Vogue’s Giles Hattersley decamped to Bequia in the Caribbean, and found an under-the-radar island with refreshingly laidback charm. Read his full review of Bequia Beach Hotel, here.
The Vogue review: Bequia Beach Hotel
Mustique’s earthier, more everyday, but no less zenned-out cousin across the bay – the island of Bequia – has been an out-of-the-way bolthole for those in the know for some years now. With a population of just 5,300, nestled on seven square miles near Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Barbados, there are but a scattering of options of where to stay, and none so well placed as the extremely chill Bequia Beach Hotel.
The joy of the island is enormously enhanced by the fact it’s slightly tricky to get to. A ferry ride from Saint Vincent (with its international airport) takes an hour, though it’s a lot of fun to swoop in on the hotel’s own PJ, which does pick-ups from Saint Lucia (15 minutes) and Barbados (30 minutes) before landing at Bequia’s mini airport by the ocean. Hardly super taxing on the travel stakes, but an effective extra beat that puts an explorer’s spring in your step – to say nothing of keeping the island’s inherent atmosphere gorgeously protected.
Bequia Beach Hotel, sitting on a fair stretch of coastline facing Mustique, has pretty, tree-filled grounds dotted with greenhouses and a riot of flora. In the era of the cut-and-paste, high-glitz, ultra-smooth resort, there’s a sense of lost magic about the pace, with a laid-back approach that feels reminiscent of childhood holidays. No big designer names have been consulted on the guest rooms, suites, apartments and cottages that make up the main hotel – this is calm, cosy Caribbean comfort that feels like a hug. The reception is packed with well-thumbed novels and board games; the gym sits in an adorable pitched-roof building; the bar is festooned with pretty, multi-coloured fairy lights at Christmas time. It all conspires to be very “and… breatheâ€.
There is, however, another gear to proceedings, care of Swedish entrepreneur and hotelier Bengt Mortstedt, who recently added to his dreamy offering in Bequia (he bought and developed the hotel in 2009) with a second development of uber-luxurious private villas a short drive from the main property. Grenadine Hills, a pair of houses befitting a Hamptons billionaire, overlook Friendship Bay with its white sands, electric blues and jade greens. Available for up to 12 and 10 guests respectively, with a butler, gym, wine store and infinity pool apiece, plus all the hotel facilities on tap, this is Caribbean living par excellence, luring multigenerational families from the USA and beyond for long stays. Succession-on-Sea.
In keeping with the hyper-relaxed feel of the main hotel, its restaurant, Bagatelle, is beachfront ease done right. The menu’s international simplicity is shot through with a winning Caribbean sensibility (think West Indian bouillabaisse and frittered catch of the day alongside a classic run of steak tartare and pumpkin and saffron velouté). The setting trumps all, with a gentle crash of the waves accompanying each bite.
On the other side of the island – a mere two-kilometre away – sits Jack’s Beach Bar, another holding in Mortstedt’s mini-empire, perched on Princess Margaret Beach. (The late royal, of course, had her pad on Mustique, and a visit to Bequia in the 1950s was enough for the powers that be to name its most golden run of sand after her.) Open from 10am to 10pm (in high season), it’s a zingy, day-to-evening affair, heavy on cocktails, music and vibes – oh, and there’s a spa on site if you’re after balance. Delightful.
