Rosewood Little Dix Bay
Rosewood Little Dix Rosewood Resort in the British Virgins Islands is the quintessential Caribbean resort of yesterday. It still is today! New Caribbean resorts have popped up to give older ones serious competition. Little Dix however, does not have to worry as its style is ageless. The guest rooms, which defined casual luxury “back in the day” have always been well maintained. Today they’re beautifully updated as well.
Most guests arrive at the luxury Little Dix by way of Beef Island Airport (Tortola) on the hotels private launch. If it's a beautiful day, which it usually is, the approach to the resort is visually spectacular. As you skim over the Caribbean you're mesmerized by the many shades of blue and aquamarine and then, all at once, a perfectly maintained crescent shaped white sand beach appears on the horizon. This is clearly not some resort that just happened. Little Dix has been many years in the making.
A conical-roofed pavilion with the blue Caribbean water in the background is where the lavish breakfast, lunch buffets and elegant candlelit dinners are served. The executive chef has added a French influence to the Caribbean ingredients.
Dinner is also served in the formal Sugar Mill, with its Caribbean bistro menu highlighted with Asian flavors, and at the beach grill, which is more relaxed. Excellent seafood dishes top the menu with their catch-of-the-day freshness attracting guests from neighboring resorts to partake in the famous island cuisine.
Off season, typically only one restaurant is kept in operation. You can always call for a taxi to visit other dining establishments in nearby Spanish Town.
The focus here is on sports and relaxation, not on nightlife, which is non-existent. Guests retire to the reading room to peruse the bookshelves and the latest editions of U.S. and British newspapers or to watch the big projection TV. (There are no TVs in the guest rooms, or clocks, for that matter.)
Tea is served every afternoon, and coffee is always available. Movies premiere every night adding to the entertainment roster. Little Dix remains the island's best spot for active guests. The seven tennis courts are immaculate and protected from wind and sand. Court time, racquets, ball machines and beginner clinics are free, as is the revamped fitness center.
If Little Dix’s glorious white sand beach is not private enough water taxis putter to nearby beaches at no charge, and guests have free use of Sunfish, kayaks and water skis.
The cliff-hugging spa has its own pool and beachfront swimming. For a fee, horseback-riding, deep-sea fishing and sailing can be arranged. Massage treatments and whirlpool soaks await on the spa menu.
Walkways wind through beautiful tropical gardens connecting small clusters of cottages hidden in the blossoming foliage just behind the white crescent beach. Small stone foot-bathing pools await by the cottages, and the lush surroundings ensure privacy.
The roomy comfortable quarters exhibit fine craftsmanship in their stone walls, beamed ceilings, stylish decor and artistic tile work. Paddle fans twirl overhead, though these are mainly decorative now that most rooms are air-conditioned. High-quality Malaysian wicker armchairs and ottomans make for relaxing sitting areas. Italian linens, Bose CD players, fresh fabrics, robes and designer toiletries add to the luxury.
The closets are walk-in and hammocks hang on the furnished patios. All rooms come with umbrellas and supply walking sticks, as well as safes, minibars, wireless high-speed Internet, irons and ironing boards.
The least expensive garden view rooms are just a stroll away from the beach. Ocean view rooms are set back from the sand and do not always have ocean views due to exuberant vegetation planted to control beach erosion. Premium rooms open directly onto the sand.
More expensive are the hexagonal stilted cottages, which are grouped in pairs and provide big patios surrounded by sea grapes and large elevated sundecks. The most expensive premium cottages provide the most privacy and are also hexagonally shaped.
The newest Junior suites provide outdoor covered living areas and oversized baths with indoor and outdoor showers, as well as soaking tubs. One-, two- and three-bedroom villas are also available, and ongoing construction of villas on the hillside marks the beginnings of a residential component. Lodgings 61-80, at the far end of the property, well removed from reception and dining, are as private as can be.
Room service delivers until 10:30 pm. Arrivals here receive a welcoming bottle of rum, housekeeping knocks twice daily, and the hotel has its own desalinization plant. It also has its own generator, but power outages are still common. (All rooms come with flashlights, too.)
The atmosphere is relaxed and well behaved children are welcome. The dress code does not require jackets, yet Little Dix remains tranquil and civilized, like an inviting old but stylish beach house.
Rosewood Little Dix Bay is a member of exclusive Virtuoso travel network. Book online or contact our Virtuoso Travel Advisor [email protected] for more details.
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