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You’ve got a blue infinity pool all to yourself, one that appears to flow seamlessly into the Caribbean Sea. All you hear are the lapping of waves — and that’s a very good thing, considering much of Jumby Bay, Rosewood’s private island resort off Antigua, is under construction. Even though Jumby underwent a $15-million refurb when Rosewood took over management in 2002, the resort is now in the midst of a $26-million overhaul.
Rosewood and the owners of the 300-acre island — mostly British and American mega-rich, who own spectacular private estates here — are looking to raise Jumby to an even glitzier plane. That means razing 40 guest rooms and starting from scratch; adding an ocean-view spa; recreating the beachside dining facilities, including a new showpiece chef’s kitchen; and putting in a glamorous pool at the edge of the isle for all resort guests to enjoy.
Until the makeover is complete in mid-2009, you’ve still got seven private estates and seven smaller villas tucked away from the bulldozers. Boasting such recent guests as Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey, the estates come fully staffed, including a chef. For a cool $12,500 per night, La Casa (pictured) is the Caribbean house of your dreams — if you dream of an Italian-style villa with three guest cottages, croquet lawn, tennis court and the aforementioned seaside infinity pool. La Casa’s sandy shore is also one of the world’s primary nesting grounds for Hawksbill turtles, which are monitored each season by an eco team.
There are few excuses to leave a Jumby estate, but the Antigua Superyacht Cup might be one (December 9-12). There’s also world-class cricket — Antigua’s stadium is just a five-minute drive from the resort’s mainland dock. Jumby’s personal ferry whisks guests in less than ten minutes to and from the private isle, named Long Island. Or, as some of Jumby’s Antiguan staff like to call it, “Fantasy Island.”
read more: 02. Sleep | resort | romantic | secluded | villa | 03. Spa | 07. Beach |
