Caribbean-bound clients who are willing to spend a bit extra for more spacious, high-end resort digs may wish to consider booking villas and the like for their next vacation. Here is a sampling of the newest such lodgings, which are generally set apart from mainstream accommodations, both figuratively and physically.
Gansevoort Turks + Caicos’ new four- and five-bedroom villas are now available for booking. These new posh accommodations are set on an elevated hillside overlooking the bay at Turtle Tail. Just a short drive from the resort, each villa sits on approximately half an acre of land, and has its own infinity pool, outdoor fire pit lounge area, open indoor / outdoor living space, oceanfront bedrooms and an over-the-water swimming platform providing access to the water. Resort amenities include restaurants, Exhale Spa and water sports.
Services at the villas include transportation to and from the resort and airport, twice daily housekeeping, a shared fitness center, villa manager and concierge service and Wi-Fi. A private chef for evening events, butler service and special celebration and occasion-planning services are available.
The Mahogany Bay Resort & Beach Club on the beaches of Belize’s Ambergris Caye is offering guests their own secluded experience: a new private Beach Club, just a 10-minute boat ride away from the property by private shuttle. At the Club, which is complete with a full restaurant and bar, guests can summon beach service from their lounge chairs or deluxe over-water day beds with just the flip of a flag.
The Beach Club also has an array of activities, including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, cornhole, beach combing and volleyball. It also has full bathrooms. Mahogany Bay Resort & Beach Club is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton.
Also in Belize, the beachfront Itz’ana Resort & Residences is slated to debut in November. Among the 46 Water-front Residences, top digs are the four- and five-bedroom Lagoon Villas, each of which measures more than 4,000 square feet, with large terraces, a waterfront plunge pool, multiple master suites and more. Eco-conscious clients should appreciate that these accommodations (as well as several others) are being fitted with rooftop solar panels, reducing the resort’s energy consumption. Couples should opt for the one-bedroom Solar Cottages facing the lagoon or one-bedroom Beachfront Lofts facing the Caribbean.
One of the five Beach Houses being unveiled at Paradise Beach Resort in Nevis.
Paradise Beach Resort on Pinney’s Beach in western Nevis is preparing to unveil five new, two-bedroom Beach Houses. Hovering above the beach on stilts, the thatched-roof houses will offer views of the Caribbean Sea and neighboring St. Kitts. Guests reach these accommodations through a leafy trail leading directly down to the beach. At the push of a button, the drawbridge staircases descend to the sand.
The Beach Houses all have two bedrooms, one with a four-poster King bed and the second with two twin beds draped with soft white linens and replete with luxury en suite bathrooms. Each Beach House comes equipped with a full gourmet kitchen and outdoor grill ideal for cooking or the private concierges assigned to every Beach House can enlist the resort’s Nevisian chefs to prepare an authentic dinner.
Ahead of its official October 28 reopening, Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa has opened a pair of villas. Just steps from the beach and adjacent to the hotel, the two six-bedroom villas provide several living areas, gourmet kitchen and lap pool. Guests of these villas will also have access to a spa, casual and fine dining restaurants, and other facilities of Le Barthélemy. All rooms at the hotel are being upgraded, and select adjoining rooms can be transformed into two- or three-bedroom suites to accommodate larger families and groups of friends.
In Puerto Rico, Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve will officially reopen on October 1 following an extensive renovation. Su Casa, the property’s five-bedroom villa, which was originally home to the historical figure Clara Livingston, is being fully modernized. The villa is suited for families, groups or social gatherings. The resort’s 114 beachfront guestrooms and suites also will be updated with a reimagined color palette, while new dining and wellness amenities will be added. Dorado Beach will also offer new dining concepts and the Spa Botánico is being fully revitalized.
Overlooking Doctor’s Cave Beach on Montego Bay’s “Hip Strip,” Crissa Hotels’ new S Hotel Montego Bay will begin accepting bookings in the fall. There are no villas, but there will be a Sky Suite with 20-foot ceilings and a loft bedroom, and a three-bedroom Presidential Suite with a living / dining room.
Preflight Pampering At VIP Lounges
Luxury spaces are not the sole realm of resort hotels. Here are two VIP airport lounges that can extend your clients’ pampering island vacation right up until flight time.
The VIP Flyers Club at Turks and Caicos’ Providenciales International Airport has unveiled a $150,000 renovation that upgraded the exclusive 40-seat space, providing full access to Wi-Fi, loaner laptops, printers, scanners, air-conditioning, satellite TV, international calls, magazines, newspapers and light refreshments, including cappuccino and espresso makers, as well as complimentary Whispering Angel red and white wines.
Club guests get a personal meet-and-greet immediately upon arrival and are expedited through Immigration and Customs, then escorted to their private transport. Departing guests are escorted and expedited at airline check-ins and security check-point lines with no waiting times. Prices for all club services can be found on the VIP Flyers Club website.
The VIP Flyers Club at Providenciales International Airport
The Punta Cana International Airport’s new VIP lounge includes an infinity pool overlooking the airstrip. It also has hospitality rooms with showers, changing areas, toiletries and towels. The VIP lounge is available to owners at Puntacana Resort & Club; passengers who purchase the VIP service; Priority Pass, Dragon Pass, Lounge Pass and lounge key card holders; as well as First and Business class passengers. Price of the VIP service plus lounge access is $125 per person.
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