Welcome to the Pique Club Newsletter
Well it’s official - summer’s harvest is nearing its end and autumnal winds are beginning to whisper tales of colder weather. The change in season is even visible on Nevis where temperatures have dropped to 26 degrees Centigrade (79 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and sunset cocktails now commence at 6pm instead of 7pm!
Fresh from a week of respite on Nevis I thought it timely to get back in touch with news from the island. While, as ever, much remains the same in our sleepy tropical paradise, the island has hit international headlines recently thanks to one of its newest residents….
And now for something completely different....
A little celebrity gossip!
If you haven't heard, John Cleese is moving to Nevis!
During my stay I had the pleasure of hosting a dinner with the Premier of Nevis, Mark Brantley, and John Cleese of Monty Python fame.
A hero of British comedy Cleese has starred in films such as Life of Brian and A Fish Called Wanda, and is soon to appear in the 3rd series of ABC’s comedy ‘Speechless’.
John confirmed that he and his wife are moving to Nevis later this year and he told me that they expect to be on island throughout the peak season (November through April), in between visiting his comedienne daughter and showbiz friends in Los Angeles and touring with his one-man show and a brand new stage venture which is still under wraps.
He will be a close neighbour of The Retreat having chosen to buy a house just a short distance from the lobby of the Four Seasons. If you're thinking of booking another visit to The Retreat on Nevis now is a great time to get some dates in the diary, you never know who you might meet!
To view an up-to-date availability calendar or make a booking, please visit your local vacation
rental provider.
Alternatively please email relax@theretreatnevis.com, or call us on (UK) +44 7974 922113
Bill Gates spearheads Four Seasons renovations
Talking of the Four Seasons, you may know that Bill Gates is one of the co-owners of the company that owns the Toronto based Four Seasons brand and he (...technically they!) has agreed to help finance a multi-year refurbishment of the luxurious Nevis resort.
Work has already started to remodel the main hotel lobby, bar and restaurants, family pool area and re-furnish the resort’s guest rooms.
Therefore, whilst for the next few months it’s not really a place you would want to pay to stay, the upgrade should see the resort transformed to appeal to a new clientele and boost the island’s economy. During the work, Mangos and Cabana restaurants and the sports facilities remain open. Mangos itself is due for its own refresh next summer.
Exciting news from The Retreat
On a much smaller scale (and with no external financing from any of the world’s richest people!), The Retreat has seen some improvements of its own.
We've increased the width of our panoramic views
Earlier this year, our landscaper removed a tree from the pool deck and the Four Seasons cleared more plots of land across the road which has opened up spectacular panoramic views across to St Kitts and down onto the golf course below. The views from the Veranda and rooms are now at their most expansive ever.
Upgrades to the property and grounds are underway
As I’m sure you will have gathered during your time at The Retreat, we are passionate about ensuring that the house is maintained to a standard that exceeds all others on the island whilst still working on a good value principle for our guests.
Over the past 12 months alone, we have:
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Remodelled the exterior entry area to better integrate its design
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Repainted the upper Veranda, Master Bedroom and Bathroom roof
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Purchased ‘Soho House’ bed linen for the Master Bedroom
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Purchased and installed a Schwinn spin bike and heavy punch bag for the Gym
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Purchased a new Dualit toaster, Cuisinart grind and brew coffee machine, commercial grade food mixer, and new sets of higher quality exterior wine and spirit glasses
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Added Amazon Echos to the bedrooms (even though Amazon don’t yet do same day delivery to the island!)
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Installed a driveway sensor for automatic exit of all cars
Underway and planned works to complete before the new season starts:
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More internal and external painting
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Retiling the BBQ top and renovations to the water feature
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Upgrading exterior cushions /pillows
BUT most significantly we are installing a backup generator that will keep everything in the house (other than the AC) up and running in the event of a power outage!
We've added to our suite of in-house services
Those of you who stayed with us prior to January 2018 will not be familiar with some of the new in-house services we offer:
Wine Concierge
Our new Wine Concierge service offers guests the opportunity to pre-order a fantastic range of wines and liquors before arrival. Want a bottle of ‘Opus One’ waiting for you on your birthday? Now that’s no problem.
On-call taxi service
Another very recent addition to our suite of services is the option of a dedicated ‘on call’ taxi van service which pairs exceptionally well with our Wine Concierge! Instead of negotiating Nevis’ island roads in a rental car, our driver Baba can be on hand to shuttle guests to and from the destinations of their choice at any time of the day or night.
For a fixed fee of $350 per week you can forget the responsibility of managing a car rental, filling up with fuel, driving on the left, or drawing straws to decide who will be the designated driver and miss out on the rum! Baba will also take you and your guests on a half-day narrated island tour!
Nevis Naturally Pantry Essentials
This year we are also launching our ‘Nevis Naturally’ service which offers guests the opportunity to complement their weekly food shop with a range of the best locally farmed produce that normally only the best hotel and restaurant chefs have access to.
We hope that this way our guests will experience more of the hidden gems our island has to offer whilst also directly supporting enterprising Nevisian families.