Ultra-luxury eco sanctuaries, Caribbean islands that sway to a timeless beat, five-diamond all-inclusive resorts where “hassle-free” is the mantra…. Today’s well-heeled traveler, however they define luxury, is “in search of the luxury of choice, not necessarily opulence or excessive wealth,” says Brett Armitage, CCO for Kerzner International. They are looking for “remote, quiet and less-crowded destinations,” adds Paul Pennicook, CEO for the Curaçao Tourist Board, with Glen Beache, CEO for St. Vincent & the Grenadines Tourism Authority, noting that right now, with “everything that’s going on in the world, it’s about getting away from everything.” The following is a handful of retreats and destinations that transport travelers to a place where they can kick-back, relax and explore…at their own pace, in their own space.
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One&Only Mandarina—Beachfront Jungle Setting
During this past August’s Virtuoso Travel Week, it seemed that everyone I spoke with was talking about the newly opened, cliffside One&Only Mandarina, which swung open its doors last November on an undiscovered stretch of coastline in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. Here, your ultra-luxury clients will find 105 eco-designed, stand-alone treehouses and clifftop villas—either elevated amongst the canopy or perched cliffside. Accommodations feature private plunge pools and terraces, floor-to-ceiling windows, glass walls and expansive bathrooms—all framing the natural surroundings. The interiors showcase custom woodwork and artefacts by local designers. For those who want room to roam, the 18,000+-sq.-ft., 3-bedroom Villa One has an infinity pool, private spa and gym, full screen cinema, wine cellar and outdoor dining terrace. If your clients are looking for a more intimate space, the 3,600+-sq.-ft. Villa Pacifico sleeps up to eight guests and features two private swimming pools, a full-screen cinema and outdoor covered dining terrace with barbeque grill.
“One&Only Mandarina is unlike anything else in the surrounding area,” says Armitage. It’s “built seamlessly within a beachfront jungle setting, blending resort-chic living with tropical relaxation and authentic outdoor adventures. We invite guests of the resort to immerse themselves in the Riviera Nayarit on a path of their choosing—adventure, wellness, culinary, leisure, or a combination of the aforementioned, perfectly tailored to their desires.
“Additionally, the resort was designed with privacy in mind. Today’s traveler is now accustomed to having their own space to explore and relax and One&Only Mandarina can accommodate these needs seamlessly with expansive layouts that merge indoor and outdoor living spaces.”
Other onsite treats? There’s a handful of F&B venues, including Carao from Mexican chef Enrique Olvera, as well as the botanical bar, The Treetop, with sweeping views of the coastline. There’s also a Jetty Beach Club, with two pools; the One&Only Spa, situated in a natural volcanic rock garden and featuring six isolated, enclosed treatment rooms under the canopy of large Higuera trees; and the KidsOnly club. And activities, from hiking to La Abuela (the “Grandmother Tree”) with an expert guide who shares knowledge about the ancient trees and the different species of endemic plants and birds found along the way, to mountain biking as well as paddleboarding and kayaking, abound.
“The entire resort has been thoughtfully designed and built to respect, celebrate and blend with the landscape, rather than reshape it, allowing nature to take center stage,” says Armitage.
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Le Blanc Spa Resorts—Surpassing Expectations
Ask Frank Corzo, v.p. of U.S. field sales at Palace Resorts, what makes the hotel group’s adults-only Le Blanc Spa Resorts ideal for today’s luxury traveler, and he notes, it “redefines ‘luxury all-inclusive.’
“From the moment our guests arrive, they are whisked away by their own personal butler to show them their jaw-dropping accommodations, all equipped with only the finest amenities, including BVLGARI bath amenities, a jacuzzi, endless views of the ocean and, of course, the best butler at your beck and call.”
He adds that vacationing at a luxury all-inclusive means hassle-free and “today’s luxury travelers want to keep it easy and stress free.” It’s all about “no-frills planning.”
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He cites the many amenities that come with a visit to both the Cancun and Los Cabos properties; first and foremost, “the luxurious spa experience. Our spa sets the bar high when it comes to being pampered with self-care. Our spa includes treatment rooms, hydrotherapy facilities that include hot and cold plunge pools, herbal steam room, chromotherapy, sauna music therapy, an ice room, pressure showers, and a relaxation lounge.” He points, too, to the “decadent cuisine. Here, food is an art, and we make sure each meal is a masterpiece.”
Beyond those luxe amenities, what is front and center for all travelers is health and safety, notes Corzo. He says that the hotel group “has seen a shift when it comes to travel advisors selling luxury. Not only are they positioning the luxury amenities that come standard with a five-diamond resort, but now agents are looking to ensure they book their clients at a luxury resort that is also placing safety, security and health protocols first. Agents want to guarantee their clients that the resort they will visit is going above and beyond to follow CDC & WHO guidelines.” On that note, he points to the group’s health and safety protocols, Purely Le Blanc, which includes over 140 preventive cleanliness measures, and “goes above and beyond the stringent quality controls already in place, ensuring the health and safety all guests and team members.”
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Belmond in the Caribbean—Safe Havens
The two Belmond properties on St. Martin and Anguilla—La Samanna and Cap Juluca, respectively—are boutique, “very dynamic” and offer a “safe haven” for today’s travelers, as Francisco Sa Teixeira, Belmond’s area director for sales, Caribbean, says. These are “convenient hideaways; pristine and secluded,” and that’s what people want, he says, adding that they also want to be “alfresco, off the beaten path.”
The 108-key Cap Juluca, which wraps around a stunning Caribbean beach, offers 2- to 5-bedroom villas and casitas, including beachfront private villas that come with a fully equipped kitchen, spacious dining areas and private pools, all steps away from the beach. There are four onsite restaurants, including a Peruvian restaurant, Uchu—which has undergone enhancements. Anguilla “is all about seafood,” he says, and with Belmond’s “huge footprint in Peru” it makes sense to have a Peruvian restaurant here.
Clients looking for remoteness can opt for the Sailing to Prickly Pear experience, which will have them sailing to one of Anguilla’s uninhabited islands where they’ll go snorkeling, birdwatching and swimming with turtles.
At La Samanna, offering 89 accommodations and oozing with an artsy vibe, Sa Teixeira points to the Escape to Tintamarre experience. It’s a pre-dawn boat road to the uninhabited island of Tintamarre, a former mid-century aviation strip in the Saint Martin Nature Reserve, where your clients will start the day off with a breakfast picnic and then snorkel with rare hawksbill turtles and stingrays. They’ll be guided by a local marine conservationist from the Saint Martin Nature Reserve and, if it’s mating season, will have the opportunity to spot majestic humpback whales.
For clients with very deep pockets, recommend the 3-bedroom cottages or 3- or 4-bedroom Private Pool Villas, which are over 4,600 sq. ft. and come with wraparound terraces and a private infinity pool.
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The Cove & The Reef—Embodying Luxury
Nestled between two private beaches and offering 600 luxury suites with balconies and floor-to-ceiling ocean views, The Cove, says Bryan Gay, sr. v.p. of sales at Atlantis Paradise Island, “embodies luxury and elegance at every turn.” While The Reef, he says, offers guests “a home-away-from-home feel where they can choose between residential-style studios and suites with kitchenettes or full kitchens with stunning views.” He notes, too, that those staying at The Reef have “the added benefits of a standalone, zero-entry Cascades pool and easy access to Paradise Beach,” while The Cove features an adults-only pool with 20 cabanas.
Atlantis, which spans close to 200 acres with five miles of white-sand beaches, is ideal for today’s luxury traveler, says Gay, because of the “level of service and variety of offerings.” He points to the Mandara Spa, the Ocean Club Golf Course, fine dining at Nobu as well as celebrity chef Jose Andres’ FISH, the Marina Village, and the world’s largest open-air marine habitat encompassing over 50,000 aquatic animals.
“Guests have more than enough to do at the property without ever having to leave the resort,” he says.
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Curaçao—Once-in-a-Lifetime Experiences
“Creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences and making those bucket list trips a reality.” That, says Pennicook, is what “luxury in this day and age is focused on.
“Everyone, but especially the wealthy, have been desperate to travel, making bookings and cancellations due to the inability to have the full experience they originally signed up for.”
Curaçao, which is welcoming an array of new hotels, is ideal for your luxury clients, says Pennicook, for “many reasons. The destination is still gaining familiarity with North American travelers, therefore, it offers an exclusive feel and never a crowded experience. With more than 30 beaches to explore, more than 60 dive sites on the island, a thriving culture and culinary scene, as well as rich history and seasoned tour operators, the destination is primed for luxury travel. Not to mention, Curaçao offers accommodations to meet all kinds of demand, from five-star luxury hotels and posh villas in remote areas to penthouse suites overlooking the ocean.”
Among the hotel openings is the Sandals Royal Curaçao, set for an April 2022 debut. The resort will offer the hotel group’s famed Love Next Luxury Suites such as the Awa Seaside Bungalows and the Kurason Island Suites, and suite guests will have access to a complimentary MINI Cooper for exploring the island on their own. These types of upgrades, says Pennicook, are important, because “luxury upgrades, privacy and safety, personalization, culture, cuisine…are top of mind for the affluent traveler.”
St. Vincent & the Grenadines—Laid-back Atmosphere
St. Vincent & the Grenadines might be known for its laid-back atmosphere, but don’t let that fool you because it’s home to some of the most elegant resorts in the Caribbean—think Mandarin Oriental Canouan, Cotton House and Firefly Bequia. Virtual hideaways…and that’s just how visitors to the destination like it, says Beache. “Our tagline, ‘The Caribbean You’re Looking For,’” he says, “is to showcase that this destination is the Caribbean as it was 40 years ago. Our niche is not mass tourism. We are not overrun by tourists, and because of that, your every need is attended to.
“I think luxury right now,” he continues, “is about peace of mind as well as an experience that’s unique to you” He points to a visitor to the destination who anchored his super-yacht off an island, which he rented, so his children could play on the island. So, the island, he says, “was basically a playground for their children, so they wouldn’t have to stay on the yacht all the time. That’s what you call ultra-luxury.”
For those clients who might not be able to rent a whole island, the Mandarin Oriental Canouan does offer a “getting away from it all” feel, with its 3-story, 4-bedroom Colonial-style Lagoon Villa tucked away on a secluded hillside setting. The villa offers a private infinity pool, a private lift, up to two golf carts and an array of amenities.