Curtain Bluff – Antigua

Paradise exists!!! I have recently visited and it is in Antigua…

On the way to a final destination in a business trip I decided to stop in Antigua during the weekend.

I did some research on where to stay and I knew already that the Curtain Bluff was going to be an excellent choice but this place has outperformed all my expectations…

Curtain Bluff is a resort in the village of Old Road in Antigua. It has an interesting story as initially, the couple who bought the land, had the intention to build a private residence which was not authorised by the local government, which lead them to build a resort with 22 rooms.

Over time the resort grew and became worldwide known, which would make one think that the resort lost its charm and intimacy… wrong conclusion… the place is as intimate and boutique as it could possibly be… staff learn the name of the guest and guest service is beyond excellent.

The name Curtain Bluff is due to an immense rock that separate the two beaches of the resort. One which is calm like a lagoon and another which is rough and strong, due to the water current.

Also within the premises there are 3 restaurants, a magnificent spa, a couple of tennis courts, a gym and whole ocean to explore. Windsurf, kitesurf, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, are activities that are all comprised in the night rate of the hotel.

When I got there, I was border line to exhaustion. I had had a very hard week and I felt I had no energy left. As my husband had well put I had stretched myself so hard that my body had travelled to the Caribbean but my soul was still hanging in Europe…  I think he was right but once there I got a huge shot of energy that recharged me almost immediately.

I was like a kid in a toy shop… kind of looking around and not knowing what to do and where to go first… I had so little time to enjoy it all.

My room was just spectacular…. Sea front with feet on the sand… I could hear the waves (the rooms are located in front to the rough beach), hitting the shore. Palm trees, hammocks, bright sun, blue sky and the sea… what else did I need?

Well… nothing… but cocktails… and as per magic, they materialised in my hands… the hotel operates in a all inclusive rate… so, when you least expect there is someone passing by offering cocktails or something to drink… did I not say the service was boutique and very personal?

A couple of hours later, I decided to pick myself up and explore the resort… The gardens were manicured and the contrast between the turquoise sea and the green gardens were breath taking.

Time for a drink and dinner… it is quite boring to have to eat on its own… but I was travelling solo.. so there was nothing I could do about it… I decided to go to the Tamarind restaurant… it is a formal setting without being stiff with several courses of delicious Caribbean food…

When I least expected a sweet lady approached me wondering whether I felt lonely to be on my own. She, then, invited me to join her at her table, should I wish to have company. I politely declined as I am used to eat alone when travelling, but she insisted in the offer by saying that if I changed my mind I should only tell staff that I wanted to see Chelle.

At that moment I did not know that Chelle was lady Chelle, the founder and owner of the resort. It was extremely generous and sweet of her to come personally to speak to me. I also learned that lady Chelle receives guests once a week in her private residence, when she takes the opportunity to give the silver plates to the guests who visit the resort for 10 years in a row.

When I was there I met a couple of families that have been returning to the resort for over 10 years. Actually, one family was completing 20 years… Amazing how the place can grow in peoples hearts and hearing their testimony I could understand that the place has some kind of magic that is difficult to find elsewhere…

I was fortunate to visit Curtain Bluff, albeit for a short period…. Contrarily to many places I have been I am sure I will be back soon and next time with my own family… maybe one day, I will get the silver plate as well.

www.curtainbluff.com

xx Valentina