[ON LOCATION] LYDIA GREGORY
Arjun Channa, GM of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, knows a thing or two about first impressions. During a recent visit to the property, Channa led us to a balcony off the Palazzo main building—formerly the Grand Palazzo hotel—for a sweeping view of the entire resort. Justifiably proud, he pointed out the highlights and shared how, after two hurricanes and a pandemic, the hotel is finally showing off its $100 million transformation (2019) to the world. This includes completely revamped public spaces, guest rooms and suites, the addition of the scintillating Alloro Sicilian Restaurant and the grab-and-go Southwind, a new slide in the family pool (hello, incentive groups!) and the renovation of the Ocean Pavilion outdoor event space (to the tune of $250K), to list just a few.
Only 35 minutes from the Cyril E. King International Airport, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas has 180 luxurious guest rooms and suites done up in subtle earth tones, pale grays and whites with the occasional pop of color, four oceanfront eateries, 10,000-sf-plus of indoor/outdoor meeting and event space (ocean views all around), an 11-room spa with a full-service salon and a seaside cabin, fitness center, tennis courts, an aquatic center for non-motorized sports in the lagoon-like waters, a quiet infinity-edge pool to go along with the fun family pool, and two very particular extras: The first-ever Topgolf Swing Suite in the Caribbean, with access to 80 18-hole virtual games for parties of up to eight people with its full-swing golf simulator technology—oh the teambuilding opportunities!—and the Lady Lynsey II, a sleek 65-ft catamaran capable of hosting up to 80 people for a champagne sunset cruise with gourmet bites, visits to the surrounding islands or any number of custom adventures. Add to this The Ritz-Carlton signature service, and it’s a VIP incentive travel planner’s dream come true.
My Club One Bedroom Suite King had two balconies that overlooked the resort and Great Bay, two bathrooms—one with a massive soaking tub and a rain shower head in the glassed-in shower, double vanities, mini fridge, coffee maker and delicious spa robes. But there’s more to this resort than luxury and service—for Channa, it’s all about connecting with the guest. Our meeting with him and his staff in the massive 3-bedroom, 5-bath Presidential Suite (there are four) on our first evening, for example, came with a surprise: Framed pictures of ourselves displayed in the living room, a personalized touch that’s the tip of the iceberg where Channa is concerned, who works closely with his staff to “create guests for life.”
The next day, a tour of the island guided by the inimitable Kathy was followed by a stint in a well-appointed oceanview cabana—one of 11 perched around the infinity and family pools—and a sunset sail on Lady Lynsey II complete with the aforementioned champagne and gourmet bites. The evening ended with a toes-in-the-sand VIP dinner experience under the seagrape trees (think tender lobster tail and steak) and—true to Channa’s ethos of connectivity—a gathering around a bonfire, which included deep conversations and meditation with our small group that did indeed create connections.
The next morning, we took a tiny Cape Air puddle-jumper to the San Juan International Airport (highly recommended—the views from the low-flying aircraft are unmatched) for the second half of our trip: A stay at the exquisite 96-beachfront suite and residence Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, one of only five in the world and the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in the Americas when it opened in 2012.
After popping into my East Beach Plunge Reserve suite—allow me to mention the outdoor rain shower, the massive soaking tub and the floor-to-ceiling pocket sliding glass doors that open completely to the outdoor seating area, a private infinity-edge plunge pool and the waves crashing just beyond the palm trees—we golf-carted over to La Cocina Gourmet Culinary Center. Here, marketing manager Dominique Myatt explained, small groups (no more than 10 at a time) can gather to explore elevated Puerto Rican cooking using locally sourced ingredients with chef Elliot, who prepared a multi-course gourmet lunch paired with Dorado Beach Chateau D’Esclans rosé, which has a history as illustrious as the resort itself (the names Livingston, Rockefeller and Earhart are involved).
The afternoon was dedicated to the Spa Botanico, a luxurious enclave where guests are greeted by a century-old ficus tree that leads into the Apothecary Portal, which in turn opens up into a reflecting pool and gardens planted with fragrant herbs and sweet pineapples. Perfectly private and Insta-worthy, this is an ideal spot for a VIP cocktail. I was there for a Manos Santas Apothecary Ritual, a relaxing massage with a custom oil infused with fresh botanicals. The stand-alone spa cabanas tucked in among the greenery themselves are worthy of an entire paragraph, and never mind the Purification Gardens with warm and cool pools, steam pavilions and waterfall showers. In short, your incentive clients will be thoroughly enchanted.
And, truth be told, Dorado Beach does its utmost to ensure that spell stays with attendees long after they’ve gone home. Kathy Girona, manager of meetings & special events, has made it her business to find unique amenities to make them recall their stay. A small, hand-carved wooden map of Puerto Rico with an attendee’s name burned into it will appear at turndown topped with delectable chocolates from La Cocina Gourmet, a soft spa robe tucked away in the walk-in closet can be embroidered with an attendee’s name, the menu at the dinner table on the Surf Lawn Terrace has a small wooden pineapple as a place card with the attendee’s name etched into it.… That particular dinner was a 3-course meal with Caribbean lobster with saffron beurre blanc and Wagyu tenderloin with black truffle jus, another taste of what chef Elliot and his team can whip up for groups.
With 50 lush beachfront acres to play with and a superb collection of accommodations from 5-bedroom villas to penthouses to plunge pool guest rooms and even king-king connectors (the only resort in the Caribbean to offer these), four eateries including the toes-in-the-sand Positivo Sand Bar, COA, their signature restaurant, and the new Flor de Sal focused on Italian dishes and exotic salts sourced from around the world, three pools and two beaches to pick from, TPC Championship golf courses, a luxury 4,558-sf ballroom and endless outdoor venues, there’s no shortage of options for meetings, executive retreats and incentive trips. And, because this resort is a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, you know it all comes wrapped up in the finest service straight from the heart of your Caribbean hosts.
ritzcarlton.com