Images: Colony Club Hotel
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The same attention to detail has been lavished on the cuisine, 1658. In the museum, an 1822 valuation lists the names of the slave served at either the beachside Sunset Bar or the redesigned Laguna population: Lucretia, Isaac, Benjy – a few among so many poignantly restaurant, which offers great local cuisine, plus a new wellness menu chronicled in a copperplate hand. Saving this slice of Barbadian history, and established favourites such as the extensive Sunday brunch. For the new owners have not only restored the buildings but started a change of scene, a complimentary water taxi takes Colony Club producing a pure, unblended rum created in the boutique distillery guests to experience the other four properties comprising the Elegant using original equipment. Smoky, pure and insidiously strong, it’s a Hotel group, so there’s always an opportunity to sample an alternative grand cru in the world of rum. dining setting. Driving back, we pass a group of men hacking towering fronds of Thankfully, to counteract increased waistlines and to stimulate sugar cane by hand using machetes. It could be a scene from centuries mind, body and soul, the Colony Club past except for the cool-looking dude has devised a range of complimentary wearing long dreadlocks, shades and a Sun loungers set in activities. Vacating my sun lounger cigarette dangling from his lips who is secluded corners (except when enjoying a relaxing plein air nonchalantly splicing cane into lengths ensure privacy and massage) and staying away from the rum at potentially finger-lopping speed. Justin ‘beach ambassadors’ (well, before happy hour anyway), I vow explains these cuttings will propagate are constantly on to try everything on the wellness menu. more cane and, inevitably, more of the hand to provide Every day offers a packed schedule from liquid gold which we’ve been sampling everything from yoga, pilates and zumba to hiking and throughout the day. The Rum Tour is just one of the Colony sunscreen to cocktails walking tours – and that’s not counting the raft of water activities available at the Club’s multiple attractions. Located on beachside Aqua School. For me, paddleboarding and water-skiing turn the West coast of Barbados, near Hole Town and some of the best out to be more comedy routine than water sport so I settle for a snorkel restaurants and shopping on the island, this tranquil resort, originally safari with Captain Ron who glamorously whisks us away in the hotel built in l948, has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment. speed boat to catch a glimpse of the local turtles. Retaining the original colonial atmosphere, the lovely rooms have been And it’s our lucky day; an entire family of turtles turn out to updated using what interior designers might call ‘natural earthy tones’ greet us during a day excursion on the Cool Running Catamaran. but now look to me like various shades of rum. During an idyllic cruise down the island’s beach-lined West Coast, Some rooms overlook the beach, but this is one hotel where the we snorkel in the pristine sea alongside massive leather backs and a sea view option isn’t necessarily the most prestigious. Like mine, many host of kaleidoscopic tropical fish. After a delicious on-board buffet, of the 96 bedrooms enjoy secluded private access, via the balcony or we dive straight from the deck into the sea and swim to a classic terrace, to one of the four meandering, ingeniously designed lagoonpicture-postcard Bajan beach. Fringed by gently waving palm trees, it style swimming pools embraced by carefully-tended tropical gardens is deserted. Sitting on sable sand, the sun on my skin, my toes lapped featuring tumbling waterfalls and exotic birdlife. Sun loungers set in by warm, clear water, I understand why Nigel Benn’s Auntie wouldn’t secluded corners ensure privacy and ‘beach ambassadors’ are constantly want to be anywhere else. on hand to provide everything from sunscreen to cocktails.
96 | LIFESTYLE