Britain`s Princess Diana finds comfort on Necker Island, a 74-acre outpost in the British Virgin Islands.
Her husband`s aunt, Queen Elizabeth`s sister, Princess Margaret, seems to prefer Mustique, one of the tiny Grenadine islands off the south coast of St. Vincent, where she owns a comfortable, breeze-swept ”cottage” on a hilltop perch not far from a toney inn called Cotton House.
Monaco`s Prince Rainier vacationed with some of his family at Jamaica`s Half Moon resort just before Christmas, and other famous folk nestle into villas and other hideaways on other Caribbean islands, seeking respite from the world`s turmoil.
But nesting in romantic surroundings is not only for the royals and other famous folk. There are plenty of hideaway havens and restful enclaves among the islands of the Caribbean; they are the region`s treasure.
The secret for finding your ”perfect place” lies in defining your dream (exclusive villa? quiet inn? beachside bungalow? remote resort?), then doing research. Confide in your travel agent and check for facts in guidebooks and fashionable magazines.
What`s most important? Beachside living or a sensational view? Do you want to be pampered or left alone?
If your idea of romance includes access to discos and gourmet restaurants, say so. And if some golf and tennis are keys to personal enjoyment be sure to choose a place where they`re easily accessible.
From the hundreds of places in the Caribbean, this baker`s dozen is representative of the variety available on the islands.
Calabash
Opened in the 1960s as a haven for sailing folk in search of land legs, Calabash, on the island of Grenada, comes into the `90s as a comfortable, classy hotel with a cozy, classic-Caribbean style.
New this season are 12 suite in two-story buildings prized by some for the spacious bathrooms and beach view (best from the second floor). Those on ground level have private pools; those upstairs have private whirlpools.
The hotel`s large pool, to the right of the reception and dining building is in Mediterranean style, with archways and stucco and brick surroundings, but the beach and the sea lure most visitors to lovely Grenada. You`ll find no evidence of the sometimes-tumultuous early `80s that culminated in the U.S. invasion of October 1983.
Far more obvious is the charm of the capital of St. George`s, with its fringe of colonial-style buildings along the waterfront and a spate of restaurants whose innovative offerings can be exceptionally good.
(See accompanying story for winter rates and contacts for the resorts.)
Caneel Bay Plantation
Caneel is a classic beachside resort, with stretches of soft, white sand. Built by Rockefeller interests in the 1950s, when elitist luxury was a style devoutly to be wished, the physical plant still stands for elegance. The main house nestles behind the sea grape and other shrubs on the inland side of the U.S. Virgin Islands` Caneel Bay, but the bedrooms are tucked discretely amid their own lush plantings, an easy walk from this and other beaches.
Turtle Bay, a once-private hilltop home, was incorporated into the property several years ago. Its rooms are some of the resort`s most elegant, with a sensational view across the channel to the neighboring island of St. Thomas, from which the boat link is made several times daily for arrival on remote St. John.
There is no golf course on this island (the nearest is Mahogany Run on St. Thomas, a possible goal for a day of play), but the tennis courts are in good shape and the island is unique as the site of the 29th U.S. National Park, complete with park rangers, walking paths and enchanting flora and fauna, highlighted occasionally with the ruins of an 18th Century sugar plantation.
Escapes to uninhabited ”Robinson Crusoe” islands can be arranged through the hotel`s boatman, but one favorite excursion is to Caneel`s sister resort, Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. It`s a beautiful boat trip through Francis Drake Channel, passing several of the British Virgins before landfall at Little Dix.
Curtain Bluff
Like the vintage wines stored in owner Howard Hulford`s memorable cellar, this Antiguan place gets better year after year. The first-built rooms, in two-story blocks along one beach, have been renovated, but the best accommodations are the ridge suites, built up the slope to the owners` bluff- capping home a few years ago.
Hurricane Hugo feasted on one beach when it roared through in September 1989, and winds flattened a lot of the once-lush foliage, but recovery was swift: Curtain Bluff`s plantings again flourish, and the country club atmosphere that gives this spot its panache is in place.
The spacious hillside suites are led by No. 61, with a private courtyard that`s perfect for sunbathing au naturel. But each of the suites has a homelike feeling, with rooms and patios on different levels and sybaritic luxury the keynote.
A clublike atmosphere may suggest an obligation to fraternize with other guests, but you can sneak off to be alone at several places along the two beaches, and no one cares if you choose to enjoy a quiet dinner for two in the dining room followed by dancing under the stars, as if the local band were playing just for you.
Daytime diversions, in addition to lolling on the beach, might be a boat trip for fishing or sailing or an excursion to visit English Harbour, a short ride from the hotel but a step back into the early 18th and 19th Centuries, when Antigua was a favored port for British Adm. Horatio Nelson`s fleet.
Elysian
Blissfully removed from the hubbub and clutter of downtown Charlotte Amalie, the island`s capital, where shoppers benefit from the special U.S. customs $1,200-a-person duty-free exemption, the Elysian is a new resort, one of the best for romantic surroundings and not far from downtown.
The beach is small, but its sand is soft and the sea is sensational.
The best (and most private) rooms are the top-floor suites, where you will have a bird`s-eye view of the sea and other surroundings and can have a kitchenette if you state your preference early. Not as luxurious as private resorts on other islands, this place can be perfect if you`re searching for a hideaway that benefits from direct air service.
Horned Dorset
Opened two years ago (with a room rate of $80 for two), Horned Dorset in Rincon, Puerto Rico, basks in publicity from top magazines and travel guidebooks. It is a gem on an island that has not been known for luxury.
Built in the style of a private Spanish Colonial estate, the main house turns its back on a small beach to face a pool fringed with lounge chairs and umbrellas.
Mealtimes are the main entertainment, with classical music to set the mood. Apertifs before and coffee and/or cognac after are served on the patio that faces the sea.
Public rooms in the main house include a book-lined library that faces out to sea and a pool-facing breeze-swept area where breakfast and lunches are served.
Bedrooms are tucked into neighboring buildings, each of which continues the Spanish Colonial style, with linking patios and tiled accents. Some heavy Spanish-style furniture sets the mood, but accents of wicker and chintz lighten the atmosphere.
The Horned Dorset is reasonably easy to reach by domestic flight from San Juan`s busy international airport to Mayaguez and a 20-minute ride along the coast to Rincon.
Necker Island
For the Caribbean, this place is it-absolute luxury, with old-money`s conservative style. The island has proved a suitable escape for Britain`s Princess Diana on more than one occasion and is gradually building its roster of famed Americans and others who know a true hideaway when they find one.
Originally intended as a ”recording studio” by British magnate Richard Branson (Virgin recording fame, plus Virgin Airlines and other ventures), Necker Island proved more suitable as a part-time residence. The elegance of the main villa and its ancillary buildings allow for a safe haven for those
(usually a maximum of eight couples) who seek only sunstruck sea, sand and sensational dining experiences.
The tiny island is linked by boat to its neighboring British Virgin Islands over waters that are some of the Caribbean`s best for sailing, snorkeling, scuba diving and just plain wallowing.
Nisbet Plantation Beach Club
An 18th Century plantation house is the core of a pacesetting island inn. With a devoted following of island aficionados since it was opened by legendary Mary Pomeroy (who flew her own plane around the little-known islands in the 1950s), Nisbet has grown with the times, but still is true to its historic style.
Famed as the home of a relative of Nevisian Fanny Nisbet, who became Adm. Nelson`s wife, the inn holds history on its grounds.
The main house, which holds the main dining room and is the reception area, stands inland from the golden sands of the shoreline beach, to which it is linked by a long lawn and an avenue of stately palms. Bedrooms are in several buildings around the grounds, in the original rondavels and in the newer two-story buildings nearest the beach.
A new building, with restaurant, pool and shops, is at the beach. Tennis and some water sports are the only on-premise sports, but the island of Nevis is still in its natural state (at least until the Four Seasons resort, which was scheduled to open in early February, is in full swing) and ideal for exploring on foot or horseback.
Charles Town, the island`s main community, is a 20-minute drive along the coast; a boat links it to its sister-island`s capital of Basseterre with almost-daily service.
Getting to Nevis is easiest by small plane from Antigua, but also is possible by flight connection with St. Croix or by small plane connection or the boat link from Basseterre on St. Kitts.
Ottley`s Plantation
My first view of this charming inn-early one morning when dew still gilded the lawns-stands in memory as a Caribbean classic. Not for those who must be within tiptoe distance of the sea, Ottley`s Plantation stands on a breeze-swept hillside on St. Kitts, as was the style for the great houses of the 18th Century sugar plantations built by British entrepreneurs.
Ottley`s Plantation has 15 attractively restored bedrooms, some in the main house and others in buildings nearby. Guests may enjoy a gorgeous swimming pool and a peaceful stay.
Complete privacy comes with rooms in the separate buildings, but this inn has the comfort of unintrusive hospitality no matter where you stay.
All creature comforts are taken care of by congenial hosts who do their utmost to make you feel at home. Rental cars allow for island touring.
With a reputation for elegant dining, Ottley`s has become a special spot for guests at other resorts and island inns, and some come just to visit or dine.
For those in search of the traditional Caribbean, this place should be at the top of the list.
Petit St. Vincent
Planned as an elitist escape in the early 1960s, PSV is a 113-acre private island resort that holds its own amid the competition by continuing to offer the lifestyle that gave it its personality.
Attractively furnished one-bedroom cottages are in individual stone villas on the hillside or along the beach, not far from the centrally located main building.
Each of the 22 cottages is within an easy stroll but removed from the others; all offer a sensational sea-and-island view or easy beach access, sometimes both.
With no phones in the cottages, PSV has an unusual way of dealing with room service-and privacy. For room service, guests raise a yellow flag on a bamboo flagpole outside their room, and orders are filled by members of the staff who ”patrol” the grounds in golf carts. Guests who desire privacy raise a red flag.
Guests gather at the main building for meals. Dinner hour is the most social, but it is possible to be ”just two,” if you want.
Most guests scatter during the day, fishing, sailing, snorkeling or scuba diving, or perhaps taking a boat ride to one of the neighboring Grenadine Islands for a picnic and exploring.
PSV, removed from the clutter of commerce on some islands, is reached easily by small plane to Union Island from Barbados, Grenada or St. Vincent. Then it`s a short ride aboard the resort`s yacht.
Royal St. Lucian
This beachside hotel aspires to be ”top of the line.” The newcomer is on one of the country`s most beautiful west-coast beaches, a short sand-scuff north of its sister hotel, the long-established, lively St. Lucian.
The Royal St. Lucian, planned for elegant living, is a three-story, U-shaped building that cups a pool, a few steps from the beach and sea.
Each of the 98 large suites is comfortably furnished. Although all suites have the newness of an early `91 opening, the prized places are the triple tier of suites: Gros Pitons (top floor), named after a nearby fishing village; Le Royale (middle); and Soufriere (beach-level, which takes the name of the southwest coast town and has its own pool).
Because it`s brand new (the last few suites will be finished this month), rates are more reasonable than they will be when the resort builds a following.
Sandy Lane
A pacesetter for style when it opened in the 1960s, Sandy Lane has gone through many phases and now is under the wing of Great Britain`s Trusthouse Forte. The Barbadian personality is strong and the setting superb.
Built in the style of a colonial Great House when it was opened by Sir Ronald and Marietta Tree, the main building houses most of the living and dining areas, with rooms in two ”arms” that hug the beach and sea.
While the hotel buildings occupy a prime place on the inland side of the beach, tennis courts dot the area near the road and the golf course ranges inland from the coast-rimming road.
(Other special spots with romantic lodgings include family-owned Coral Reef, where beachfront rooms are requested by those who like quiet, elegant surroundings. Farther north on the west coast, Cobbler`s Cove has a sumptuous penthouse suite.)
Amid romantic surroundings, the 118-room Sandy Lane offers a great variety of daytime and evening activities.
Tryall Golf and Beach Club
One of the Caribbean`s most beautiful resorts and a member of the Elegant Resorts of Jamaica group, Tryall Golf and Beach Club offers accommodations in villas-a few on the shore, most on the hillside-or in a hilltop great house. In the hilltop house 50 bedrooms have been remodeled recently and furnished in the style of a private home, with pleasing fabrics and Jamaican-Georgian furniture.
A well-maintained golf course blankets the surrounding slopes. The hillside homes, furnished by the owners, are placed strategically on the grounds stretching to the sea.
Most homes can be rented in the owner`s absence. Each comes with staff and the option to dine at the hotel or at home from a menu prepared by your own cook.
Favorites for total privacy include Windrush, on a hill overlooking the great house (and about a three-minute walk), and Randolin, with a private beach and comfortable furnishings.
Best views are offered by rooms 1 and 2 in the eastern wing of the great house.
Tryall`s golf course, tennis courts, beach and building arrangement give it a spacious, relaxing feeling, but other members of Jamaica`s Elegant Resorts also offer romantic settings and, as is the case with many Jamaican properties this winter, a better value than some of the region`s high-priced resorts.
The Elegant Resorts` Platinum Plan vacation allows for time divided between two or more of the member resorts for those who make a split-plan decision before leaving for vacation.
Among Elegant Resorts choices also in the Montego Bay area are Half Moon and Round Hill.
Half Moon offers golf, tennis, water sports and a selection of bedroom styles that include villas with or without private pool, standard bedrooms and duplex apartments furnished in Jamaican-Georgian style.
Elegant Round Hill has a beachside main building with seaview hotel rooms and a cluster of villas that are rented in the owners` absence.
Windjammer Landing
Built for barefoot elegance, the white-stucco villas at Windjammer Landing are nestled amid foliage on 55 acres of sea-view hillside, within easy distance of St. Lucia`s capital of Castries, in the Windward Islands (and the small Vigie airport). Windjammer Landing has the flair of classy Mediterranean resorts, with a lovely alfresco restaurant near the seaside, terraced to provide privacy while guests enjoy elegantly prepared imported and local produce.
A free-form pool borders part of the restaurant; chic shops dot the breeze-swept lobby of the nearby reception building. Each of the two- or three-bedroom villas has a speck-sized private pool; all villas have a complete kitchen.
There are tennis courts on the premises; golf can be played at nearby courses, and horseback riding may be easily arranged.
The villa units, built with carefree luxury in mind, are placed so each offers an unobstructed sea view from the patio.
FOR INFORMATION ON VILLAS
Villas often offer the best opportunities for romantic surroundings, if you`re reasonably self-sufficient and 100 percent comfortable with a staff that often includes cook, maid and gardener and can include butler and others as well.
Among the best on-island sources for villas, in addition to those available at Tryall, Round Hill, Half Moon (all on Jamaica) and Sandy Lane (on Barbados), are Sibarth, P.O. Box 1461, Newport, R.I. 02840, 800-932-3222 or 401-849-8012, which specializes in villas on the island of St. Barts;
McLaughlin Anderson Vacations, 100 Blackbeard`s Hill, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 00802, 809-776-0635; and Alleyne, Aguilar and Altman, Derricks, St. James Parish, Barbados, West Indies, 809-432-0840.
