IT IS AMAZING how quickly a bottle of cold beer can wash away the painful memory of a 14-hour flight, especially when you are sitting in the back of a speedboat heading towards a Caribbean paradise. I was off to work as it happens, but the office seemed a distant memory as I sped through the turquoise sea towards the pristine white sand in the distance.
Ahead lay the island of Anguilla, which, thankfully for me, is the site of a new development that will set new standards of excellence for luxurious island homes in the West Indies. The $200 million (£105 million) Viceroy Anguilla is being built on 27 acres of land along 3,000ft of coastline in the Leeward Islands. When completed at the end of 2007, there will be 115 properties for sale, with studios, one, two, and three-bed room apartments, four penthouses and 21 villas. I was expecting a building site, but was relieved to find that the bungalow where I was staying — one of three built to house potential buyers — was stunning. However, it is only a temporary structure and will be demolished soon to make way for the real resort.
It was good to see that the floral bedspreads and flouncy furnishings that blight so many of the other top-class resorts have been banished here. That is because the talk at the Viceroy is of “clean lines”, “uncluttered linear architectural spaces” and “sculptural and organic textures and elements”, the kind of jargon you read in a Conran brochure or Hempel Hotel magazine. The Kor Hotel Group, the Los Angeles-based developers behind the project, specialise in turning rundown hotels into trendy boutique affairs, and the two Viceroys in Santa Monica and Palm Springs are the epitome of taste. Designed by the American interior designer Kelly Wearstler, the Viceroy Anguilla would not look out of place among the trendiest hotels in London or New York. The residences are filled with the finest furnishings and finishes, with plasma screens, DVD and CD players in every room, and each will have its own pool (plunge pools in the studios, infinity pools in the larger properties) and spectacular views.
The resort itself will have the feeling of a five-star hotel and residents can expect facilities to match. There will be three communal pools, a fitness centre, tennis courts, a world class spa and a beach club offering sailing, diving and snorkelling. Gourmet and casual dining will be on offer, as well as a sunset bar, poolside cabanas, meeting rooms for the more serious-minded and a full concierge service.
Of course, luxury like this does not come cheap, although the strength of sterling makes the deal particularly attractive to British buyers. With prices ranging from $650,000 to $7 million, the Viceroy will not ruin Anguilla’s reputation as an exclusive hideaway. And with rental rates starting at $750 and rising to $5,000 a night, you can be sure that the resort will be free from the package- tour hordes for a long while yet.
And what of Anguilla itself? Well, if it has not been labelled the friendly island yet, it should be. Little heard of over here, the island is actually a British dependency. English is the main language and the locals even drive on the right (ie, the left-hand) side of the road. The Anguillans themselves are extremely welcoming, but then if I had easy access to 33 pristine beaches I would walk around with a big smile on my face every day too.
However, things were not always so harmonious. In 1969 more than 300 British paratroops, supported by two Royal Navy frigates and officers from the Metropolitan Police, “invaded” the island to quell a political revolt. British forces remained there until 1971 and it was not until 1980 that Anguilla formally became a separate British dependency. Overall, the episode had all the trappings of the 1959 Terry-Thomas/Peter Sellers farce Carlton-Browne of the F.O., about a diplomat sent to restore friendly relations with the remote British colony of “Gaillardia”.
These days Anguilla is a quiet place. Neighbouring St Martin, a 20-minute boat ride away and home to the nearest international airport, is the party island, with its casinos, clubs and thousands of trinket-hunting cruise-liner passengers. Cruise ships are not allowed to dock in Anguilla and even jet skis are banned, so the only excitement you are likely to find there is between the pages of your book.
I did not, however, have time to read: I was too busy working, testing out the snorkelling equipment, the sun loungers and the firmness of the masseur’s touch. I also had to make sure that the local cuisine was as excellent as people said. I have to report that everything works fine and I have gained 3lb.
So, if you are looking for your place in the sun, I think I may have found it for you in this far-flung corner of Blighty. Now all you need is some suntan lotion, a good book and a bit of luck on the Lottery and you can find it too.
Details: David Hunter at Exclusive Properties International on 07968 327410, www.exclusive-international.com
Port call
IF Anguilla is a hop and a skip too far for you, this six-bed house on Antigua is in the Jolly Harbour resort, which has the Caribbean’s biggest marina and is one flight away from Heathrow. Price: $2.25m (£1.2m). Contact: CIPS International 01233 840505, www.cipsinternational.co.uk
