Cabot Saint Lucia – Saint Lucia
As one of the leading creators and operators of residential, resort and golf communities, Cabot has built a strong reputation for dramatic golf courses and beautifully crafted homes embedded into striking, unspoiled natural surroundings.
After huge success in Canada’s Nova Scotia, with Cabot Cape Breton, the brand is now turning its attention to the Caribbean with the launch of Cabot St Lucia in 2022.
The newest outpost from the multi-award-winning brand is set to transform Saint Lucia’s entire hospitality scene. With an 18-hole golf course, private residences and a cutting-edge design hotel — this will be one of the most talked-about new developments in the Caribbean.
Situated on rugged Point Hardy, a dramatic 375- acre peninsula on the northern tip of the Caribbean island, the thoughtfully planned resort community is surrounded by raw, untouched natural beauty.
It includes a spectacular golf course designed by renowned architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, a residential community with 300 memberships, and a boutique hotel designed by acclaimed British architect Richard Evans. In addition to custom-built homes, the property offers turnkey villas with a naturally modern design that embraces the coastal, secluded, and rustic elements of the site.
Health and wellness offerings will be abundant throughout the resort, with a vibrant Beach Club, rejuvenating spa and fitness facility, steam and sauna, and sports programme. With no personal vehicles on the resort, there will be bicycles, golf carts and other club transportation for guest use.
The addition of 40 luxury guest accommodations offering one-, two- and three-bedroom suites will enable visitors to also enjoy the exclusive location, beach facilities and the elegant restaurants as well as being able to play the dramatic golf course.
Etéreo, Auberge Resorts Collection – Riviera Maya, Mexico
Etéreo, from Auberge Resorts Collection, is set to open this year on a pristine Caribbean oceanfront site in Riviera Maya. The brand’s third luxury resort in Mexico will be located within the new luxury Kanai development and just 30 miles from Cancun International Airport.
Each of the accommodations at Etéreo has dramatic views of a protected mangrove forest that skirts along a pristine stretch of the Caribbean Sea. Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows framing the natural and ancient landscape, large terraces, private plunge pools and expansive sliding doors, the guest rooms offer next-level luxury accommodation in the area.
The design elements of the hotel have been tastefully curated by the team at Meyer Davis and will combine regionally inspired materials and works with luxurious, contemporary aesthetics. With the overriding theme paying homage to Mexican artists, designers and natural offerings, the gastronomic experiences will also reflect the seasonal and local fare. Wrapped around the trunk of an age-old tree, Mayan-inspired signature restaurant Itzam offers innovative exploratory flavours and panoramic ocean views from its open-air restaurant, lounge terrace, and private dining room, Pixán. Further exploring the destination’s culture and history, Che Che will revere ‘Nikkei’ tradition and tell the story of techniques of Japan as told through Latin American ingredients.
In a bid to promote more conscious living and celebrate the vibrancy of the Yucatán, the hotel will offer outdoor adventures and activities for guests to get an up-close look at the surrounding nature, or time spent with local artisans learning about their craft. Likewise, the hotel is a stone’s throw away from the region’s largest reef so guests can learn all about reef conservation before lying back on some of the world’s most unrivalled white sand beaches and gazing into the endless turquoise waters.
Palm Heights – Grand Cayman
Palm Heights is a design-led hotel that opened at the end of 2020, but is still considered fresh on the scene given the events of the last couple of years and is definitely worth a mention.
As Grand Cayman’s first beachfront boutique hotel, Creative Director Gabriella Khalil has channelled all the understated glamour of the Caribbean’s glory days to create a truly breathtaking, inspiring, and fun-filled design concept.
Describing it as “beachside bliss with a side order of retro style”, Khalil worked alongside designers Sarita Posada and Courtney Applebaum to develop the design aesthetic and source unique furnishings from across the world. The result is that Palm Heights offers a refined and contemporary update on regional cuisine, art and culture, and lifestyle whilst also throwing in design classics such as Ingo Maurer lights, Mario Bellini sofas and rugs from Ettore Sottsass for that extra-chic twist.
Aside from being eye candy for guests, the hotel is situated on the renowned and pristine Seven Mile Beach, so each suite boasts stunning ocean views, along with generously sized living, bathroom, and bedroom accommodation. With one of the most coveted stretches of white sand beach at your door, guests can indulge in an array of bespoke health, well-being and fitness programmes available at the boutique hotel, or just relax and unwind island-style.
Palm Heights also offers guests three on-site eating and drinking venues; Tillies, a quintessential seaside dining experience with a fresh take on local Caribbean dishes and ingredients; The Coconut Club beach bar and event space and Paradise Pizza, where guests can enjoy a selection of Neapolitan-style pizzas, shawarma flatbreads and daily dishes in Paradise Garden.
Rosewood Little Dix Bay – British Virgin Islands
Rosewood Little Dix Bay reopened in early 2021, following a complete overhaul since it was founded in 1964 by conservationist Laurance Rockefeller. Although stunted by hurricane Irma and the recent pandemic, the new-look Rosewood Little Dix Bay is a must for anyone looking for ultra-luxury accommodation with a conscience on the British Virgin Islands.
The four-year renovation made way for a standout redesign that rivals all its island counterparts, yet still remains loyal to its identity as a leading example of ecotourism. Surrounded by 500 acres of natural gardens, rolling hills, and pristine beaches on the glorified Virgin Gorda, the legendary island escape uses local materials, distinctive colour schemes, authentic artefacts and innovative architectural elements to complement the surrounding landscape.
The property is home to 81 ultra-luxe cottages, suites and villas, all with direct views and access to the beach, plus dedicated butler service. In addition, there are also cliffside spa facilities, six tennis courts and two pools, as well as distinct open-air dining venues, including its signature restaurant Reef House, serving local cuisine with true farm-to-table inspiration; Sugar Mill, an open-air restaurant with an international influence; Pavilion with a menu of global dishes and bold spices; and Rum Room, offering an array of rare rums from around the globe. Furthermore, the hotel has a variety of activities, events and programmes to suit all ages, making Rosewood Little Dix Bay one of the most luxurious, fun, and secluded getaways in the Caribbean.
Having won numerous awards in 2021 for its facilities and amenities, Rosewood Little Dix Bay is the crème de la crème of barefoot luxury and invites guests to relax and unwind in style. For 2022, the hotel has gone one step further and teamed up with New York apparel brand Frolic + Detour to launch their exclusive resort wear collection. With a joint vision to promote sustainability and casual luxury, the two brands have come together to create stylish apparel that not only pays homage to the property’s beautiful setting and distinctive laid-back island lifestyle, but also makes use of some of the highest quality eco-friendly materials available. The stylish apparel is the latest amenity for guests of the resort’s top accommodations, including the two-bedroom suites and three standalone villas, consisting of Columbus House, Laurance House, and Villa Joy.
Kimpton Roatán – Honduras
Owned and developed by Vista Capital, the new Kimpton Roatán opening this year will be a complete reimagining of the existing Grand Roatán Resort and mark the first internationally branded hospitality offering on the island. Known for its enticing white-sand beaches and spectacular waters housing the world’s second-largest great barrier reef, Roatán is an ocean-lover’s paradise. Located just off the northern coast of Honduras in the Caribbean, Roatán is ideal for those looking to combine luxury barefoot living with spectacular nature.
Teeming with outdoor activities on land or at sea, the resort will offer guests an updated take on adventure, whilst also catering to its more relaxed guests. From state-of-the-art water sports facilities, zip wires, and jungle treks to a rooftop sky bar with a glass-fronted pool, a chef-driven restaurant, lounge and beach bars, and a luxurious spa, this new venue will be the crème de la crème of this tropical gem.
While perhaps a lesser-known destination, Roatán has a rich history tracing back to its indigenous Paya peoples and is regarded as the gateway to Central America. The Kimpton Roatán hotel aims to celebrate the island’s diversity and local culture in its thoughtful artwork, incorporating Paya artefacts loaned from the national museum into its destination spa, and its carefully designed sustainability-driving infrastructure, boasting solar technologies, on-site water desalination and eco-friendly touches throughout.
“We’ve long felt the island of Roatán to be one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean,” explained David Dachner, President of Vista Capital. “We were so inspired and impassioned by the local culture here that we wanted to partner with a top operator to bring our vision to life, opening the doors of Roatán to the world. We are so thrilled to have Kimpton join us in this history-making moment, and know that our new resort will soon become a well-known paradise.”
Casa Gyp Sea – Saint Barthélemy
Launching this year, the new Casa Gyp Sea standalone beach villas in St Barth will join the iconic Villa Marie hotel profile. As an island that never loses its allure, St Barth remains one of the world’s most sought-after holiday destinations for the refined traveller.
Discreet, luxurious and boasting year-round sunshine, the tiny island is home to high-end restaurants, a booming yachting community, historical attractions, pristine beaches and authentic French charm.
Already a big name in exclusive accommodation on the island, Villa Marie is introducing the four new standalone villas for 2022, which will add to the luxurious retreat’s already distinguished portfolio.
Casa Gyp Sea will offer beachfront villas in the same luxury boho-chic style as the Gyp Sea Beach Club, which launched in December 2020. Set to become the ultimate hotspot to dine, drink and sleep, the new addition to the hotel makes it a must-visit at the already popular destination.
Nestled between luscious hills surrounding the iconic Bay of Saint-Jean, this hillside retreat offers unparalleled access to an undisturbed stretch of pristine shore at the far end of Pelican Beach. Surrounded by lush vegetation, guests can spend their days relaxing in the tropical gardens, frolicking in azure waters, doing sunrise yoga or just sipping rum and dining on haute cuisine because Casa Gyp Sea, Gyp Sea Beach Club, and Villa Marie have it all.