Richard Branson’s Latest Personal Island Escape Is Now Open — and We Obtained a First Look

A lazy river-style pool meandering by way of the property, a 42-foot boat with a personal captain, a workers to serve your each need or need, absolutely stocked bars, and kitchens, a listening room with a classic file participant and 250 items of vinyl — that is only a style of Cape Stout on Moskito Island within the British Virgin Islands, which Journey + Leisure received a primary have a look at final month.

After a harrowing set of canceled flights, I emerged from Beef Island’s Terrance B. Lettsome Airport to an indication with my identify on it, as Callum McKendrick, the top of property visitor service, greeted me and unburdened me of my luggage. We shuttled to the dock, the place a modern speedboat awaited to hold me to my island residence for the weekend. A cotton candy-colored moke pushed by property supervisor Leah Wheeler deposited me on the stone path entrance to Cape Stout. The fledgling arbor of scorching pink bougainvillea fragranced the air because the welcoming workers handed out colourful tiki mugs stuffed with contemporary painkillers, the official cocktail of the British Virgin Islands.

Located on the tip of billionaire playground Moskito Island, the seven-building property delivers panoramic Insta-worthy sundown and dawn views in opposition to craggy cliffs, cerulean water, and nutmeg sand.

“Richard Branson purchased [it] in 2007 and offered plots selectively to create the estates,” Shaylene Todd Enlow, Moskito Island’s CEO, advised T+L. “Managers, cooks, and mixologists function cruise administrators, personalised to teams of friends. When friends arrive, all of the pondering is completed. No person worries about something besides shared adventures and experiences.”

A mild breeze lifts the plush tropical foliage as I meander down the Ipe hardwood steps to HQ, the property’s social hub. Inflatable slices of orange, lime, and watermelon stack neatly beside the infinity pool, punctuated by a tiki bar that appears to hold in house over the cliff. Moody skies and churning seas are on full show by way of the wall-to-wall home windows framing the indoor-outdoor house. Ornamental screens permit tradewinds to blow freely all through the constructing, offering a cooling respite from the tropical local weather.

Every thing feels richly textured as I wander across the communal gathering house: woven ceilings and chandeliers, delicately beaded placemats on the tables, fringed pillows in a kaleidoscope of colours from the encompassing panorama, hand-painted terracotta tiles line the kitchen backsplash (only one type of the over 100 varieties throughout the property), and the centerpiece: a set of cabled nets for lounging, opening to the night time sky. I raise a glass of champagne to the twinkling stars peeking by way of the clouds, toasting what guarantees to be a rare weekend.

Right here, my evaluation of Cape Stout Property, and the way it’s including to the narrative of personalised, ultra-luxe experiences on Moskito Island within the BVIs.

The Rooms

The property’s seven suites supply a choose-your-own-adventure type of keep. Widespread components embrace out of doors showers, absolutely stocked minibars, a choice of espresso and tea for the Smeg espresso maker, a Sonos speaker system, every day housekeeping, and gorgeous views from floor-to-ceiling home windows.

I stayed within the Sand suite with panoramic views of ocean waves crashing on the secluded Honeymoon Seaside under. The thoughtfully apportioned house afforded me a front room with floor-to-ceiling home windows, blackout shades for rejuvenating sleep, mushy mauve swivel armchairs, a trio of dusky green-blue accent tables that mirror the ocean exterior, and a mustard-colored low profile couch strewn with ivory boucle pillows. A vibrant summary portray of a tropical drink with shades of aqua, raspberry, coral, and saffron anchors the lounge. The partition to the king bed room showcases intricate woodworking and results in the loft with a further couch mattress, making this preferrred for households.

Subsequent door, the Salt suite mirrors mine with a special coloration palate. Downstairs, the Surf suite presents the identical king mattress and luxe ensuite rest room setup with out the loft. Only a quick path away, the Seaside Barn is a hotspot for youths of all ages. The deluxe suite options two ranges, three queen beds, and two double beds arrange sleeper train-style. Outfitted with a sound system, TV, and PlayStation, the lounge space retains the leisure going. The romantic Clifftop and Nest suites characteristic personal gardens, plunge swimming pools, king beds, and full ensuite loos with walk-in closets.

Cape Stout Property can accommodate 24 friends and is accessible for unique buyouts solely. Throughout off-season, the nightly fee for your complete property checks in at $24,000. Charges fluctuate by season.

Meals and Drink

Chef Dhani Inderpal greets friends each morning with a scorching breakfast ready to order. The scent of freshly brewed espresso pulled me from my slumber every day to HQ, the place all of the friends gathered for communal meals. An array of contemporary fruit, moist carrot bread, croissants, in a single day oats, and extra populated the bar, whereas a menu of conventional breakfast objects like pancakes and omelets was whipped up within the open kitchen. I let Chef Inderpal shock me every day together with his distinctive creations, from shakshouka to eggs Benedict to breakfast burritos. Contemporary squeezed juices, coconut water, and creative wellness pictures — just like the zippy turmeric on my final day — supplied loads of hydration.

Earlier than we arrived on the island, the Cape Stout staff referred to as to debate all the things from dietary restrictions and menu choices to how we wished to spend our days. They constructed a draft itinerary, wine listing, and menus that we custom-made in order that after I arrived, my favourite wine was stocked within the cellar, and all of the meals I beloved have been in rotation. No matter we wished, regardless of how particular the request, was out there. Every thing was thoughtfully ready, and produce from the island’s gardens and fruit timber was included, from breakfast to snacks to lunch to dinner.

Actions and Facilities

It’s exhausting to encapsulate the depth of choices right here as a result of in case you dream it, they make it occur.

There are billiards, cornhole setups, a number of scorching tubs, and a listening lounge outfitted with 250 information. And coming for subsequent season: a video games pavilion overlooking the waterfront with pool desk, darts, and extra. A full fitness center with Peloton tools, free weights, and yoga gear enhances the numerous watersport choices, together with the 42-foot energy boat that comfortably suits 12 individuals and three crew, good for exploring the famed North Sound and past.

Every thing is included, however you’ll be able to add fireplace dancing demonstrations, DJ dance events, personal spa therapies, scuba diving, cooking courses, and extra. Wheeler organized a visit with Sunchaser Scuba for the weekend. After a 7:45 a.m. departure, we motored out to Sharkplaneo to discover some airplane wrecks. Then we hit the motherload on the Kodiak Queen, a Pearl Harbor survivor with an intact construction that held an indoor jungle fitness center of points of interest and swim-throughs with a lot of marine life, together with a 6-foot nurse shark ready on the exit.

Friends also can guide complimentary time on the Seaside Home, a communal house for all of the estates that options grass tennis courts, mountain climbing trails, swimming pools, an outfitted fitness center, a watersports middle, and loads of entertaining house.

Household-friendly Choices

Past the unbelievable luxurious, a cornucopia of choices will maintain multi-generational vacationers returning for extra. The community of terraces, gardens, pavilions, and paths offers intimate areas for {couples} to get pleasure from sunsets, expansive tables for everybody to collect round a shared meal, quite a lot of swimming pools of various depths for plunging or floating, courtyards stuffed with out of doors video games, and seashores stocked with watersport autos like e-foils, paddleboards, water skis, and extra.

A half-basketball courtroom does double responsibility as an out of doors film theatre with stadium seating. The canal pool is the crown jewel for household enjoyable — many hours will likely be spent floating down the lazy river-style pool. Baskets of bug spray, sunscreen, and luxe pool towels are sprinkled all through, a couple of much less issues to pack.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Cape Stout doesn’t supply any ADA-compliant rooms, however different resorts on Moskito Island have flat, ground-level pathing and elevators.

On the sustainability entrance, Cape Stout and Moskito Island, as an entire, test many containers. The water provide is totally self-made on the island. All rooms, bars, and eating places make the most of glass servingware. A glass bottling plant is on the horizon. Within the meantime, they’ve a glass crusher to recycle all these bottles, a cardboard recycling program, and every bar shares biodegradable seaweed straws, a step additional than these paper straws that disintegrate in your drink. In addition they have a number of gardens that seed the chef’s choices, together with a stone path by way of a hall of grapefruit, orange, avocado, soursop, and statuesque coconut timber laden with fruit.

Location

Most friends fly into Beef Island’s Terrance B. Lettsome Airport and board the Moskito Island shuttle to the dock (included in reserving price), a speedy two-minute drive. From there, a speedboat takes you on to Moskito Island, about half-hour away. Friends even have the choice of paying to reach by helicopter. The Caribbean Buzz helicopter service operates between the BVI, USVI, and San Juan and might take as much as eight passengers.

A direct flight on American Airways from Miami is new to the combo. Somewhat than transferring to one of many Caribbean airways at areas like San Juan or St. Maarten, vacationers from the U.S. can get pleasure from uninterrupted air journey straight to the Moskito Island shuttle at EIS. As soon as on Moskito Island, a fleet of mokes chauffeured by every property’s workers carry friends wherever they should go.

Tips on how to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

As an unbiased, all-inclusive property, worth is discovered extra within the time you guide than in rewards packages. Off-season is August by way of October and presents the most effective worth, however that can be squarely inside hurricane season, so unpredictable climate is the added price. Mid-season, Might by way of July, presents financial savings as nicely.