My Anguilla Bliss

(Anguilla, West Indies, June 10) Robin and Sue Ricketts, award-winning creators of famed resorts (think Malliouhana, think Cap Juluca), announce the opening date for their own hotel on Anguilla: October 15.

Anacaona Boutique Hotel is their new name for the Sirena Resort, which is about to undergo a refurbishment that will add some of the famed Ricketts touches in style and service. The hotel with its 27 rooms and suites sits in 3 1/2-acres of frangipani and coco palms a few paces along a garden path from mile-long Meads Bay, one of the most beautiful stretches of beach on the island.

When it reopens this fall, the new Anacaona (pronounced the way it looks, by the way, an-nah-ky-oh-nah, without stresses – just like vacations on Anguilla) will feature stylish décor, new menus in the garden-poolside restaurant, not one but two swimming pools (for 27 rooms!), full beach service, boutique, massage center – and, above all, a reinvention of island nightlife.

“We’ve given the hotel this evocative Amerindian name, Anacaona, because we see it as Anguilla’s unofficial cultural entertainment center,” say co-owner Sue Ricketts. “The focus of our tropical evenings will be local musicians, local dance groups, dinner theater, maybe carnival nights, maybe even poolside chats with engaging local historians. We want our guests to leave Anguilla with a much richer understanding of what this special island is all about.”

Affordable Chic

Room rates at the new Anacaona will come as a welcome eye-opener to vacationers who thought they could never afford this celebrity-studded island. Room rates for most of the year begin at $150 a night double – and even in peak season the starting price is only $250 double. That includes perks often found only in luxury hotels – like cold towels and rum punch on arrival, free Wi-Fi and Internet, even drinks and lunch service on the beach.

In addition to the regular low rates, Anacaona will also offer additional packages – 5 nights for the price of 4, 7 nights for the price of 5, that sort of thing — as well as unique offers like a Solo Traveler’s Promotion tailored in conjunction with a local guide who specializes in one-of-a-kind tours. There will also be special weeks for guests interested in painting, photography, cooking, wellness, crafts, adventure and, of course, golf.

Says general manager Delroy Lake (formerly of Ku, another popular Ricketts’ getaway), “We want to give value for money, especially for people who want a slightly different ambiance from the bigger, more luxurious resorts. We see Anacaona as a perfect hideaway for self-dependent types — solos travelers, couples, honeymooners and families — who want a low-key experience that’s both relaxing and rewarding.”

Anacaona Boutique Hotel is located in that trendy corner of Anguilla known as West End, a low-profile district with most of the island’s luxury resorts and high-end villas, a variety of restaurants and beach bars, the Greg Norman golf course and other attractions – but no more than 20 minutes by car from the airport or 10 from the ferryboat dock.

Contact ann@antiguacaribbean.com to book your stay at Anacaona.