This small tropical resort, just six guest rooms, faces a long stretch of powdery white sand and is surrounded by carefully tended gardens fringed by coco palms.
This is a true getaway: no TVs, no phones, no pool, no gym, no spa. There wasn't even any electricity until 1997. Tranquility reigns, and guests are asked to be considerate when using loud appliances like hair dryers. Staffers, although quite attentive, remain few and far between adding to the allure of total seclusion.
Coming from West End Tortola either via ferry or the hotel boat, guests are greeted by the owners and register in an informal area next to the bar and spacious open-air restaurant. All three meals are served. Breakfast changes daily and lunch is ordered at the bar and delivered to wherever the guest may be.
The candlelit four-course dinner is the piece de resistance, as guests choose from a selection of fish, chicken or meat entrees. The bread is always fresh, made right in the kitchen. Staff members get to know guests and their individual preferences creating an intimate dining experience.
The old-fashioned Soggy Dollar Bar On The Beach, bright with Caribbean colors, is so named because there is no dock and the boaters anchored offshore routinely swim ashore with money in their pockets. On weekends, the bar attracts plenty of non-guests, especially Sunday, when a guitarist plays and the sedate atmosphere is ratcheted up a few knots.
Guests have free use of three two-person kayaks and snorkeling gear. Boating and fishing trips, hikes and jaunts to neighboring islands are arranged, though most guests enjoy vegetating on the white sand beach.
Cruise ships find the beach here a popular day stop, but the hotel ropes off the sand in front of the cottages for guests only. Hammocks prove to be the perfect perch from which to observe the natural scenery, and the number of daily visitors are rarely enough to pose a problem.
These four airy octagonal cottages, two on the beach and two farther back, are thoughtfully appointed, though basically furnished with tile floors, local art, comfortable rattan furniture, mosquito coils, ceiling fans, and day and king beds.
Guests shower in the afternoons instead of mornings due to the solar-heated rainwater showers which are outside just off the large tiled baths. Mosquitoes may have their way with you, but the scenery and unique experience are worth the chance.
Two smaller guest rooms with a connecting door are on the ground floor of the owners' home. These have more hotel-like amenities, including air conditioning (be mindful that the more expensive cottages do not), indoor showers and hot-water tanks (a blessing on overcast days).
A staff of 12 caters to no more than 12 guests to create a one-on-one experience. Children under 16 are not allowed, unless the family rents the entire six rooms. The Sandcastle is closed in September for renovations, but the bar remains open 365 days a year.
