There used to be a joke that when it was 4pm in London and 11am in New York it was 1954 in Jersey. Cruel, but funny. Well, it was funny in the late Seventies, when my family used to stay on the island and my father refused to let us go in search of throbbing nightclubs, which was probably just as well as there weren’t any.

But Jersey is pulling off a rather cunning trick. Keeping the bits that visitors like, such as excellent beaches, family-friendly hotels and first-class eateries, and gradually adding stuff that was missing — Michelin-starred restaurants, spas and designer shopping.

What a lot of people don’t realise is that Jersey is very fussy about who comes visiting. They don’t want droves of tourists, especially the 18-30 brigade. When you have umpteen banks in 45 square miles, you’re not that worried about tourism, especially since it makes up only 6 per cent of the island’s annual earnings.

Mike Tait, Jersey’s genial tourism honcho, says: “The people who come here now are different. Jersey is heavily led by the financial sector and the boating community, all people who are well travelled, adventurous and sophisticated. They know about good food and they have lots of disposable income.”

About £300 million will be invested in the island’s tourism over the next few years. A £50 million SAS Radisson hotel opens this summer and the Royal Yacht hotel and spa will open after a £22 million investment in June.

Over an excellent lunch in the Castle Green gastro pub, my genial Blue Badge guide, Remi Couriard, spoke proudly about what he called his island. He said: “We’re not quite British — we’ve got that Frenchness about us even though we fought hard to keep Napoleon out. Jersey has a village atmosphere and our pace of life is gentle. We drive at 40 miles an hour and nobody minds.”

We spent two days admiring the delights of rural Jersey from our base at the excellent Atlantic Hotel in St Brelade. We visited the recently refurbished Mont Orgueil castle and enjoyed several lovely walks before opting for some city life at the Club Hotel and Spa in St Helier, a boutique hotel that has a two-week waiting list for its Michelin-starred restaurant.

It was rather nostalgic going back to Jersey after 30-odd years, but the island has clearly raised its game since I was a teenager. Every meal we had was memorable, the air was clear and bracing, and the hotel service excellent. Spending two weeks here might be rather hard on the wallet, but for a long weekend or a week-long break it has a lot to offer.

Need to know

Mary Gold travelled with the Jersey Tourist Board (01534 448800, www.jersey.com ). Getting there: Flybe (www. flybe.com) flies from Gatwick from £29.99 one way. Where to stay: Atlantic Hotel (01534 744101, www.slh.com/atlantic), St Brelade’s, which recently gained a Michelin star, has rooms from £155 B&B.

Where’s hot in St Helier — Jane Knight

Royal Yacht

Opening in June on the seafront, this 108-room hotel with contemporary design will also have a spa. From £150 a room, B&B (01534 720511, www.royalyachthotel.com).

Hotel de France

This opulent hotel, with its 19th-century façade, added the Ayush Wellness Spa in December, making it the UK’s first Ayurveda destination spa. Single rooms from £110 B&B (01534 614000, www.defrance.co.uk).

Mayfair Hotel

An upgrade means that the former two-star property will open its doors as a three star at the end of the month, with heated pool and leisure complex. From £32pp B&B (01534 759529, www.modern hotels.com).

Club Hotel & Spa

There’s a Michelin-star restaurant and a spa at this small luxury property, which has 38 rooms from £195 B&B (01534 876500, www.theclubjersey.com).

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