West Indies

The Best of the British West Indies

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

From Antigua, Jamaica, Nevis, Barbados, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Mustique to the less-traveled islands of Bequia and Dominica, a beautiful new book by Michael Connors captures the best of British West Indies Style. Many of the English island great houses showcased in the volume are hidden to most visitors. Close to fifty private residences are featured in over 200 full-color photographs taken especially for the book, such as the entrancing view of an estate on Nevis (above). The English country house meets the southern plantation in design details such as mahogany writing tables, tropical wood settees, linens and terraced gardens, offering inspiration for the use of local materials, painting techniques, and elements of outdoor living. Connors also includes entertaining historical vignettes putting the beautiful residences in context.

Tags: Barbados, books, British West Indies, coffee table books, decor, estates, furniture, island, islands, Jamaica, mahogany, Mustique, Nevis, UK, West Indies

Caribbean Houses: History, Style & Architecture

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

West Indian decorative arts scholar Michael Connors presents a lavishly illustrated and comprehensive history of architecturally significant dwellings and estates in the West Indies in his beautiful new book Caribbean Houses from Rizzoli. The book is divided into five chapters, one for each European heritage that brought their own influences and designs to the region: the Spanish, Dutch, English, French, and Danish. In addition to the gorgeous photographs done exclusively for the book, Connors discourses on the area's rich architecture and interior design history, and gives the reader a "unique view of houses that combine the tradition of European styles with the vernacular island forms and decorative motifs." The featured islands include: The Spanish Antilles – Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic; The Dutch Leewards – Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao; The English Islands – Barbados, Turks & Caicos, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts; The French Lesser Antilles – Martinique; and The U.S. Virgin Islands (formerly Danish) – St. Thomas and St. Croix.

Tags: architecture, Aruba, Barbados, Caribbean, Cuba, dominican republic, DominicanRepublic, interior design, InteriorDesign, islands, Jamaica, Michael Connors, MichaelConnors, Rizzoli, tropics, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.s.VirginIslands, West Indies, WestIndies

Hotel St. Barth Isle de France's New Beach Suites

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Hotel St. Barth Isle de France, the luxuriously appointed hotel, resort and spa in the French West Indies that was just named Best Hotel in the Caribbean by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler, has just opened a quartet of new state-of-the-art Beach Suites. Designed by Penny Morrison of Morrison Interiors in London, the Suites feature amazing views of the island's beautiful Flamands beach. Each one has a private infinity plunge pool (above), large terrace with beach loungers, 52″ plasma television, fully equipped kitchen, wireless internet, stone bathtub and outdoor shower. The hotel also recently introduced membership in the Isle de France Club, an investment opportunity consisting of a fractional ownership in one of five Club residences, complete with the finest furnishings and the highest level of guest services.

Gallery: Hotel St. Barth Isle de France

Tags: Beach, Hotel St. Barth Isle de France, HotelSt.BarthIsleDeFrance, Resort, Spa, St. Barths, St.Barths, West Indies, WestIndies

Marriott Opens Vacation Club In St. Kitts

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Marriott Vacation Club has opened a new resort in the scenic location of St. Kitts in the West Indies. The vacation ownership resort currently has 22 two- and three-bedroom villas, and will ultimately be home to 88 villas. The villas are in three-story garden houses and each villa has a full kitchen, LCD televisions and washer/dryers. The vacation club shares amenities with the St. Kitt's Resort and the Royal Beach Casino which means that golf, gambling, multiple restaurants and several pools are at your disposal. Prices starts at $17,500 per deeded week.