This Luxe, Ultra-Private Resort in Anguilla Offers Up Sweeping Clifftop Views—Here’s a Look Inside
Luxury travel evolves and the innovations of yesterday become the assumptions of today. Today, from Africa to the Caribbean, that assumption is privacy.
For the last 14 years, àni Private Resorts has been ahead of that curve.
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Jane Street Capital honcho Tim Reynolds launched the brand, now with locations in the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Anguilla, in 2010. The idea was simple: Aim small, and create private retreats bookable only on an exclusive basis.
Reynolds first road-tested the model in Anguilla, with a 10-bedroom family vacation home. Since then, Anguilla—once a quieter alternative to St. Barts—has grown with a direct flight from Miami and a bevy of five-star hotel options like the Four Seasons, Belmond’s Cap Juluca, and Malliouhana. All the while, àni has quietly thrived on something better: an “if you know, you know” reputation.
Robb Report traveled to Anguilla to get an exclusive look inside the resort that helped make exclusivity a business model the world over.
“Tim will always choose the location based on three things,” Henny Fraser, chief marketing officer at àni tells Robb Report. “One is outstanding beauty, and another is that it has privacy, and Tim loved the privacy of being right on the edge of the cliff with views going out across the sea. The third thing is we’re interested in going to places where we can make a difference. We create beautiful holidays for our guests, but it’s done with respect for the local community.”
The setting here is a cliff top overlooking the island’s Little Bay, where you’ll find four ocean-view suites, six rooms, and two side-by-side villas aptly named North and South. Inside, the villas come with huge kitchens—a private chef is included in the stay—as well as large living rooms. Outside are tiered terraces with lush gardens, private pools, and roof decks.
“Anguilla is the smallest àni property, and yet you still feel the privacy here,” says Fraser. “There is room for everyone to have time alone, to work, to read a book, or just lie under a tree or on a lounger.”
The target audience are multi-generational family groups, and pleasing everyone means service comes first. A personal team of up to 20 staffers handle everything, including a designated activities manager to plan out your days—which can include doing nothing at all.
Other built-ins include six daily spa treatments, cooking classes with chef Karan Kumar (guardian of the unofficial world’s best Jerk Chicken recipe), and tennis lessons with coach Denny. In the evenings, there are cocktail masterclasses with award-winning mixologist Jamal (another unofficial best recipe holder, this time for a classic pi?a colada), steel pan lessons with renowned musician Michael “Dumpa” Martin, and private DJ nights—probably best done in that order.
The kids aren’t a problem, either, with four hours of daily babysitting included in the stay.
“You can all do different things at different times,” says Fraser. “We have activities that appeal to different age groups and different levels of fitness. If you want to just relax by the pool and have massages all day, then that’s what the holiday can be.”
Beyond the villas, there are cycling tours of the island, stand-up paddleboarding, and night kayaking (to spot swimming turtles). Of course, the team can also hook you up with the best spots on the island’s 33 beaches, made even better by a private lunch and bartender.
New for this year is the “Summer Somewhere Else” cultural program, which showcases a side of the island that most vacationers might not see. That includes everything from workshops to make your own carnival costume ahead of the opening night parade and Reggae performances to the Miss Anguilla pageant and the “Eyes Wide Shut” summer music festival on the beach—to name a few.
àni is also adding an educational element to the entertainment so guests can use their summertime on the island to pick up a new skill: like learning how to play dominoes, fish, sing, getting your PADI certificate, or going salt picking at Anguilla’s salt marshes.
“Anguilla is still very Caribbean,” says Fraser. “I love the authenticity of the island and the fact that it’s still very much about the locals and it’s not overcrowded. There is space for you to enjoy the beauty of the sea and the island’s nature.”
If that isn’t enough, àni will open a new residence on the island’s Shoal Bay next year.
“There won’t be anything else like this in Anguilla,” says Fraser, “A fully staffed villa with a one-to-one guest ratio, a standalone spa, a pickleball court, incredible views, and direct access onto one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole of the Caribbean.”
Fully inclusive rates start from $16,000 per night for six rooms in low season and $18,000 per night for six rooms in high season. Minimum booking for five nights.
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