March 16, 2010

US & CANADA | US | PUERTO RICO

Bye-bye, Virgin Vieques

By Mark Jolly

One of the Caribbean’s sleepiest islands prepares for the W Hotel experience.

view map

For six decades, Vieques was the little Caribbean island that could. Until 2003, this 21-mile-long outpost off the main island of Puerto Rico was a military base for naval target practice, and strictly off-limits to tourists. But since then, the big-brand hoteliers have been circling the waters, and come April 1, Starwood will open its doors to the first spa resort in North America under the W Hotels brand.

It’s safe to say that sleepy Vieques won’t have seen anything quite like it. The island’s loveliest lodging up to now has been Hix House, a boutique resort comprised of 13 minimalist lofts. And the landscape? Vieques — which has no direct air service from the mainland United States — commands one of the largest collections of virgin beaches in the region. As a former bomb zone, its ecosystem was, ironically, protected from society’s footprint more than anywhere else around. And its bioluminescent bays, which magically light up the sea at night, have been hailed as the Caribbean’s best underwater secret.

Enter W Retreat & Spa - Vieques Island. The 157-room beachfront property will be the island’s largest employer, with 250 jobs. One of those jobs will be taken by Chef Dagan Lynn, who will helm miX On the Beach, the latest eatery from the multi-Michelin starred empire of Alain Ducasse. We’ve been told to expect a Latino-Caribbean flavors with a French twist. Ducasse is, in fact, managing all the food and beverage options for the resort, including a chill-out lounge and patio as well as a poolside cabana area.

You can even look forward to a warm W welcome when your 17-passenger twin-engine shuttle flight lands at Vieques’ Antonio Rivera Rodriguez Airport: the resort has opened what must be, if you’ve ever seen the place, the world’s tiniest “private airport lounge.”