The Four Seasons Legendary Hospitality Comes To Anguilla.
By Peter Williams
Cossetted between two of the island’s most desirable beaches, a true escape beckons all those in search of an extraordinary trademark in luxury.
A new level of sophistication and luxury is raising the profile of Anguilla, as a destination for extended stay vacationersand residentowners
In the Caribbean there is an island known by a few in-the-know as an idyllic hideaway sanctuary, where calm and seclusion is wrapped in turquoise blues. With no cruise ships, casinos, or all-inclusives, and a ban on jet skis, Anguilla’s appeal to well-heeled travellers is its perfect weather and breathtaking beaches, drenched year round in brilliant sunshine.
Now with the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences opening its doors on the island, a new level of sophistication and luxury is raising the profile of Anguilla, as a destination for extended stay vacationers and resident owners.
Flying into the Princess Juliana airport in Dutch St. Maarten, then a short ferry ride, I arrived at the Blowing Point Ferry Terminal in Anguilla and in a few minutes drive turned onto a palm-lined driveway leading to the Four Seasons. The awe inspiring entrance and check-in foyer are in the unparalleled style of Kelly Wearstler curated décor. Contemporary and modern in design with a whimsical flair, the property’s geometric architectural design is clad throughout in voluminous portions of pastel coloured veined travertine marble, giving the property a sumptuous feel and timeless appeal.
The warm welcome of reception staff was enhanced by the wide open expanses with views of the Caribbean Sea. This set the tone for laid back island fun with Anguillians to enjoy their national pastime – not cricket or football — but boat racing, around the island’s 33 pristine powdery white sand beaches.
Cossetted between tranquil Barnes Bay lined with the ocean facing residences, and a long stretch of Meads Bay – with overlooking suites – the resort sits on two of the island’s most desirable beaches. My well-appointed suite opened onto a private patio with a Jacuzzi and offered sweeping views of the bay. A large luxuriously appointed bathroom with separate bath and shower, sumptuous bedding, motif Italian silver marble flooring, along with driftwood lamps and petrified-wood tables made me take a deep breath to unwind as I thought, ‘This is my time to relax, I belong here’.
Blue Tranquility Spa Treatment captures the flowsand ebbs
of waters in the turquoise bay of Anguilla
Theatrical Sunsets
In the evenings guests gather at the Sunset Lounge set on a bluff overlooking both Barnes and Meads Bays. Meeting with friends who had checked in a few days earlier, we ordered from the bar, fruit punch swirled with aged rum. Then we took a front row seat to enjoy a theatrical sunset of fiery hues and gold fringed clouds over the rippling Caribbean Sea, while sampling hand rolled sushi. Dinner that evening was at Coba, the resort’s signature open air dining restaurant and seafood grill, sitting on a cliff overlooking the sea. In its modern eclectic setting, we started with Anguillan spicy conch ceviche, then I had a main course of grilled local grouper, closing with a lemon grass crème brulee. After dinner we headed to the Sunset pool deck and laid back in comfy lounge chairs while over digestifs, planned our outings for the next few days.
The Private Villas At The Four Seasons Anguilla
The following morning my friends invited me over for breakfast on the deck of their beautifully appointed beachfront villa on Barnes Bay Beach at the Resort. With their busy work schedules and frequent business trips, they have been looking forward to spending quality time together as a family. A few feet away on the beach their children built sandcastles beside the lapping waves with their doting grandparents beside them, and in the distance colourful sailboats glided over the azure waters. Their 5 bedroom 2-storey villa with infinity swimming pool and whirlpool had generous spaces for entertaining indoor and outdoor in a private setting. Holding up to 12 persons comfortably it is ideal for multi-generational families holidaying together. The in-residence chefs were attentive to all our needs and full catering along with 24-hour concierge service was provided by the Resort.
Later that morning I headed to the Spa overlooking Meads Bay for a Blue Tranquility Spa Treatment that captures the flows and ebbs of waters in the turquoise bays of Anguilla in the massage movements by the therapist. This gentle and flowing massage on a table by the outside pool overlooked the sea, lulled me into a state of relaxation and peace, drifting me off into dreamland.
Lunch By Shell Beach Bar
Renewed and refreshed, having built up an appetite, the menu at the Half Shell Beach Bar was tempting. This intimate hideaway on Barnes Bay — open for lunch — serves up a selection of salads, wraps, and beers, a few feet from the lapping waves and is also available for private dinners by candle light. Asking my waiter about Anguillians favourite pastime, he shared with me details on the annual round-the-island boat races starting at Sandy Ground beach, a few minutes drive away with competing teams from across the island of only 15,000 residents.
This large crescent bay with powdery white sand had restaurants and cabanas opposite the beach front. There were over 100 boats anchor-ed, flying the flags of neighbouring islands – St Martin/Sint Marteen, St. Kitts, USA Caribbean territories (Puerto Rico & USVI), French overseas territories (Guadeloupe & Martinique), Antigua, Dominican Republic, Dutch Saba & Sint Eustacius, Dominica, and several other islands. It was the end of May and at this time each year Anguilla celebrates seceding from Federation and becoming a standalone British Overseas Territory. Visitors come from neighbouring islands to cheer on Anguillian racing teams in their small boats and to celebrate with them Anguilla’s Day of ‘independence’ with barbecues, street dances, playing bands, and lots of watersports. This was one big happy Caribbean family at play and I joined in for the fun! As the winning boats came ashore to cheers and icy cold beer bottles popping open, I would ask the skippers to sign memorabilia items — an ensign, a shirt, a cup — as keepsakes of this happy occasion where everyone seemed to know each other as they bantered about the thrills of the race.
Dinner At Bamboo With Live Entertainment
Back at the Four Seasons — a bit burnt — but beaming with smiles from my afternoon’s outing, I joined my friends for dinner at the Four Season’s beachfront Bamboo Bar & Grill on Meads Bay. Over dinner we shared our day’s activities. They had gone with the children and grandparents on treasure and scavenger hunts on Meads Bay Beach and the kids had a collection of shells in tow as proof. As we dined under the stars that evening on a delectable seafood buffet, looking around you could see generations of families and friends bonding, creating lasting memories on their Caribbean vacation. In a world of busy lives where family time is limited, it is moments like these you realize how important vacations are in bring families and friends together. The live band nudged up the volume a bit and the musicians serenaded us with calypso music and led us to the dance floor to move our hips in a Zumba like workout to island beats.
A Day of Sailing – Anguilla Style
Eager to enjoy the sea as Anguillians do, my friends and I chartered a catamaran and set out after breakfast to discover nearby islets and cays with our own attendant skipper and crew. We headed out first to nearby Scilly Cay with its boat landing and walls lined with pretty pink conch shells. There we spent the morning snorkelling in the shallow crystalline clear baby blue water – a perfect setting to introduce the kids to water-based activities, while the crew entertained and fed us with a selection of island rhythms and tasty bites. We then continued to Sandy Island, 15 minutes from Sandy Ground. With its large thatched gazebo and sand beneath our feet, we felt we were marooned in paradise. There we dined in a picnic themed style on grilled lobsters washed down with lagers, alongside day visitors from nearby islands that included jet setters from St. Barthélémy and super yachters from the British Virgin Islands. After lunch we laid in hammocks swaying in a light breeze under coconut tree fronds on this cloudless day as we enjoyed the steel pan band playing island favourites, and watched guests playing games of volleyball. In the afternoon we headed out to sea again – to the Prickly Cays covered in scrubland, some 6 miles from Anguilla. These wild and natural sandy cays are a marine protected area and was like a safari experience for the kids, who loved spotting the many birds – brown pelicans, brown boobies, laughing gulls, and terns – and giggles as they pointed out the colourful ground lizards scurrying around in the vegetation. Our swim in nearby reefs revealed an oasis of marine life with an abundance of turtles, stingrays, eels, barracuda, angelfish, groupers, squirrelfish, butterflyfish, tarpon, mangrove snapper, and grunts.
Returning ‘Home’ To The Four Seasons
After a long day exploring at sea in the sun, returning ‘home’ to the comforts of the Four Seasons was a blissful delight. With luxury bathroom toiletries, plush bed robes and slippers, I ended my day with dinner ordered from the in-room menu, served on my patio on a balmy evening with moon light flickering through the trees. As I flipped through pictures captured on my mobile phone, one special memory of my holiday in Anguilla will remain with me — how easy it was to make friends at Anguilla Day celebrations — where everyone had a pleasant smile and offered words of encouragement at the end of the boat race, whether their team won or lagged behind. Holidaying among Anguillians is like coming home to your extended family. A family waiting to share their island warmth and generous hospitality with all who take the time to come ashore to visit them on this island paradise. — JP