Antigua
Caribbean


The Experience

It’s a rocky road from the airport, but once inside the property’s 15 beach-bound acres, it’s all about clean lines and minimalist chic. In this sister property of London’s One Aldwych, Gordon Campbell Gray brings his contemporary aesthetic to the Caribbean and turns traditional island design upside down. You’ll cross a Japanese bridge, where carp play in the waters below, to a vast entrance area, then inhale the scent of orchids artistically placed by the grand piano. Continue to the tropical gardens, where you’ll find a leather-seated movie screening room and a cool library with Internet stations. Here, even the curved beach takes on a sleek look of its own.

The Rooms

Not surprisingly, the same contemporary feel continues on to the 88 suites, dressed in color schemes of sheer fabric: blue, lilac, gold or green tones, with off-white walls and black-and-white photos of island plants. A strong shot of color comes with a single orchid plant on a chrome-and-glass coffee table alongside Zen-placed pieces of fresh fruit and tangled bougainvillea growing outside the balcony glass doors. Still, the effect is warm, especially with so much space: Suites start at a huge 730 square feet, and everyone gets a view of the sea with a balcony. Your best bet: the third floor suites, where you can see the sweep of beach above the palm trees. And don’t worry about children disturbing you: The Ocean Suites are for couples only.

The Service

Though service is leisurely, getting the details right is a management obsession here, from perfectly plumped pillows to a front desk staff that solves concerns before they become problems. There are English-trained nannies as well as a children’s program called the Cool Kids Club -- even they get to have a dose of chic.

The Highlights

Whether here as a couple or family, everyone has plenty room to bike and hike (often through the nearby rain forest with Carlisle Bay’s environmental officer), play on the nine tennis courts, snorkel or shell-collect. The sense of style and design carries over to the first-rate restaurants, in the open-air Indigo on the Beach or the formal East, where chairs with fuchsia pink slipcovers make the eye pop. Both are presided over by Chef Barnaby Jones, who cooked at the three-star Michel Bras Laguiole, but East is the more adventuresome culinary experience, blending Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese. To savor some flavors outdoors, a 30-foot Grady powerboat takes guests for a champagne picnic in a spot that trades contemporary chic for something even cooler: privacy.

--Sandra Hart

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