Cabana Time: Peaking Inside the Renovated Four Seasons Resort Nevis

March 9, 2011 at 3:40 PM | by Chanize | Comments (0)

For the next few days, we'll give you the skinny on the re-opening of the Four Seasons Nevis in the Caribbean, and our favorite�and not so favorite�things. Be sure to tune-in Friday for the lowdown on the resort's recent A-list guest�a very cool lady who goes by codename at the resort.

At one point�oh, say the fourth time there was a reopening date on the Four Seasons Nevis� website�we swore it was never gonna happen. Hurricane Omar put the hotel out of commission in 2008, and after several notices of rebound netted zero, we sorta lost interest. In fact, on a flight home from the island in 2009, several FS employees, including chefs and engineers, were boarding our plane en route to an extra-long vacation. They didn�t know if the hotel would ever come back. That is not a good sign.

It would be a pity too, since Nevis is one of those islands few know much about. It's a paradise unspoiled by crowds, but without the Four Seasons� island revenue, it seemed like the island had lost its mojo, partially also because other local hoteliers depend heavily on FS traffic to their restaurants and business.

So, when the news broke last fall that the FS would definitely (though softly) swing open its doors in December, we did a little jig. The island would be saved! And we're happy to report that the hotel has reopened after an extensive renovation, and we've got some of the very first pics:

· It's all about the Benjamins:
$120 million, in fact. That�s how much cheddar was spent on the renos. Locals and returning guests say they don�t recognize the place anymore. One thing remains constant�the theme of wooden cottages surrounding the central Great House, which is a common design element around this former plantation-filled island.

We�re glad the cottages' tired nautical theme vanished in favor of fresh, country lemonade-yellow prints on the 2nd-floor rooms, and blue accents on the bottom-floor units. Everyone gets a balcony and deck chairs to peep the landscaped grounds, still budding after the post-hurricane replanting. Louvered shutters let the natural light and air in, in case you're not into air-con. A beef with the room? No desk, which is strange, given Four Seasons is a �corporate� hotel. And even if we were the only lame-o's who lugged our laptop to an island, contorting and hunting for outlets is never cool.

· Cabana time:
The four beach cabanas are brand new and rentable for the day. They've got names like Reggae, Merengue, Calypso and Soca and they are little bungalows fronting Pinney�s Beach and the hotel's dock. Here you can spot new arrivals from St. Kitts climb out of the FS�s shiny new boat.

BTW, Ms. "Cherry Cola" and her fam spent the day in a cabana, and we can see why. We�re told these little houses go for over $500 a day in high season, which seems steep�but they do come with butler service, homemade banana bread (soo very yum), fruit bowl, and a fridge stocked with drinks (but no booze). What it doesn�t come with? A little bathroom. And by gosh after our third rum punch, we had to sprint double time to the loo by the pool.

High season rates for rooms at the hotel are running a hefty $595 per night, but there are a few deals going on, including a "Buy 4 Nights, Get the 5th Free," which brings the per diem price down considerably.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more cabana goodness straight from the Caribbean, not to mention more dish on Ms. Cherry Cola.

[Disclosure: Chanize was a guest of the Four Season Nevis, but all photos and opinions contained here are her own.]

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