While many other Caribbean island destinations have become dominated in recent decades by all-inclusive resort and large scale hotel presences, little Grenada has managed to prove that a thriving independent and smaller-sized hotel sector is often much more attractive to the discerning traveler – along with being a long-term sustainable model for the island environment.
With a diverse and still unspoiled coastline punctuated by distinct harbors and marinas, this still tranquil eastern Caribbean island has become home to its own assortment of upscale smaller properties, each offering distinct amenities and waterfront locations. Depending on what activities or access you seek while visiting, consider any of these that will provide some of the best guest accommodation features and water activities:
- True Blue Bay Resort – Its name indicates what defines most strongly at this stylish yet friendly and serene resort. True Blue Bay commands fine vistas of lush tropical gardens with its hillside location on Grenada’s southern True Blue peninsula. The intimate collection of just 43 attractive guest units range in configuration from tower rooms to luxurious villas, bay-view cottages and waterfront apartments. The variety of guest configurations together with the open layout of the public areas contributes to the overall intimate and relaxed village feel. All guest quarters have fully equipped kitchens, cable TV, air-conditioning, wi-fi connection, and balconies with views of the bay. The Dodgy Dock Restaurant and Lounge Bar provides island cuisine and Mexican fare with elegant interpretation; the premises are also home to changing evening entertainment from dancing to crafts markets. – Grande Anse, Grenada; Tel: 473-443-8783; www.truebluebay.com
- Calabash Hotel & Villas– Just 30 suites – each recently refurbished in bright and chix new fixtures and furnishings reflecting the contemporary tropical ambience style of this property, make your stay one where you feel as much inclined to be resident and enjoying the amenities onsite as adventuring around Grenada. While rooms and public areas include the type of modern amenities you expect at a top-line boutique property, there is a pleasing reliance on the natural throughout – from the expansive presence of the central garden and lawns that sit between the main buildings, guest rooms and the equally large expanse of beach, to the fare on hand at the hotel’s Rhodes Restaurant, where elegant fine dining includes the spices and flavors of Grenada, with all produce being locally sourced of the highest quality. rickly Bay is the peaceful, wide-curving inlet of water that the hotel leads down to, and perched on a hill overlooking the Bay is the hotel’s wonderful Heaven and Earth Spa, complete with an outdoor yoga platform where you can literally meditate at a higher level on the Grenadian coast below you. With whimsical names reflecting the natural world around like “Hummingbird” and “Tree Frog”, their five fully staffed two – to five-bedroom villas offer contemporary state of the art facilities including fully equipped kitchens, a gym, flat screen TV’s, and wi-fi. – St. George’s, Grenada; Tel: 473-444-4334; www.calabashhotel.com
True Blue Bay Resort – an elegant village ambiance. (credit: Hal Peat)
- Petite Anse Hotel – While it has only been open since 2008, the Petite Anse -or little cove – has all the atmosphere of a well-established and well-loved hideaway, along with a sense of space and openness that also allows the guest to retreat as much as desired into the privacy of their own suite and private verandah with a magical panorama of the Grenadine islands. Each room at the Petite Anse features this balance of seclusion and access – with the tranquility enhanced by the surrounding gardens, ponds and foliage. Savor your solitude, or socialize at the intimate Petite Anse Bar and adjacent restaurant which relies on seasonal and local produce from the gardens at the owners’ Old Plantation House to create superb island and European cuisine fusion. Get further out and about with an active water sport agenda down on the bay or inland in the green interior – the choice of the day is yours. This northern extreme of Grenada remains a step back in time and relatively undiscovered. – Sauteurs, St. Patricks, Grenada; Tel: 473-442-5252; www.petiteanse.com
- Spice Island Beach Resort –Take your cue of what’s to come from the moment you enter the lobby at this stylish but green-conscious small resort: an open-arched lounge that looks down on the adjacent swimming area and surrounding suites. The luxurious 64-room Spice Island Beach Resort has recently received the prestigious Green Globe Certification Award, thanks to its efforts both within its own premises and the Grenada community. Among its own energy efficient planning: use of solar rooftop heaters for all hot water needs; energy-efficient, compact fluorescent bulbs throughout; an onsite desalinization plant; composting and maintenance of a vegetable and herb garden that supplies its kitchen with fresh ingredients; purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally and organically; and other ongoing use of energy efficiency and environmental care. Guest can be totally at home in a fully-equipped suite, or take advantage of the the full-service Janissa’s Spa, a Cybex fitness center, Oliver’s beachside gourmet restaurant, the Sea & Surf Terrace for light lunches, the Sea & Surf Bar for refreshing cocktails throughout the day, a central swimming pool with swim-up whirlpool, an Omnicourt® tennis court, the Nutmeg Pod children’s activity center, or the Gatsby Boutique. – Grande Anse, Grenada; Tel: 473-444-4258; www.spicebeachresort.com
Laluna’s eco-chic and secluded guest quarters (credit: Hal Peat)
- La Luna – This discreet romantic enclave on the oceanfront at Morne Rouge near the island’s southwestern tip is the perfect fusion of southern Mediterranean chic and Caribbean barefoot elegance, expressed in both the minimalist interior decor of its 16 guest cottages and the warm and sensual textures found in its public areas. La Luna encourages guests to try their raw food menu featuring products from their organic garden. Produce is sourced from local farms that adhere to sustainable development practices which ensure a fresh, ecologically healthy meal. The Laluna Spa and Wellness Centre uses products prepared from all-natural local ingredients and featuring such options as nutmeg, cinammon scrub and jasmine and frangipani massage oils. Treatment rooms are designed to bring nature indoors and are enveloped by the surrounding forest. La Luna aims to create “feeling good” through its yoga and meditation along with its healthy raw diet emphasis, with the philanthropic satisfaction of “doing good” through helping local farmers revive hurricane damaged cocoa plantation and rebuilding Grenada’s agricultural sector. – Morne Rouge, Grenada; Tel: 473-439-0001; www.laluna.com
