Just Back From: Anguilla

Welcome to the newest installment of Just Back From! For this interview, I spoke with a recent guest of the Four Seasons Anguilla, who spent five nights there with her family of four this December. She has experience in the interior design industry (and great taste), so I definitely trust her opinion on the look and feel of this resort. 

Why did you decide to go to Anguilla and stay at the Four Seasons? 

We chose Anguilla because it was warm, and we wanted a luxurious place to go. I've heard about it from friends over the years; people have always said that they love it. We wanted someplace where we could just chill.

How was the trip there? Is there anything you would do differently? 

It was easy to get to. We did nonstop Dulles to St Maarten, and then we took a private boat organized by the Four Seasons to the property, which I think is easier than waiting to take the ferry. It was a choppy ride, but not seasick choppy, more like rollercoaster choppy. For the trip back, we left Anguilla and flew into Miami, which was really easy. I didn’t want to take two flights getting there, but looking back I probably would have flown both ways, rather than take the boat. 

What was the vibe of the hotel? When I went years ago, it was a Viceroy with the interior design done by Kelly Wearstler – did it still feel like her style?

It was really beautiful. It has a zen vibe, open air, just a gorgeous Four Seasons property. There is a lot of Kelly Wearstler influence in terms of interior design, yes. It is really pretty.

What category of rooms did you have? What did you think of them?

We stayed in a one bedroom oceanfront suite. The kids stayed in a king studio suite, also oceanfront. The one bedroom suite was lovely. It had a kitchenette, half-bath, and a generous closet, as well as a porch with an elevated hot tub. The kids’ room had all of those features too. What I will say to someone who is booking, you should be mindful of what building you choose. They have certain room categories that are only in certain buildings. I preferred the buildings that were closer to the water, specifically for the view. So just ask while booking which room categories are in which buildings, especially if a view is important to you. 

Did you see the villas and the townhouses on the property?

I did. There is not a huge difference between villas and townhouses, but the villas have a golf cart and most have private access to your own little stretch of beach. They’re incredibly nice and spacious, with up to five or six bedroom options, big decks with plunge pools. Some even have offices in case you need to work. There is a full kitchen, so you can have a chef come in and cook dinner. 

The townhouses are oceanfront, too, staggered on a hillside. There isn’t any beach, as they are essentially raised up on a cliff. They go up to four bedrooms, so smaller than the villas, but have plunge pools and a full kitchen too. 

Regarding the view, the townhouses all face the water. The villas are situated on roads: one road on the beach, other roads that are set up on the mountain. So you might have a view but not beach access with those villas further up, so you would want to be specific about what villa you are getting. 

Were there any goodies waiting for you in the room at check-in or at turndown?

There was a welcome champagne and a plate of cookies. They included fresh banana bread on arrival at our coffee station, which was nice. The girls got a nice tray of treats. But no, there wasn’t something given every day. 

Breakfast is my favorite meal at hotels. How was the breakfast they offered?

There was a breakfast every day offered at their main restaurant Salt, which had these gorgeous ocean views. That was a breakfast buffet – two omelet bars, a little kiddie bar that was low on the ground for children. You could eat there, or you could eat at their other restaurant Bamboo. We had a seventy-five dollar credit per person for breakfast that was perfect. 

How was the food at the restaurants? Did you eat mostly at the hotel or go off-property?

We did both. At the hotel there was Sunset Lounge, which is the main open lounge by the pool. They have great sushi and cocktails, and we ended up eating there twice. The vibe is very chill. You’re eating on sofas, and there is live music every night. 

Salt had a guest chef from New York there who offered a special menu alongside the hotel’s typical menu. He was there for the holiday season, so for three weeks I think. The food was American. It was good but, you know, not amazing. There is also Bamboo, which I mentioned before, that does very casual breakfast and lunch. I don’t know if they do this during the regular season, but for the holidays they were hosting dinners at Bamboo with an imported chef as well. He was making Italian cuisine. 

There is Half Shell Beach Bar, a lunch shack that is very pretty and fairly remote. The setup is just a handful of tables and a bar on a porch that overlooks the water.

Off-property, we went to Blanchards one night, which we loved. The woman who owns it and her husband were there – they were very cool, from Vermont – they’ve been there for decades. The food was really good. 

One place we loved was Straw Hat. It was really fun with live music, very chill and casual. The food was Caribbean and delicious. 

At one point we walked down the beach and decided to have lunch at this restaurant we came across called Ocean Echo. The food wasn’t good; I wouldn’t recommend going there. 

What kind of activities did you participate in during the day? Did you go out on a boat? Water sports?

I’m sure you could do water sports and boating, but we didn’t. They offer a yoga class every morning at 8AM, which I did. The studio overlooked the water; it was gorgeous, and the teacher Tanya was amazing. The fitness center in general was very nice. They also offered different activities, some themed with the holidays. Pottery classes, a ceviche making class, a cocktail making class, a kids club, different holiday activities – so you had a lot of options. We played tennis every day. They have these lovely tennis courts that you reserve for free, and we did that in advance. They have a cute little tennis hut, where you could borrow rackets. They didn’t sell shoes and only a little bit of clothing, so definitely recommend bringing your own. There was a pro who we saw teaching lessons, and he seemed lovely. One of the courts was also lined for pickleball.

Did you do any shopping? How was the hotel’s boutique?

The boutique was okay. They had some decent brands – Zimmerman, James Perse – but it could have used a little more. Limited sizing; it was their busiest time of year and they were out of most sizes. 

Did the hotel feel crowded given the time of year?

We were there the seventeenth through the twenty-second, so the week before Christmas. It wasn’t terribly crowded, but they said that the next week the resort would be packed. They said they were going to have 300 people check in that Saturday, and we left on Friday. 

What were the pools like on the property? Were there multiple?

There were three main swimming pools. One was for families, another was gorgeous but pretty empty while we were there. It had cabanas and these big palm trees. The third, which we spent the most time in, was this quiet infinity pool. They had this great deck there that overlooked the ocean, and we ended up hanging out there a lot. Something I did appreciate was that all the lounge chairs weren’t on top of each other – they were grouped so you had a bit of privacy. That might have changed with the influx of guests, though.   

Did you check out the spa? 

I had two of the best massages I’ve ever had at this resort. 90 minutes, both by the same woman. The spa on the whole was okay. It was small. They are talking about moving it from where it is now – which is what used to be one of the townhouses – to a new facility. 

How was the service at the hotel? Did you have a positive experience with the staff?

The service was amazing. The man who was head of client relations, for instance, comes up to us the second day and asks if we were in the Caymans. We were like, yes? He goes, I recognize you. We were there in 2017. Every day he would say, Mrs. M how are you? How are you doing? It wasn’t just him – everyone on the staff knew your name and was incredibly friendly. The staff would be hugging us and other visitors at breakfast. They were phenomenal. Very attentive, always asking, Can I get you something else? Can I bring you a water? Do you need your umbrella moved? The service, being what it was, made it a pleasure. 

Would you go back?

Yes. It was so easy. I also don’t tend to get bored, so I don’t need twenty-five activities or a town. That being said, I don’t know if I would go there for two weeks, but I think five to seven days is ideal. If you are there for longer, you can also take a plane to check out St Barts.