The resort, seemingly plucked from some Asian beauty spot, is now run by Aman Resorts, purveyor of stylish hideaways. This one, on the northwest tip of Providenciales, is the company’s first venture into the Caribbean, though it has a further 17 hotels, mainly in Asia. It is now building 33 houses to go with the 40 rooms of the resort. Fourteen of the villas have already been snapped up, not by footballers — or their wives — but people such as Lord Rothschild, New York bankers and Canadian businessmen. So what do you get for your money? “People aren’t buying as an investment,” admits Michel Neutelings, chief operating officer of Amanyara. “If they rent it out for 30 per cent of the year, they might break even on their monthly fees. What we offer is a hassle-free purchase, where we take care of everything, including the furnishing and the staff.”

What you also get is a permanent base at probably the most elegant place in the world to winter. Amanyara is set in 99 acres, bordering a national park. There is a white sandy beach caressed by a turquoise sea. The diving, snorkelling and fishing are among the best in the world. There is a cinema for 30 people, two floodlit clay tennis courts and a gym. A spa and golf course are being built. There are Hobie cats or kayaks to borrow on the beach.

But this is not a place to be energetic. It is a refined haven designed by the Belgian architect Jean-Michel Gathy. Its centrepiece is a large welcoming pavilion, like an open-air cathedral. This leads to a lake surrounded on two sides by a restaurant and a library. All of these are built with white columns and pitched roofs covered in tiling of grey wallaba wood from Guyana.

Opposite the pavilion, on the other side of the lake, is the largest and most striking swimming pool that I have ever seen, made from batu candi, a volcanic stone from Indonesia. It seems to merge with the Caribbean. On three sides are gazebos, ideal spots to enjoy an Amanyara cooler, a drink made of grapefruit, mint and lime. At night the public areas are illuminated by the incredible lighting created by Flaming Beacon, an Australian company.

The villas’ design pays homage to Pierre Koenig’s 1950s Case Study House No 21. Each bedroom is a self-contained unit, with glass sliding windows on three sides and terrazzo flooring interspersed with strips of wood. They all have their own version of the volcanic swimming pool, more modest at 20m long. Then there is a larger building in the middle of the compound, doubling as a dining and drawing room. Each room either looks out on the sea or on a lake, especially created and filled with salt water to discourage mosquitoes.

The staff consist of a cook, butler and maid. As an owner, you can have your own wines cellared for you, and they prepare delightful Asian-style meals. At Amanyara, laundry, telephone calls, wireless broadband and the mini-bar are free. So perhaps there is a possibility of getting a return on your money. It may not be the cheapest way to get your smalls washed for nothing, but it certainly is the most enjoyable.

Aman Resorts has only a few property- buying opportunities at its resorts. The best comparison is at Amanpuri in Thailand, where the hotel has 40 rooms and 30 villas. There have been only five resales in 18 years. Maybe Amanyara is a good investment after all. The Rothschilds have hardly acquired a reputation for blowing their inheritance over the years.

When it was time for us to leave Amanyara my wife refused to budge, saying that our three young children could “fend for themselves”. I managed to force her off the sun-lounger and back through the hell of Miami airport. Now she wanders around our house sighing like the Caribbean Sea. She has become an Aman junkie, desperate for her next fix. I shall have to set up a private equity fund and start arbitrating or arbitraging or whatever it is that bankers do.

Details: www.amanyaravillas.com, 001 649 941 7952

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