best bed: Jumby Bay Island, Antigua, West Indies

 

Jumby Bay is that rare place that ticks every luxury box. Perfectly! It sits on all 300 acres of the fifth largest island in Antigua. The resort feels remote, but actually isn’t. It is only a 5 minute drive then a 7 minute sail from the main terminal. It’s even closer to the private airport. Yet while it is a private-plane-people kind of place, it is never pretentious. Everyone  is amazingly friendly and welcoming. Christopher Columbus stopped by in 1463. Brits tried, pretty unsuccessfully to grow sugar cane. In the 1980’s someone attempted a resort. Yet it wasn’t until the whole Island and all its resources were bought by the homeowners that it became a sensation. The Oetker Collection manages it impeccably on their behalf. Laid back Caribbean style on the surface; I can only imagine the paddling going on underneath to keep thing running as perfectly and seemingly effortlessly as they do.  There is every luxury you’d expect of a five star property. But there is so much more. Endangered sea turtles nest here. There is a renowned conservation program on Pasture Bay Beach (trips can be arranged for guests). Black-headed Persian sheep wander; White Egrets & Blue Pelicans abound. No cars. Golf carts and bicycles are the main form of transportation. Like so many visitors, I was tempted to ask about home ownership…staying forever is  so tempting. A huge reno was done in 2019. Jumby closes 6 weeks each year for updates.

Number of Rooms: 28 suites & Villas (2-4 bedrooms, resort all-inclusive experience), 22 private residences available to rent that come with their own staff including a chef and butler and access to the resort amenities.

Sweet Suite: All the suites are similar in style, they differ by location, size and whether or not they have a private pool. The villas and residences are all unique. Décor depends on the taste of the owner but all are of a high standard. I toured many and particularly liked Lazy Lizard. For a group or family they can be very good value.

Favorite Thing: Taittinger is the house champagne, Casamigos the house tequila… frankly I don’t know why you’d drink anything else! But if you want to… the for-purchase wine list is broad, deep and particularly strong in $100-300 a bottle wines.

Near By: oddly the airport… it’s only twelve minutes away but you never even hear a plane. This is a self-contained island that offers pretty much everything you’ll want. However, if you’d like to explore Antigua it’s only a 7 minute boat ride away and excursions are easily arranged.

Amenities: there is a laundry list of activities that include yoga classes, kayak tours, water skiing, snorkeling trip, rum tastings, specialty dinners, cooking classes…most are included. Every morning guests are sent an email detailing the days offerings. tennis courts, 3 main restaurants, room service, kids club, spa, fitness center, lap pool

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https://www.oetkercollection.com/hotels/jumby-bay-island/