Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands, Resort Assessment

My boyfriend and I arrived at Peter Island Resort by boat, smiling and already salty-skinned after the experience over from St. Thomas. Often, it takes a day or two for me to slide into trip mode; right here, the glowing Caribbean sea and recent ginger lemonade handed to us upon arrival immediately made actual life appear a world, or not less than a physique of water, away. Employees waved from the shoreline, silhouetted by inexperienced hills and swaying palms.

Peter Island, the biggest non-public island resort within the BVIs, was purchased by Amway founders Jay Van Andel and Richard DeVos within the Seventies, although the island’s historical past might be traced again to a Dutch settlement within the 1600s. The beloved resort underwent a seven-year renovation after destruction attributable to 2017’s Hurricane Irma, and it reopened in December 2024.

“A key think about reimagining the resort was our unwavering dedication to preserving what has made Peter Island a beloved Caribbean gem for many years: our household of colleagues, the island’s pure magnificence, and our uniquely intimate environment,” says Ed Linsley, Peter Island Resort’s basic supervisor, in an interview with Journey + Leisure.

Gone are the charming-but-outdated A-frames, with a lot of the 52 rooms, suites, and villas now relocated to the sheltered crescent of Deadman’s Seashore. Our sprawling two-room villa opened proper onto the white sand and our personal non-public scorching tub, the place my boyfriend and I spent every night time stargazing earlier than mattress. We slept with our home windows and curtains open, waking to the pinch-me paradise of lapping waves and aromatic frangipani blooming beside our villa.

“Everybody falls in love with Peter Island,” one of many longtime employees members instructed me as we walked collectively by tamarind timber and child goats. “It’s the panorama,” he continued. “It’s in contrast to anyplace else right here.”

Solely 300 of the island’s 1,800 acres are developed; there are secluded corners and intimate coves at each flip, and the employees, whereas all the time available, is blissful to go away you in complete privateness. On Valentine’s Day, we spent an idyllic afternoon cuddled up in a cabana on Honeymoon Seashore, sipping potent Painkiller contacts and dipping out and in of the crystalline water.

And whereas we cherished our alone time, it was a pleasure to satisfy a number of the company who’ve been coming to the resort for many years. On our final night time, we sat within the Adirondack chairs at Sundown Loop, chatting with our neighbors because the sky glazed pink. The longtime buddies instructed us they’d first found Peter Island, fairly actually, by crusing across the BVI; they’d noticed it from the water, stayed over, and all the time deliberate to return again. Now, they’d come to rejoice certainly one of their seventieth birthdays. They instructed me that whereas the reimagined resort felt distinctly extra luxurious than its earlier iteration, they discovered that the heat of the employees and the island’s breathtaking pure magnificence hadn’t modified a bit.

Right here, all the things you could find out about newly redone Peter Island Resort. 

The Rooms

Almost all of Peter Island’s 52 visitor rooms have been relocated to the crescent of Deadman’s Seashore, now the center of the resort. “Our imaginative and prescient was to raise the resort’s luxurious non-public island expertise by introducing a mix of newly constructed and absolutely renovated lodging designed with up to date fashion and performance in thoughts,” Linsley says.

The reimagined areas cater to solo vacationers, {couples}, and households or teams of various sizes, with Seashore Entrance Rooms, Junior Suites, and Seashore Entrance Villas all tucked simply steps away from the turquoise waves—some with their very own non-public out of doors scorching tub and out of doors bathe. The one actual motive to spend time inside is the cloudlike mattress, custom-made for Peter Island Resort by Girl Americana Midwest.

The panorama is a part of the design right here, with sliding glass doorways opening onto the sand for maximal indoor-outdoor residing; rooms mirror the pure hues and textures of the island, from sea-blue blackout curtains and cupboards to driftwood tables, raffia lighting fixtures, and palm-printed throw pillows. Some rooms have a completely geared up kitchen, together with a blender, espresso maker, electrical kettle, and comfortable drinks which can be replenished day by day. Visitors are in a position to pre-order objects that they want stocked of their kitchen previous to arrival (and personal cooks can be found upon request).

For these searching for a bit extra space, the resort’s most luxurious lodging are the Hawk’s Nest and Falcon’s Nest Villas, which may sleep eight and 12 folks, respectively; the latter spans 22,000 sq. ft and boasts its personal non-public infinity pool, swim-up bar, and waterfall. 

Meals and Drink

The island has two eating places: The Drake, a steakhouse with a prolonged wine record and inventive cocktail pairings, and The Drunken Pelican, an off-the-cuff, open-air seafood restaurant with a give attention to Carribean dishes like jerk hen wings and conch chowder.

Breakfast is served every morning at The Drake, with the choice to select from a buffet of lighter fare (recent fruit, pastries, yogurt and granola, plus meat and cheese), or the à la carte menu, which affords acquainted classics like eggs Benedict, avocado toast, and a full English breakfast. I extremely suggest beginning your day with the fried plantains and habanero-flecked scorching sauce (be warned, it’s scorching), in addition to the signature thick-cut Jean Kelly French toast, served with a aspect of candy tamarind sauce by its namesake, a girl who’s been working on the resort for many years.

At lunch and dinner, it’s the steak and seafood that stand out—suppose buttery lobster tail and Japanese A5 Wagyu beef. The roasted vegetable sides and salads have been nonetheless discovering their footing throughout our go to—most have been introduced out sans salt or dressing.

Regardless of the number of freshly caught native seafood introduced in day by day, it’s straightforward to exhaust the menus after every week on the island. Culinary vacationers on the lookout for a bit extra native taste will love that the concierge is ready to arrange excursions like visits to an natural farm on neighboring Tortola and deep-sea fishing journeys with native fishermen.

The Spa

I’d return to Peter Island Resort for the Signature Celestial Black Diamond Life Facial alone—the opulent 90-minute mixture of facial therapeutic massage and top-tier merchandise from 111Skin supplied a much-needed increase of radiance and hydration after a number of days within the solar.

Spa Director Ana Magro designed the remedy menu with native elements in thoughts: a sea salt scrub is sourced from close by Salt Island, whereas the signature therapeutic massage makes use of pure parts like lava shells and scorching stones full of minerals, algae, and important oils.

The spa itself is hanging, with 10,000 sq. ft of light-filled house unfold over seven remedy rooms, every with its personal out of doors patio. Remember to arrive in your remedy early to make the most of the steam room and the serene infinity pool, in addition to the cliffside scorching tub overlooking the water.

Household-friendly Choices

There’s lots to maintain households blissful whereas on trip at Peter Island, together with discounted group charges and spacious multi-bedroom villas. Whereas the resort welcomes company of all ages, the vibe is refined and peaceable; it’s not a spot you’d anticipate to see younger kids operating round or yelling.

That being stated, the ethereal Seashore Entrance 2 Bed room Villas are excellent for fogeys touring with children, as the 2 rooms, every with an ensuite rest room, are on reverse sides of the villa with a connecting out of doors patio.

Actions and Facilities

Staying on a personal island means there’s no scarcity of locations to swim and sunbathe. 5 dreamy, white-sand seashores sew collectively the island’s shoreline, together with secluded Honeymoon Seashore (which you’ll reserve completely) and Deadman’s Seashore, the place you possibly can make the most of complimentary kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and snorkeling gear.

Desire the pool? You’ve obtained a trio of choices (plus a secret fourth, unique to the splendid Falcon’s Nest Villa). You’ll discover the primary upon arrival, tucked over by The Drunken Pelican and The Yacht Membership; this one tends to be the busiest, as of us who’ve docked their yachts are welcome to get pleasure from it as properly. On the coronary heart of the lodge is the lagoon-style pool beside The Drake, the place you possibly can sip Painkillers beneath the swaying palm timber. For true privateness, ebook in on the spa, the place there’s a secluded infinity pool and scorching tub overlooking the Atlantic.

Simply up the hill, the newly renovated health heart—housed in two glass-front buildings—affords a hanging view over Huge Reef Bay that makes operating on a treadmill or lifting weights infinitely extra gratifying.

Given the hilly terrain and 1,800-acre sprawl of the island, the lodge supplies shuttles (presently by way of golf cart or van; electrical automobiles are coming down the road) to farther-flung seashores like White Bay Seashore, or to the spectacular Sundown Loop, which extra adventurous vacationers might choose to hike as an alternative.

And whereas there’s lots to maintain you occupied on the island, the concierge is blissful to arrange particular excursions tailor-made to your pursuits, from sundown sails and visits to the long-lasting Baths of Virgin Gorda to a tour of Anegada’s flamingo reserve or a snorkeling journey within the famed caves of Norman Island.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Whereas non-public islands may hardly be referred to as simply accessible, Peter Island Resort affords two ADA-compliant beachfront rooms and ensures golf carts and vans can be found to assist escort all company across the island.

Sustainability is a significant precedence on the resort, which was one of many first within the BVI to implement wind generators. You possibly can verify them out your self throughout a hike on the Sundown Loop, a path that goes across the island. The pair of generators can generate as much as 75 p.c of the island’s energy. In the case of the water, an on-island water purification plant is used to up-cycle the availability; whereas our rooms have been stocked with bottled water, we drank the filtered water on the restaurant, which tasted nice. Within the coming months, the resort will open a brand new water bottling plant on the island as properly, which is able to present clear consuming water for company and employees in reusable glass bottles.

Location

It doesn’t get significantly better than your individual non-public island—significantly when that island is nestled within the Caribbean Sea. Set on 1,800-acres of inexperienced, hilly terrain—solely 300 of which have been developed—the island is house to a wealth of native natural world: suppose sculptural cacti and tamarind bouquets dangling from timber, and an lovely herd of child goats you can spot on a stroll alongside Sundown Loop.

Whereas the island seems like a secluded sanctuary, it’s solely a 30-minute ferry experience from the bustle of neighboring Tortola. There are private and non-private ferries to Tortola, and luxurious water taxi companies, just like the one we took from St. Thomas on to Peter Island. Desire to journey by air? There’s a helipad on the island.

Learn how to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

The resort is a part of Most well-liked Lodges & Resorts’ I Desire rewards program, which earns members unique charges and the prospect for room upgrades and early check-ins at Peter Island Resort. Doubles from $1,000.