Peter Island Resort in the British Virgin Islands has created the ultimate Caribbean villa.
By Edward Schmidt Jr.
As far as Caribbean private island getaways go, Peter Island Resort, a 35-minute boat ride from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, has the requisite enticements. For starters, the amenities menu includes private sandy beaches, a large yacht marina, oceanfront spa, gourmet dining and luxury appointed hotel and villa rooms.
Celebs like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos and Robert De Niro have basked in Peter Island’s Isolated tropical interpretation of “la dolce vita.” And with the recent arrival of the Falcon’s Nest, a luxurious mountaintop villa, the resort has soared even higher on the opulence barometer.
STRATOS checked into the six-bedroom, 21,645-square-foot, cream-colored, stucco villa called Falcon’s Nest, complete with infinity pool and million-dollar views of the turquoise Caribbean Sea and lush, green islands in the distance.
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Following a breezy golf cart ride up a steep, paved road, I stand in my blue and yellow, resort gift, flip flops gazing at the magnificent edifice before me, a six-bedroom, 21,645-square-foot, cream-colored, stucco villa. A few steps inside the spacious open-themed living room, I peer through large windows at a view that encompasses an infinity pool, the turquoise Caribbean Sea and lush, green islands in the distance.
The living room is a blend of contemporary design and Caribbean furnishings, looking part South Beach, part chic British Virgin Islands. Marble floors, intricate mosaics in the entry foyer and teakwood appointments throughout contribute to an understated, yet elegant ambiance.
Designed for 12 people, Falcon’s Nest’s six private bedrooms each feature their own balcony, large flat screen televisions and over-the-top bathrooms brimming with granite and marble appointments highlighted by an LED-lit “rain shower” and infinity whirlpool. In addition, there are also nanny’s quarters, a media room, spa rooms and an exercise room.
While the villa is secluded atop a cliff away from the resort core, guests never feel detached with a designated staff that includes an 18-hour-a-day attendant, valet, chef, grounds man and a 24-hour private chauffeured vehicle on standby. Falcon’s Nest bon vivant lifestyle and battalion of service personnel will cost you $20,000 a night during the holiday season (December 20-January 3) and $9,100 a night during the off season (May 1-October 31).
With an on-site chef, I find myself anticipating every meal as much as luxuriating in the infinity pool. Villa guests can choose to utilize the professional grade kitchen on their own or use the services of Chef Flo Gstrein, a marvelously talented 24-year old Austrian, who worked in restaurants as a child and trained in Europe.
On my second evening, Gstrein prepared a sumptuous gourmet feast that refuses to leave my culinary memory bank even weeks later. Seated with other guests around a massive table carved from slabs of English Elm, the parade of creative dishes starts with Blue Fin tuna and mango tartare, followed by a chilled cantaloupe and pink ginger soup, an entrée of basil infused beef tenderloin and black tiger shrimp concluding with the best Key Lime pie outside of Key West.
In the middle of the meal, when Gstrein peeks through the kitchen door to check on us, without prompting, the group simultaneously raises their glasses of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in unison to salute the memorable dinner.
While the inside of Falcon’s Nest, with all it’s luxury trappings is difficult to leave, I, like most guests, as I was told by interim general manager Magnus Olovson, gravitate to the outdoor terrace and the infinity pool where there’s a bar, swim up bar, covered grill, Jacuzzi and a huge rock formation with a waterfall. I will always regret not taking the opportunity to dine al fresco on char grilled lobster tails, Angus beef steaks and a chilled French white wine selected by Olovson, a wine connoisseur, who learned his trade at the Hotel Negresco in Nice.
Away from the villa, the resort offers a wide variety of activities including five private beaches, snorkeling trips, jeep rentals, sailing, scuba and deep-sea fishing excursions, hiking and biking on designated island paths and shopping and golf on nearby St. Thomas via helicopter transport.
I highly recommend a day-trip to the resort’s spa (it’s actually only a three-minute, chauffer-driven ride away). Overlooking a stunning stretch of beach, the Spa at Peter Island claims it “will put you in synchronicity with the sea, the sand and your natural rhythms.” Indeed, I felt that sensation following a Fresh Coconut Rub, a body polish made of freshly shredded coconut, turmeric and other aromatic spices. It was the perfect antidote for my sunburned, wind-swept skin compliments of too much time spent on sailboats and lounging around infinity pools.
Following a full body revitalization, there’s much to do on the 1,800-acre island, a lush expanse of hillsides dotted with swaying palms, seagrapes and cactus. My favorite spot, a few minutes from Falcon’s Nest, is The Loop, where 20 Adirondack chairs are lined up atop a grassy cliff for sunset viewing parties. Off-island, no visit to the B.V.I. (as locals and regulars refer to the more than 60 islands, cays and islets) is complete without a snorkeling trip to Norman Island, Robert Louis Stevenson’s inspiration for “Treasure Island” and nearby Indians, a cluster of four large rocks rising 50 feet above the ocean. The shallow, gin clear waters allow even the most inexperienced diver to successfully immerse in a world of colorful fish and sea life.
If you’re looking for the ultimate, secluded, luxury villa as far away from the Caribbean tourist hordes as you can get, Falcon’s Nest was designed for you. After three luxurious days of pampering, I’m firmly convinced; it was definitely designed for me.
STRATOS Details
Peter Island Resort
British Virgin Islands
(800) 346-4451
www.peterisland.com
FBO Info:
Tortola Terrance Lettsome International
Airport Services, 284-495-1796
Air Sunshine, 284-495-8900