A new luxury hotel is putting Grenada firmly on the map

Grenada, mercifully located outside the belt of destruction that followed hurricanes Irma and Maria, stayed firmly under the radar when the Caribbean grabbed the headlines in 2017. But that is much the way the island has always been – never a glamorous celebrity magnet of the likes of, say, St Barths, Barbados or Mustique, and never much of a destination for garnering column inches. In fact, more often than not, mention Grenada and most people think you are going to Spain. But the island – one of the most southerly in the Caribbean – has suddenly come into focus, principally because a new hotel, Silversands, funded by an Egyptian billionaire with an ongoing love affair with Grenada, has upped the ante in delivering a suave, modern showstopper right on the pearly sands of Grand Anse Beach. There are Teslas to whisk guests around the island, apps to control all manner of technology and a beautiful crowd that gathers in the beach club on Friday evenings to sip Provençal rosé and dance to the beat of a live DJ. It is a world away from the laid-back, rustic, charming, old-school Grenada, which, traditionally, has thrived on rum and reggae, its character defined by a seriously hilly topography. The island's steep rainforests are a lush Eden of fruits and spices (cocoa and nutmeg in particular) sloping down to a coast serrated by pretty inlets, bays and beaches.

For the young – and Grenada has an extremely youthful population, mainly accounted for by its huge medical school that draws students from all over the world – the arrival of Silversands is a boon. And locals, especially those in the tourism industry, are delighted that the island has something new and upmarket to shout about. They want to be back on the map. From a personal perspective, however, it is the wild, authentic, low-key Grenada that draws me in and I find myself loving the place – in contrast to the way many other Caribbean islands have left me cold. Whether walking to uncrowded waterfalls and deserted beaches with naturalist Simon Green – the island’s answer to Bear Grylls – or sailing along the coastline with Danny Donelan aboard his restored wooden sloop, Savvy, Grenada reveals herself in a broad sweep of vibrant colour saturated in intense tropical heat.

As Independence Day approaches, the island is dressed to the nines in the national colours of gold, red and green, flags and bunting draped over every porch and garden gate, every lamp post and roundabout. The talk is of ‘oil down’, the one-pot stew of breadfruit and salted fish, liberally feasted on at the annual celebration and washed down with lashings of rum. It is going to be one hell of a party and I am sad to miss it, though carnival in August, I am told by way of consolation, is apparently just as crazy should I decide to come back.

If there is one thing that will stay with me after my brief infatuation with Grenada, it is the rum – so strong, you need only sniff it to be turned upside down, and so lethal it is banned for air travel unless it is under 70 per cent proof. Island-only rum, produced at one of Grenada’s three distilleries, is a massive 75 or even 80 per cent. Lunching with the British ex-pat Leo Garbutt, owner of beautiful Calabash, one of the island’s other premier hotels, I decline rum in favour of wine, not quite trusting myself otherwise to see out the afternoon. Married to a Grenadian, Annie, and having lived here for three decades, Leo talks about the island with truly infectious glee. The ‘real’ Caribbean, he calls it, and I think he’s right.

Where to stay

Spice Island beach resort is the grande dame of Grenada, with a prime spot on Grand Anse Beach (the opposite end to Silversands). This hotel is favoured by a gentrified British market and, in season, those of an older persuasion. Some guests go year after year and it is not hard to see why. Most rooms open onto the beach; the hotel operates on an all-inclusive basis, including alcohol; the food is good; the cocktails flow; and the facilities include a spa and tennis court.

Silversands is the shiny new kid on the block. Aimed at a younger, cooler crowd (deep pockets required) who like cutting-edge design and a party vibe, the resort has four villas right on the beach, with hotel rooms in two buildings behind. The boldest design statement is the 100-metre swimming pool – the longest in the Caribbean – which stretches from the lobby to the beach.

Laluna is the hippy-chic retreat – rustic, bohemian in an Indonesia-meets-the-Caribbean style, with a dash of Italy (from where the owners hail) thrown into the mix. Its cottages – thatched and painted in vibrant colours – are positioned on a steep hillside, so the clientele tends towards a more agile set. Yoga is de rigueur and while there is only a small pool, the beach is picture perfect.