Robb report, january 2017 low res by orttu

l-r CARIBBEAN BLISS IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS

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Paradi S RESTORED The

long

known primarilg as a tax haven, are emerging as the latest laidback but luxurious escape thanks to a new wave of development that, more than a decade after Hurricane lvan, includes extraordin

r g a nd di sti nct

resorts.

BY BRETT ANDERSON ITHIN THE WA.LLS of the garden, nature quietly reigns. Beyond

the coiled roots oftrees and tan-

gled greenerยก faliing water is audible, and onlythe most attentive ear can discern the presence ofan occasional passing automobile. Despite its primorclial air, this oasis has been expensively cultivated for the pleasure of its owners, who, a villa concealed in the distance behind battalions of blossoms and imposing exampies of a curious form of flora known as a sausage tree,

when in residence, occupy

from which depend hear,y, tubular, dun-colored fruit. "They stink when you cut them openj' notes the gardener.

Adorned in

a straw hat and Hawaiian shirt, this gentleman conducts me along the winding paths of this private paradise. When I ask him lf it's a native plant, he laughs. "It s from ร rica j' he replies. "I guess the hippos like them." Nothing, I have learned since my arrival in the Ca)ยกman

Islands, seems to be from here. Uninhabiteduntil the 17th

century, when motley assortments of passengers from military, merchant, aud mercenaiyvessels alike began to

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The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cagman.

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shores, these minute landmasses were not prop-

familiarity. The streets of George Town could have

erþ settleduntil the earþ 1700s. Over time, the population of primarily African and Anglo-Saxon descent gadually expanded to include dozens ofdifferent nationalities. When i landed on Grand Ca)¡man several days before, I didn't know what to expect of my inaugural visit to this British territory famed as a tax haven and bastion of international banking. Beautiful beaches, yes, but what else? On departing the airport, however, I was greeted by something entirely unexpected: a sense of

belonged to a South Florida suburb, save for the fact that the drivers sat on their vehicles' right-hand sides. Having beenbuffeted in flightbythe winds ofHurricane Matthew,

visittheir

This page and previous spread:

which then roared toward the United States, I was surprised by the normalcy of the scene. "We have been lucþ since Ivan," said Marc Langevin, who greeted me at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. A Frenchman by birth, Langevin serves as general manager ofthe first true luxury resort on Seven Mile Beach, the island's most popular strip of coastline. We talked of the devastating 2004 hurricane while he escorted me to

my accommodations, the 8,000-square-foot Grand Cayman Penthouse. It is athree-bedroom rooftop complex that includes a screening room, a chef's kitchen, and abreathtakingu'raparound terrace with a l8O-degree vista of blindingly blue water. He described to me the impact of the storm, which had been the worst to hit the islands in more than eight decades. Though Ivan flattened or flooded most of the community's buildings, its force was creative as weil as destructive. As we stepped

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modern complex that rose in the distance above the turquoise surf. "None of this," he said, "was here beforel'

to appear on the island in more than a decade-and the RoBB REPoRT.coNr

I JANUARY 2017

sleek,

onto the terrace, he gestured up the beach toward

THE LANDMARK I,ANGB\rIN indicatedwas the site of my afternoon appointment. Situated severa-l miles north of the Ritz-Carlton, this is the first new luxury property

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the ceiling of the library alluded to the island's history. I ascended to yet another penthouse, the Presidential Suite. Here, immense floor-to-ceiiing windows opened a terrace, where the sapphire water created the illusion ofbeing aboard an ocean liner. offered a gin and tonic, I chaued with Jackie Doak-president of Dart Real Estate, the developer of the property-and a contingent of talented people who contributed to the project. Doak explained to me the scope of the undertaking. "There was an existing hotel here. Initialþ, we were going to build on that foundation, but it sat behind the coastal roadj' she said, indicating a rather forlorn-looking stretch ofpavement that emerged as lf from nowhere beyond the lush

grounds ofthe Seafire. "Butbecause the roadwas so close to the beach, all the amenities would be behind the hotel, so we decided to demolish the existing structure."

first oftwo quite distinct retreats I intended to explore' The Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa represents an architectural departure for Grand Cayman but also stands as the vanguard of anewwave ofupscale developmenttransThe Presidential Suite (top)and spa (above) atthe

Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa.

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forming this destination into an epicenter of laidback luxury (see "Island Renewal| page 104). In the lobby I was surrounded by the sea, which sparkled

in all directions like an art installation. Walls of glass allowed the scenery to provide the primary decoration, while handwoven rope accents and ablue catboat-a traditional Ca).rnanian fi shing vessel-suspended from

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The decisionwas acostþonebut, inthe end, worthwhile. The developers diverted the coastal road to the other side

ofthe property, creating a footpath along the beachfront. This unfettered access played into architect Scott Lee's vision for the desþ. "If you go to any hotel in the Ca¡rman Islands, the arrlval experience is at sea level j' he told me. "sowhere youwalk in, you reallycant see anything. Our ideawas to elevate reception from zeroho24feetabove sea level. You get this commanding view not only of our property but down to the whitewater and offto the horizon. We wanted a modern expression of the Caribbean." Lee and his associates rendered a series of spaces

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Above: Le Soleil

d'Or-a farm with a

boutique resort

and spa-sits on a

rustic beachfront. Right: Some of

the inhabitants of Grand CaUman's

Starfish Point.

that flow seamlessly, blending sea and sunlight. The

leave behind the comforts ofthe Ritz-Carlton and

8,500-square-foot spa, for example, though located below the lobby level, is flooded with natural light. A breezeway from the reception alealeads toAve, the Seafireh primary

Seafire to immerse myself

restaurant, which, under the direction ofthe resort's executive chef, MassimoDe Francesca, combines imported and locally sourced ingredients to create a menu that captures the island's multicultural personality. The interior offers casual seating areas around the bar, while the seats at the counter ofthe open kitchen belong to Avecita, a lestaurant within the restaurant specializing in

ance of a floating

140-plus feet above sea 1evel, lends the island the appear-

with its

for pirates, who quenched their thirst with fresh water and feasted onturtles and þanas. I, too, was there for food and drink, though ofaconsiderably more refined caliber. Le Soleil d'Or, situated on a rustic beachfront,

offers guests the absolute privacy enjoyed by castaways but without the deprivations. Essentially a farm with a boutique resort and spa atlached, this

three beach-facing bungalows and the

residential tower, which houses 62 condominiums ranging in price from million to

million.

twilight approached, our party gathered on the terrace, awaiting the phenomenon that gives the new resort its name. Aseafire, Iwastold, is abrilliant flash ofgr een that, under the right conditions, appears at the moment the sun As

hits the horizon on the Caribbean Sea offseven Mile Beach. Tha¡ks, however, tothe cloudyfallout of Hurrica¡e Matthew, on that eveningwewere denied the spectacle and settled instead for

radiant sunset.

GRAND CAYMAN'S SISTER islands, Little Cayman and Ca¡rman Brac, attract more diving enthusiasts than seekers of well-appointed accommodations. However, a recentþ

established boutique resort on the latler persuaded me to

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fortress-a characteristic that, along it a favorite rest stop

caves and springs, made

tapas andpinfros. Beside the main building and the pool complex stand

Kimpton

in a different ambience. Cayman Brac's massive iimestone bluff, which rises

. ' '' cottage with

relaxing destination speciaJizes in farmto-table cuisine of exceptional qual1ty. On arriving at reception, I noted the property's un-Caribbean appearance. A whitewashed ediflce with atiled roof, balustrades, and magenta plumes of bougainvillea, the hotel might have been transplanted from the Costa Brava in Spain. After I checked in to my bungalow-an expansive white

swimming pool and

secluded

beach-tlie

staffinvited me to be seated in the Mango Restaurant, where I got my first taste of the establishment's raison dêtre: the farm. Practically everything the resort serves is culled from 20 acres on the precipice that looms above Le Soleil d'Or's mainbuilding. Alightlunch of crispy spring rolls accompaniedbypotent sprigs ofbasil, tender cucumbers, and sweet peppers perked up my palate; and thus

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Paradise Restored

refreshed, I asked my mixologist, an enthusiastic young woman namedAngel Robledo, to arrange atour of the farm. My guide drove me up a steep road to a heavy wood.en gate, where we traded our SlfV for agolfcart that he steered along carefully raked gravei paths. The stonebordered beds of fragrant citrus, spiny pineappie, burgeoningmelons, and sundryesoteric plants suggested not farm but

manicured botanical garden in which everyas edibie. Eventhe chicken coop pleased the eye, devoid ofthe blemishes usually associated a

thingwas orderþaswell

with such facilities. The guide sped along with,mounting enthusiasm, stoppingonlyto pluck some tart fruits resembling green cherries for me to try a.s two lethargic blue

þanas, having

already partaken themselves, looked on. Later that evening I learned that the farm yielded liquid bounty as well. After dinner, Robledo suggested I try one of her specialty cockTails. Minutes later, she retumed

with with

the centuries, transformed these expanses of limestone, sand, and mangrove swamps into vibrant a¡rd colorful havens. No indigenous cultures were displaced to make

this possible; indeed, the islands seemed

triptych of

blank canvases for continual creation and re-creation. My account ofthe farm prompted one ofthe executives attached to the Kimpton Sea.fire to arrange my visit to this private garden on Grand Cayman, where the gardener, an uninhibited narrator, now recounts for my benefit an incident involving avisiting notable and. the wife of alocal dignitarywhowere nearlycaught disportingthemselves in the foliage during ateaparty. Changing a palm tree that looks as if it has beenknocked overon its side and askifthiswas thework of lvan. He shrugs indifferently.

the subject, I point to

"It'll keep growing, as long as it has rootsi he says. By way of proof, he leads me to a ciearing where, before a

a small sherry glass containing a dark liquid topped foam, asprinkle ofbrovm dust, and awedge of dried coconut. The portionwas small, butthe flavorswere profound-

small waterfall, three nearly intertwined palms, once prone, curye gracefi.rliy sþward, their trunks patientþ defying gravity and the forces ofnature to thrive. And

chocolate, brovm spices, and hot pepper. "My Exlr

she announced.

avaguv{, "Everything in it is from the farm.,,

THE FARM AT Le Soleil d'Or reinforced for me the resilience ofthe Cayrnanian people, who have, through

lsland Renewal

with these islands. B

Rí,m.pton Seafire Resort €l Spa, seaf,reresortandspø .com; Le SoIeì.I d,'Or, lesolei,ldor.corn; The Rítz-Cørlton Gr and C ag møn, r it z c ar lt o n. c om/g r an

d, c

ay m an

persuaded him to Iocate his global head-

combines residential, commercial, retail,

quarters there. To attract top talent,

and entertainment spaces with a state-

however, the communitg needed a cohe-

WHEN KEN DART-owner of Dart

of-the-art school, has quicklg beçome

sive urban center. "That was the vision

Realtg, one of the Cagman lslands'most

behind the town of Camana Bag," sags

successful developers-arrived on Grand Cagman in the 1980s, he was

the heaft ofdag-to-dag life on the ¡sland, Demand for luxurg residences on Grand

mixed-use, waterfront development on

Dart Realtg president Jackie Doak. The

struck bg the beautg ofthe locat¡on. But

Grand Cagman's North Sound

the

nancial-services infrastructure and

the first of its kind in the Caribbean.

the stra¡ghtforward land-registrU sUstem

Camana Bag (camanabag.com), which

one

Cagman has been spurred in recent gears bg the sophisticated amenities present at Camana Bag, as well as bg the lack of restrictions on foreign ownership and the absence of propertg taxes. ln addition to the Residences at Seafire (seafireresidencesca gman.com),

would-be owners might consider Salt Creek (saltcreek,kg), a newlg launched development featuring large waterfront lots and separate carriage houses. Still, the island's emphasis on familg remains the primarg draw. ,,The definition of luxurg has changed,,,sags David Seerman, vice president of sales at Dart Realtu. "People don't ask about finishes

Right: Camana Bag

and f¡xtures; theu want to know about experiences and what theg can do with their families while theg are here. eualitg time together is more valuable than

angthing else.', -e.n.

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