) and free weights.

Steady progress is being made on the villa portion of this resort. The first unit, a five-bedroom villa, opened in May last year. Four two-bedroom villas are slated to open this month.

The 52-room resort was a little more family-friendly than we expected. The restaurant had a children’s menu and a water slide connected two pools on two different levels. It’s still highly recommended for couples, but you can also keep it in mind for families with young children.

We stayed in room #1211, an Ocean View One-Bedroom Suite. It has a balcony overlooking the water, two flat-screen TVs (one in the living room and the other in the bedroom) and two bathrooms, one with a spacious tub.

The property’s marina has 55-foot-deep berths, which are available for long-term or transient docking, including for vessels up to 150 feet long.

For an extra fee, clients can hop on the Dive BVI boat for day trips to other islands, snorkeling and scuba diving. We’d highly recommend a tour of “The Baths” on Virgin Gorda, where your clients will see huge, cave-like granite structures. (Tip: There are great photo ops here.) Also, be sure to suggest a stop at the William Thornton Floating Bar & Restaurant, commonly known as “Willy T’s,” on Norman Island.

Agents should contact Maureen Morgenthien (813-849-4102,
[email protected]), director of sales and marketing, for more information.

 

 

Biras Creek Resort
The private-island feel of Biras Creek Resort makes it ideal for a romantic getaway.