Peter Island Resort wasn’t re-built in a day. When it reopens next October, it will have been seven years since a very unwelcome guest, Irma, checked in. By the time she checked out, the Category 5 hurricane had done enough damage that the resort, a BVI landmark since the 1970s, was forced to close. Fortunately, the property’s owner, the billionaire Van Andel family (cofounders of Amway), has deep pockets and plenty of patience.
For starters, the resort’s layout has been completely reconfigured so that each of its 52 rooms and suites, and all but two of its villas, are now beachfront. It makes sense. Peter Island Resort (rates from $1,000 per night) is situated on the largest private island in the British Virgin Islands. The 1,800-acre Caribbean compound is surrounded by five white sand beaches, including the palm-fringed Deadman’s Bay where most of the resort’s action will take place.
The 1,800-acre island is the largest in the BVIs.
Courtesy of Peter Island Resort
For the first time in its 50-year history, the marina will feature a full-service yacht club complete with its own commissary, boutique, and restaurant—a bar & grill deemed the Drunken Pelican. To accommodate larger vessels, including 200-foot-long super yachts, the resort dredged the entrance channel and added more than 250 feet of new dock space.
In the main lodge, you’ll find everything from sumptuous breakfast buffets to surf-and-turf dinners at the Drake Steakhouse, a new restaurant concept courtesy of Frank Sham, the property’s new executive chef. Outside, complimentary snacks will be served every afternoon at the new infinity pool overlooking the bay. Meanwhile, butlers will service the beach cabanas. In addition to offering an array of pool and beach-based activities, the resort has also invested in a new recreational area where guests can burn calories (for cocktails) playing basketball, bocce ball, and pickleball.
The Falcon’s Nest is the resort best new villa.
Courtesy of Peter Island Resort
For events, there’s a new 3,000-square-foot conference center with theater-style seating and a new lawn space. Wellness-wise, the revamped 10,000-square-foot spa will rejuvenate you via its seven treatment rooms, two relaxation lounges, fitness center, saltwater pool, and beauty salon. The spa will carry products by 111Skin, a brand beloved by everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Jill Biden.
That said, the island’s biggest celebrity, according to Peter Island Resort’s president David Van Andel, is its longtime ambassador, Miss Jean Kelly.
“See if you can keep up with her dancing,” Van Andel tells Robb Report. While he won’t divulge how much the resort’s renovations cost, Van Andel recommends guests start their stay with a run around the property’s five-mile loop. “It’s not for the faint of heart,” he said, “and you won’t forget the ‘hill.’”
The Falcon’s Nest offers massive ocean views.
Courtesy of Peter Island Resort
In lieu of regular rooms and one-bedroom suites, guests who value Insta-worthy vistas over easy beach access can always book the resort’s luxurious mountain-top Falcon’s Nest Villa (rates from $11,640 per night). Completely rebuilt to give off more contemporary vibes, it’s still the best spot on the island for 360-degree panoramic views of the Virgin Islands. The Hillside Hawk’s Nest Villa (rates from $5,645 per night) is also being redecorated and upgraded.
And because future hurricanes are as inevitable as the tide, the villas and all new resort structures are being built to the Miami Dade High Velocity Hurricane Zone guidelines.
