LUXURY TRAVEL
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company Ceratech is a huge player in Latin America where he was based for many years , before moving back to Dominica 12 years ago .
We were on the island to stay in its exclusive eco-luxury resort , Secret Bay – an in-theknow boutique hotel , which under-the-radar , has won Best Hotel in the Caribbean twice .
The 11-year-old hotel is situated within lush rainforest and accommodation is made up of magnificent individual treehousestyle villas set on stilts amidst the canopy . Residences are skilfully crafted in beautiful sustainably sourced tropical wood , with the finest of fittings . We noted the gourmet bespoke kitchens with Siemens appliances , outdoor rainforest shower and locally crafted beds , made up with the silkiest of sheets .
To get around , golf buggies roll up and down the steep slopes at the drop of a hat , ferrying residents to their luxury hideaways . Each villa is equipped with an iPhone and you WhatsApp requests directly to your dedicated villa host .
Attention to detail is paramount at Secret Bay and I noticed little touches such as helpfully left insect repellent . binoculars ( to appreciate the abundant flora and fauna ) and even brand-new toys provided for my children , which we were urged to take home as special mementos . The talking parrot was a particular hit ( with them , perhaps a little more than with us , to be fair ).
The owner is Gregor Nassief - his father purchased sister hotel Fort Young 32 years ago . Originally from Lebanon , as well as being hoteliers , we learned the family have made inroads in industry and manufacturing , with the brands Colgate and Palmolive . US-educated , Gregor ’ s
Secret Bay was built next to the family ’ s beach residence . Gregor originally bought an initial five acres of land , which included the beach he used to play on as a child and vowed to build a beautiful villa for his then fiancée Sandra . The design for the first villa was actually a wedding gift from Sandra ’ s father , renowned Latin American architect , Fruta Vivas . Such was the success of the first Secret Bay villa , that plans were hatched to add more , thus the eco-luxury haven that would become Secret Bay resort was born .
The resort is run by the affable General Manager Dinesh Kissoon , who joined just after hurricane Maria hit the island in 2017 . Dinesh talks a lot about Secret Bay ’ s USP – ‘ the luxury of time and space ’, where guests can totally switch off and unwind ( 7-10 nights is the average break ). Chatting over our dinner in the no-menu concept Zing Zing restaurant ( he regularly joins guests ) we learned Secret Bay started with just four villas and no amenities . The team looked benevolently at the storm damage , and said it gave the hotel the chance to evolve . And evolve it did , joining luxe group Relais and Chateaux soon after in 2019 . Secret Bay currently works with 23 tour operators , but this number is growing .
Sherina ( our dedicated host ) dutifully prepared our breakfast from the organic basket helpfully left for us , which included farm fresh eggs , organic fruit , homemade granola ( best we had ever tasted ), natural yoghurt and mouth-watering sour sop ( a local fruit ) and watermelon juices . All hosts are local ladies and will also look after little ones while you relax for up to four hours per day with an additional charge .
Issue 56 2023 THE ART OF LUXURY