The search for the Caribbean’s next big thing is, quite frankly, endless. Barbados, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica all enjoyed their fair share of the spotlight during the golden age of Caribbean glamour, which peaked in the late 20th century and, as a result, are now accessible destinations for all travellers and budgets. Smaller islands, such as Bequia and St Lucia, have managed to cling on to (and capitalise on) their heritage, while exclusive and private islands like Mustique, Turks and Caicos and St Barths remain synonymous with the rich and famous. Beautiful, yes – but is there anywhere in the Caribbean that remains truly off the beaten track? I think I’ve found the answer. 

On a gloomy Monday morning in March an email drops into my inbox titled ‘Discover the Caribbean’s best kept secret’ – and you wouldn’t believe how fast I opened it. Not because I was desperate to visit the Caribbean (I confess, I had never been before) but because it doesn’t take an expert to realise the possibility of such a thing is pretty slim. The secret in question was Canouan – a tiny island in St Vincent and the Grenadines which sits between Grenada, St Lucia and Barbados and spans less than five square miles. 

With its unofficial motto being ‘where billionaires come to escape millionaires’, it is mind-boggling to think that, until the 1990s, Canouan barely had electricity, paved roads and cars. You’ll agree, then, that it’s hard not to be impressed by the fact that two of the world’s most luxurious hospitality brands – Mandarin Oriental and Soho House – are now resident on its fair shores. Once a verdant, volcanic island inhabited by fishermen, it is nicknamed the Island of Turtles, with these ancient creatures outnumbering people by 10 to one: 22,000 locals, 20,000 of which walk on four elephantine feet. 

Soho Beach House

Mandarin Oriental Canouan

Within moments of hopping off the small airplane that carried us the 45-minutes from Barbados Airport, we meet some of the latter. The turtles roam freely, and are so abundant that we fail to make the 15-minute drive to Canouan Estate without our driver having to stop, hop out and move turtles to the side of the road. I’m visiting out of season, so it feels like we have the island to ourselves, but whenever you visit, you’ll feel like the minority compared to these harmless plodding reptiles. This isn’t just island life, but Canouan island life. 

Before I delve into the specifics of the hotels here, what is perhaps most unique to Canouan is its invisible key concept. Upon arrival, guests staying at Canouan Estate Resort and Villas, Mandarin Oriental, and Soho Beach House – the first and only outpost in the Caribbean, no less – are granted access to all three properties, meaning they can seamlessly spa, dine, wine, beach, and experience all of the resorts however and whenever they wish. Take your pick or stay at all three – the choice is yours… 

Canouan Estate Resort and Villas

Perfect for larger group getaways, Canouan Estate’s villas offer serene seclusion. Dotted across the estate’s 1,200 acres are a number of one- and two-bedroom Carenage Suites, 10 villas and four residences. The best of the lot? Silver Turtle – a six-bedroom behemoth which sits on the outer edge of the estate and, therefore, promises utmost privacy. In fact, on display in the entrance hall is a personal letter from the Prince of Privacy himself. “I was delighted to have the opportunity to stay in such a wonderful resort during my time in the Caribbean,” reads the royal missive, penned on 14 December 2016. “It was a very welcome mid-way respite during my tour on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.” Quite the accolade. 

Accessed via chauffeured electric golf buggies, the manicured path, fringed by roaming turtles and swaying palms, leads to a two-storey villa which opens up to a vast living space adorned with contrasting dark wood and bright walls, complemented by coral motifs, local artwork and unmissable sweeping views from the infinity pool. From this side of the island, which faces the Atlantic, the scale of the Caribbean’s largest living coral reef becomes clear, while the Mandarin Oriental Canouan and tees of the renovated 18-hole Jim Fazio-designed golf course (more on that later) can also be spotted. 

Back inside the villa, rooms are rendered in lush green and nautical blue stripes, complete with golden marble en suites and individual terraces to make the most of the views from the comfort of your own room. While there’s no in-room mini bar or fridge, unlimited ice-cold soft drinks and water are available from the kitchen upstairs, where your villa host will happily tend to any request. As standard, villa guests receive daily housekeeping and access to an in-villa chef – who cooks up a seafood storm of locally-caught tuna tartare, sage-crusted salmon, and local black cake served with strawberry compote – as well as access to Mandarin Oriental’s amenities, which are just a 10-minute drive away. 

From $14,100 (approx £10,700) per night. 

Mandarin Oriental Canouan

Asianne

Situated on the same side of the island as Canouan Estate, Mandarin Oriental is a palatial beachfront residence which blends old with new. Formerly known as the Pink Sands Club, Mandarin Oriental’s 26 suites are housed within a central sandstone building. Featuring ornate details and grand architectural design – see the spiral, mirrored staircase which feeds into the floors and restaurants below, and ceilings smattered with Murano glass chandeliers – the hotel tapped an Italian design team, and you can tell. 

Inside the suites, a raspberry and cream colour palette adorns bedrooms, while clean white dressing rooms, marble floors and outdoor terraces make spaces feel bright and airy. Many of the bathrooms feature intricate underwater tile murals, while balconies are centred by pillars that hark back to Caribbean colonial styles. You’ll find the same at the hotel’s eight vast villas, but a completely different, more modern vibe, in-keeping with Mandarin Oriental’s Asian heritage, at the patio villas perched on top of the hill. These two- and three-bedroom spaces offer unobstructed views of the Atlantic beyond, and feature Japanese-style shoji walls, lantern lighting and an open-air courtyard. Rumour has it that Justin and Hailey Bieber are fans. 

Mandarin Oriental Canouan Spa

Patio villa

If you’re not lounging on the pink sunbed-dotted beach, or up at the infinity pool, there are five restaurants and bars to make your way around. Asianne offers up breakfast with a side of Atlantic views, serving Western classics alongside a subtle taste of the Caribbean via salted fish coconut dough boy with fried plantain and Vincentian fish broth with coconut dumplings and local hot sauce. Lagoon Café looks to the Med, the Pool Bar boasts delectable sushi and snacks, and the more upmarket Tides Bar and Grill is the place to go for date night. 

Amenities, too, are in abundance. Check out the hotel’s gym, fitted with spin bikes and reformer Pilates carriages, three illuminated tennis courts, and the aforementioned golf course to burn off some adrenaline. Take things one step further by tapping the leisure team to organise a Mount Royal hike: a 30-minute climb to the highest point of the island  , where you will be rewarded with panoramas of Union Island, Mayreau and, on a very clear day, Grenada in the distance. 

At the opposite end of the adrenaline scale is the Mandarin Oriental Spa – the perfect antidote to a morning hike. Treatment rooms are modelled as suspended hillside cabanas that overlook the azure reef’s lagoon, and facials and massages – which can be tailored to mothers-to-be, teenagers and those with special skin concerns – are administered to a soundtrack of lapping waves and native birds. 

From $1,400 (approx £1,060) per night. 

Soho Beach House 

Canouan was an interesting choice for Soho House’s first and only Caribbean outpost – but the elusive nature of the island no doubt proved irresistible. Eschewing urban design for a feet-in-sand experience, the Beach House is on the opposite side of the island to the Mandarin Oriental; just a 10-minute drive, and yet a world away in terms of vibes. While the former opted for classic Caribbean style, Soho Beach House feels like something you’d find in Mallorca or Ibiza, bringing the brand’s renowned European touches to Canouan’s shores. 

The property sweeps across a private beach on Canouan’s Grand Bay, and features a series of beach hut-style buildings and open-air palapas housing its 40 rooms, signature bar and restaurant, gym, deli and, of course, Cowshed Spa. Warm welcomes are standard at the reception, featuring hanging chiqui chiqui grass and lampshades, while the blue bicycles synonymous with Soho Farmhouse are on offer to help you weave through the lush garden paths to your beachfront suite. 

Room bookings are only open to Soho House members and Soho Friends – a membership type that gives you access to bedrooms, studios and events, as well as benefits at the spas, restaurants and screening rooms – and this is where the invisible key concept really comes into play. Soho House clubs elsewhere in the world require membership, whereas a booking at Mandarin Oriental or Canouan Estate will grant automatic access to the Beach House’s amenities. 

Walking into my suite at Soho Beach House felt like returning to an old friend’s house: cosy, comfortable, and cocooning. Every room faces the Caribbean Sea, and the yachts bobbing in the bay, while some come with your own slice of wooden decking. Inside, design is simple but effective, with the Soho House team opting for a classic coastal palette of powder blue and white inflected with the vibrant touches and textures the club is known for. 

Inspired by traditional Caribbean homes on the island, expect wooden shutters, timber mini bars – stocked with freshly baked cookies every day – vintage wardrobes, and hanging tapestries. The en suite features travertine tiles, rustic oak vanities, woven cane mirrors and more Cowshed products (first created by the brand at Somerset’s Babington House outpost in 1998) than you can shake a stick at within the huge waterfall shower. TVs are eschewed in favour of Roberts radios, but I recommend soaking in the surrounding environment outside instead. 

From the vantage point of your decking, take in the beach bar below, which whips up Soho House’s signature serves, or take to one of the striped sunbeds for languid lounging. The adjacent jetty is not only for practical use – many Soho House guests are yachties looking to stop off for a night or two on their Caribbean adventure – but can also host evening dinners. As dusk descends, it is festooned with fairy lights and candles, while being serviced by a sharing menu of succulent jerk chicken, fresh salads with beetroot, orange sunflower seeds and balsamic, and wood-fired whole snapper. 

A classic grill menu is also served in the main dining palapa, organised around a gorgeous main bar clad in hand-painted Caribbean blue tiles, linen and rattan furniture, woven hanging lights, and handmade ceramic lamps. Serves include the mean picante Soho House is famous for, as well as a classic rum punch, and a handful of house tonics including the Soho Nacional: rum, St Germain, pineapple and lime. Not only is the cocktail list considered – as is the service – but so are the small details. For example, the grass rugs in the main bar are woven on nearby St Vincent by men in prison as part of the Grow in Time rehabilitation programme, as are some of the baskets, doormats and wall hangings.

Unique to the Beach House is Soho Deli, where you can grab on-the-go pastries, juices and soft-serve ice cream, while the Soho Health Club, which has become synonymous with the brand’s wellness offering, doesn’t lack anything you’d need for an adrenaline-pumping workout. Alongside the Cowshed Spa, the two-storey building features a spa and a gym with cardio machines and reformer Pilates beds, as well as a fitness studio hosting weekly yoga, Pilates and bootcamp classes. 

But, as anyone at Soho House would encourage, one of the best ways to experience this unique slice of the Caribbean is by taking to the seas. Opt for a catamaran tour of the nearby Tobago Cays, where crew sail from Bequia and arrive stocked with snack plates of fresh fruit and a bursting mini-bar. Half-day or whole day tours include supervised swimming and snorkelling within the Cays, as well as lunch pitstops at Union Island, where French-Caribbean restaurant Sparrows cooks up classic beachside fare of grilled prawns, sandwiches and lobster pasta. 

Return to dry land to retreat to your serene room, lounge on the beach, order sundowners at the bar or, if you can’t get enough, dip in the sea. Soho Beach House offers the slower pace of life synonymous with Caribbean getaways, while staying true to its roots via design, service and food. If you’re looking for a home away from home in Canouan, this is where you’ll find it. 

From $815 (approx £620) per night. 

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