Indeed, everything here does feel discreetly staged in service of a stress-free, feel-good storyline. Then the jungle swallows you up, the path leads you to the beach and the sea is the stage.” “When guests arrive, and the gates open at Paradise Beach, it should feel like the curtains opening at the cinema. (Note “Nevis” in the name.) “Every holiday should feel like a story, a film,” he continues. Cabourne, whose blue eyes match the shade of his breeze-ruffled linen shirt and the ruffled waters beyond, is also executive chairman of U.K. “When I first arrived, I thought: This is Treasure Island!” James Cabourne, owner of Paradise Beach Resort, tells me. Christopher Columbus sailed by the island in 1493 and named it “Nuestra Señora de las Nieves” (Our Lady of the Snows) after the snow-like clouds beshawling its conical volcano. Nevis is the petite, quieter sister island to St. If luxury was once this kind of preposterous excess, it now comes in the form of ease, worrylessness the ultimate extravagance.ĭespite all of Joan’s future-proofing, I could not have predicted the profound impact of the intense colour and lush beauty that awaited us at aptly named Paradise Beach. The company miraculously sleuthed a pale dozen in Geneva, and the same day, said Swiss peafowl were strutting on deck. In the early aughts, I wrote about a travel-concierge company that specialized in bespoke experiences: for an all-white yacht party in the South of France, staff were asked to locate a dozen albino peacocks within 24 hours. But in the anxiety-addled aftermath of the pandemic, uncertainty has taken a reputation hit and predictability is the new luxury. In my experience, the beauty of travel is in the romance of the surprise encounter, the unexpectedly life-altering meal, the sunset you happen upon out of nowhere. What they get in exchange are keys to the kingdom, access to 400 of the world’s most exquisite vacation homes (even at peak times) in 75 destinations, along with a team of private chefs, concierges, yoga instructors and dream-fulfillment trip planners all working to “future-proof” your holiday. Members are expected to travel 15 to 30 nights year, which hardly seems a burden under these sublime conditions. Joining the club starts at $175,000 (USD) for a 10-year membership, which is not inclusive - everything about this company is exclusive - of accommodations. This brand of sweet talk comes at a price. And when I read Joan’s love letter (I mean email), I realize that someone assuring me I’ll have nothing to worry about basically feels like a seduction at this point. The promise is that when you vacation with Exclusive Resorts, which is basically a private country club for those with wanderlust, leisure will never be compromised by logistics. A month before our family trip to the Caribbean island of Nevis, Joan emails me: “Please let me know how I can help you?” She offers to stock our villa’s fridge with groceries, organize activities, and book excursions, water taxis and airport transfers. If my husband may not have completely metabolized those words of wisdom, Joan, my Exclusive Resorts concierge, embodies them. The man, who could tell we’d had a Big Day (our outfits were a strong clue), offered joyful congratulations, then directed some marital advice to the groom: “Always ask her, ‘How can I help you? How can I help you? What do you need from me?’” I swiftly dismissed his words at the time - the counsel seemed better suited to, say, an airline steward than a new spouse - but 10 years later, it seems more knee-buckling than any Cyrano de Bergerac-ion verse. The evening after my husband and I got married at San Francisco’s City Hall, a stranger stopped to chat with us as we wandered back to our hotel.
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