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Spice Island Beach Resort is one of the Caribbean’s leading hotels. Set right on the sand at the top of Grand Anse, Grenada’s finest beach, it has 64 suites that stretch either side of elegant open-fronted dining rooms and the pool and bar. Behind the beachfront suites runs a second line of very private pool suites set in their own gardens. There are some activities, watersports, scuba and tennis, but Spice is at its best for relaxation and elegant inactivity in stylish and very comfortable surroundings – it has a purpose-built spa and excellent dining rooms. After closing and refurbishing during 2005 (following damage by Hurricane Ivan), Spice Island Beach Resort Grenada now has returned to its position among the most elegant resorts in the area.
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KEY FEATURES
| Five star Caribbean beach hotel - the finest of Grenada hotels, 64 suites with whirlpool bath tubs, 17 suites also with plunge pool or private pool, contemporary design, Phillip Starck fittings, Italian linen, LCD flat screen TVs, CD/DVD players. Large central pool, top-notch dining at Oliver’s. Janissa’s Spa and Fitness Centre, tennis court, Nutmeg Pod children’s centre. |
STYLE
| Elegant beachfront living, some aspects of traditional Caribbean design, recently refurbished and modernised, suites now sleek with stylish furniture and muted colours |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Well heeled travellers seeking a Caribbean luxury resort |
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Spice Island Beach Resort is set at the quieter, western end of Grand Anse. It sits on a lovely, 500 yard stretch of sand that gives out onto the rich blue of the bay. This hovers ahead of you, visible through the buildings as you enter the hotel, through a grand entranceway, a porte cochère that gives into a small courtyard set with plants. Gradually, as you make your way into the Reception, the perspective opens out until the sea sits framed over a hundred and twenty degrees, an electric aquamarine set between the hefty columns of the open-sided dining rooms left and right.
You get an immediate sense of the stylish new feel of the hotel in the Reception. It is elegant and contemporary, painted in muted browns, oranges and golds and set with dark wicker furniture and tropical plants in hefty urns. Ahead, out on the beach, square white parasols stand in lines. The redesign was undertaken by the Miami based firm Kobi Karp.
The resort’s two dining rooms are left and right. They are both open-sided, with pillars and flattened arches, and have tall, pyramid-shaped ceilings dressed with pickled pine and a view onto the low beachside greenery. Oliver’s, to the left, is used for breakfast and dinner. It has upholstered dining chairs, some bench seats and metalwork chandeliers. It also has a slightly more formal air than the lunchtime dining room, the Sea & Surf Terrace, on the other side. Here some tables are set right above the sand. At the end of Sea & Surf you will find the bar and beyond it the large meandering pool, which is surrounded by loungers, parasols and golden palms. There is also an inside section to the bar, the Resident’s Lounge, which is decorated with muslin hangings and in grey, blue and green, again in contemporary style.
The rooms at Spice, as the hotel is usually known, are all suites, and they stretch either side of this central area along the beachfront and in another line behind it. The most spectacular, the Seagrape Suites, stand right on the beach beyond the pool, in a string of off-white ‘adobe’-style single-storey buildings, each topped with an arch. Inside, the rooms have a lean and contemporary style, with low, square furniture made of dark woods and decorated in warm tones such as gold and rich reds. All rooms have Italian Frette linen, LCD flat screen TV, coffee machine and mini-bar, and give out onto a small private area with a double hammock. Bathrooms are fitted with Italian tiles, Villeroy & Boch porcelain and Hansgrohe bathroom fittings designed by Phillip Starck. The rooms are of course air-conditioned, but they also have paddle fans to provide ventilation. Among these suites you will find two, the Cinnamon and Saffron Suites, that are larger – they have a separate living room - and even more comfortable. They have a ‘floating’ bed in the middle of the room.
Although many of the resort’s rooms are set right along the sand, Spice is almost as well known for its extremely private pool suites. These have been partially updated, though there is work to be done during the summer of 2006. These Pool Suites stand in a line behind the beachfront suites, and are each enclosed within their own walls, which spill over with bougainvillea. Once you have closed your door you have complete privacy. The suites contain a small sitting room which leads into the bedroom and a large bathroom. The pool, which is larger than a plunge pool, can be accessed with a jump straight from the bedroom (through sliding French windows).
At the far end on this side of the resort you come to the Janissa’s Spa and Fitness Centre, which is set slightly inland, in its own building in classic Caribbean style, with a small veranda at the front. There is gym, with Cybex equipment including weights and bicycles, but the main business of the building is really beauty and inactivity. As you enter you will pass a salon, the locker and changing rooms and the spa proper, where there are four treatment rooms set around a very pleasant courtyard. The rooms each have their own walled relaxation area, but the courtyard itself is also used for relaxation. It has gazebos in the corners and there is a long straight (ornamental) pool at its centre. For those who are actually feeling a little more active, there is a tennis court next to the spa building.
On the other side of the resort, beyond Oliver’s Restaurant, you will find a similar layout of rooms, with more Seagrape Suites on the waterfront (in the same style as the eastern side) along the beachfront and behind them the Anthurium Pool Suites.
If you head back out to the entrance of the hotel from the Reception you come to Spice Island’s two duty free boutiques. The two Gatsby Boutiques sell men’s and women’s clothes including lines by La Perla and Gottex. Beyond them you will also the find the children’s centre, the Nutmeg Pod Activity Centre, where there are books and games. Children of three and over can be catered for with supervised play between 9am and 5pm. Spice is also quite popular for weddings and renewal of vows.
Spice is one of just a few top-notch hotels that have adopted an all-inclusive policy in which most of your holiday is included in the price you pay at home. Included at the resort is accommodation and all meals, along with all drinks and house wine (Champagne and certain wines are extra). Also room service for meals, non-powered watersports and other facilities of the resort such as the children’s centre and the tennis court. |
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Beach & Swimming
Grand Anse is Grenada’s longest and most famous beach and it is a Caribbean classic, with over two miles of excellent sand and sea. Spice Island Beach Resort is set on a quiet and pretty stretch towards the western end, away from the busiest activity. The swimming is excellent as the sand shelves off into relatively shallow water for a way offshore. The beach is uninterrupted along its two and a half mile length and so it is delightful to walk along it.
Spice has a large free-form swimming pool set just behind the beach, next to the lunchtime dining room. There are loungers and parasols among the potted golden palms. There is service to the beach and to the pool from the beach from the bar. |
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Sports & Recreation
Plenty of activities available to guests. Watersports include kayaks and snorkelling gear as well as small sailing boats such as Sunfish and Hobie Cats. There is an Omni tennis court on the property which is lit for night play.
There is entertainment, a band usually, most nights of the week, in the dining room.
Janissa’s Spa is the only one of its kind in Grenada. It is a purpose-built facility with four treatment rooms set around a stylish walled courtyard with plants and loungers, all centred on a long thin (ornamental) pool. The treatment rooms each have their own outdoor section with a rain-shower, a whirlpool and a sitting area under a gazebo. The spa has handicapped access and there is a sauna.
Treatments available include a number of massages such as Swedish, deep tissue and aromatherapy. They also offer a couple’s massage in which you are instructed in massaging one another. There are many beauty and body treatments including waxing and bronzing. You can combine treatments in a number of packages. Products are by Dermalogica.
You will find an air-conditioned gym in the same building as the spa. It is equipped with Cybex weights, bicycles and other machines. |
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Staff
Spice Island Beach Resort is owned by Sir Royston Hopkin KCMG, a Grenadian who has been involved in the hotel and tourism industry since 1965 and who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005. He has owned the resort since 1989 and has managed it himself much of the time. While he still oversees Spice, there is a General Manager, Brian Hardy. Hardy, originally from Guyana, came to Grenada in 1990 and has worked in Caribbean hospitality there and in St Lucia since 1995. One of Hopkin’s two daughters, Nerissa, is Assistant Manager of the hotel. |
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The Rooms
The rooms at Spice Island Beach Resort, all suites, have been redecorated according to the resort’s new style. They are relatively lean and stylish and use bold but calm colours - golds, rich reds and blues (very unlike the riotously bright tropical fabrics that were in vogue around the Caribbean until recently). The furniture is dark and it is off-set by blight muslin hangings.
The suites are very well equipped, with flat screen TV, DVD, mini-bar, coffee and toaster and sometimes four-poster beds. They are air-conditioned and also have ceiling fans. Many also have large pools. All rooms have a whirlpool tub in the bathroom, but seven suites have plunge pools and another ten have more substantial pools (16 x 20ft). Bathrooms are finished to a similar high standard to the bedrooms, with light brown Italian marble, Villeroy & Boch porcelain and Hansgrohe fittings designed by Phillip Starck. Bathroom products are by Molton Brown. |
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Dining
There are two dining rooms at Spice, Oliver’s and the Sea & Surf Terrace, Bar and Lounge (Resident's Lounge). Both have a similar setting on the waterfront, either side of the Reception area. They are overseen by Mark Banthorpe from England, who has been at Spice since 2002. Before coming to Grenada he worked in the UK, at Puckrup Hall Hotel and Chilworth Manor. He uses local ingredients where possible and creates a fine international menu with a Caribbean touch.
Oliver’s is the smarter of the two and is the setting for dinner. It is extremely pretty and looks out over lit gardens onto the inky black of the bay. A five-course dinner is served from a nightly changing set menu, with four or five choices of main course and desserts. It is possible to go in to dine at Oliver’s from outside, by reservation. The Sea & Surf, the other dining room, serves lighter fare for lunch, with salads and fish dishes. |
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Weddings
Spice Island Beach Resort is a very popular, classic Caribbean beach wedding venue. The hotel has a delightful beach-side setting and it offers a special package which will create a thoroughly memorable day for your wedding or for the renewal of your wedding vows. Please see here for details of Grenada weddings at Spice Island Beach Resort, along with information on legal requirements. |
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Children
Children are well catered for at Spice. There is a children’s centre, the Nutmeg Pod, which is offered for potty-trained children from three upwards. It is open Monday-Saturday between 9am and 5pm for supervised activity.
The hotel offers high chairs in the dining room and cots for the bedrooms free of charge. Baby-sitting can be arranged. |
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Useful Hints
Spice Island Beach Resort operates a no smoking policy within all public areas and in guest suites. Smoking is not permitted in guest accommodation, the restaurants, bar or lounge, the reception lobby, the boutiques, spa or fitness centre. A charge will be levied against any guest who smokes in their room. |
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Practical Facts
Annual Closure Dates: n/a
Dress Code: Casual during the day but note no bare feet in the dining areas, where beach cover-ups are also required. At night attire is elegantly casual with no shorts or collarless shirts (i.e. t-shirts) in Oliver’s.
Facilities: Central swimming pool and Jacuzzi. 2 restaurants. Bar and lounge. Full service spa - treatments and therapies not included. Air-conditioned fitness centre. Floodlit tennis court. Children’s centre. 2 duty-free boutiques. Hair salon. Conference centre to seat 70 theatre style.
Complimentary: Non-motorised watersports. Use of bicycles, tennis court and fitness centre. Green fees at the 9 hole Grenada Golf Club. Evening entertainment.
Other Services: Concierge 9am-2pm to assist with car rental, baby-sitting, reconfirmation of flights, tours, and tennis and dinner reservations. Live entertainment 4-5 times per week. On site dive centre (Aquanaut). Laundry and dry cleaning services on request – extra charge. Room service. 220V/50HZ transformers available on request (limited stock). Business centre with fax, internet access and email service – extra charge. Hobie Cat lessons – one off charge US$25.
Children: Welcome. Cots and high chairs available free of charge. Supervised activities for ages 3 upwards at the Nutmeg Pod. Baby-sitting available on request with 24hr notice. Minimum 4 hrs @ approximately US$25 for first hour and US$12 each additional hour.
Weddings: the resort’s wedding package is US$1300. Please see Wedding information above.
Accommodation: 64 suites
Room Types: All rooms are air-conditioned, have ceiling fans, patio/balcony, complimentary stocked mini-bar, coffee/tea making facilities, toaster, hairdryer, iron/ironing board, LCD flat screen TV with cable service, CD & DVD player, radio, safe, Frette linens, en suite bathroom with double whirlpool tub/shower, double vanities and Molton Brown toiletries. 13 x Oleander Suites (620 sq ft) garden setting with 10 upper floor ocean view with balcony and 3 ground floor garden view, have bedroom with sitting area and either a king size bed or two double beds, some en suite bathrooms also with separate shower. 32 x Seagrape Beach Suites (720 sq ft) on beach front with 225 sq ft patio with double hammock and chaise lounges, bedroom with either a king size bed or two double beds with adjoining sitting area, en suite also with separate shower and sea views. 7 x Anthurium Pool Suites (1200 sq ft) with private plunge pool set in tiled walled courtyard with sundeck and shaded porch, bedroom king size bed and sitting area. 6 x Luxury Almond Pool Suites (1500 sq ft) feature 16ft x20ft private pools set in tiled walled courtyard with sun terrace with dining area, raised covered porch, bedroom with king size canopy four poster bed and sitting area, marble en suite bathroom with views of terrace. 4 x Royal Collection Pool Suites (1500 sq ft) feature 16ft x20ft private pools set in tiled walled courtyard with sun and dining terrace, cedar sauna, living room, bedroom with king size canopy four poster bed, marble en suite bathroom. 1 x Cinnamon Beach Suite and 1 x Saffron Beach Suite (1440 sq ft) located on beach front, 450 sq ft patio with double hammock, chaise lounges and dining area, living room with wet bar, master bedroom with floating king size canopy bed, marble en suite bathroom with sea views. These suites each have a connecting door to a Seagrape Suite to make a two bedroom suite – one with king bed and the other with two double beds.
Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard and American Express. |
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Rates
| | 01 May- 15 Dec 2007 | 16 Dec- 15 Jan 2007-08 | 17 Jan- 30 Apr 2008 | 01 May- 15 Dec 2008 | | Oleander Garden Suite Single Double Triple | 535 635 910 | 825 925 1,210 | 705 805 1,065 | 535 635 910 | | Oleander Ocean Suite Single Double Triple | 565 665 935 | 855 955 1,255 | 725 825 1,090 | 565 665 935 | | Seagrape Beach Suite Single Double Triple | 715 815 1,075 | 1,110 1,210 1,480 | 975 1,075 1,300 | 715 815 1,075 | | Anthurium Pool Suite Single Double Triple | 765 865 1,140 | 1,220 1,320 1,625 | 1,050 1,150 1,415 | 765 865 1,140 | | Luxury Almond Pool Suite Single Double | 935 1,035 | 1,495 1,595 | 1,225 1,325 | 935 1,035 | | Royal Collection Pool Suite Single Double | 1,110 1,210 | 1,715 1,815 | 1,500 1,600 | 1,110 1,210 | | Cinnamon Beach Suite Single Double Triple Quad | 1,110 1,210 1,460 1,710 | 1,715 1,815 2,145 2,475 | 1,500 1,600 1,870 2,145 | 1,110 1,210 1,460 1,710 | | Saffron Beach Suite Single Double Triple Quad | 1,110 1,210 1,460 1,710 | 1,715 1,815 2,145 2,475 | 1,500 1,600 1,870 2,145 | 1,110 1,210 1,460 1,710 | All rates are quoted in US$ per room, per night and include breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, mini-bar and bar drinks by the glass including house wine. Child under 5 yrs stay free and 5-12 yrs US$165 per person per day when sharing with adults - 2 children under 12 yrs sharing pay single adult rate. All rates are subject to 8% Government Tax (increases to 10% from 16 Dec 2007) and 10% Service Charge, and are subject to change without notice. |
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How to book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, or if you wish to telephone them, their telephone number will be revealed if you click on the CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER link. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the TOUR OPERATOR link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Locality
Spice Island Beach Resort is located right on Grand Anse, Grenada’s best known beach. It is a classic Caribbean stretch of palm-backed white sand. The beach is not overdeveloped at all by Caribbean standards and although there is a fair bit of activity along its two and a half mile length, this is mainly at the other end.
If you are looking for other quieter beaches for a day out (Grenada has some excellent beach bars in the small and isolated coves along its meandering coastline), you can head over the hill to BBC Beach, or (via the airport road) to the beaches to the coves along the Point Salines peninsular. There are also some very pretty, remoter beaches headed east along the south coast road. Try La Sagesse or Petit Bacaye.
St George’s, Grenada’s capital, is the prettiest harbour town in the Caribbean and it is well worth a visit. It is about fifteen minutes away in a car or (given that parking in the town is a problem) by taxi.
There are quite a few restaurants in the Grand Anse area if you wish to dine out away from the resort. Try La Belle Creole, which is just across the way at Blue Horizons resort. Other good places to eat out include the Gary Rhodes Restaurant at the Calabash Hotel, the Beach House (along the Point Salines peninsular), and for a fun evening out, True Blue. |
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Meet & Greet
If you are travelling independently, Spice would be happy to send a taxi driver to the airport to meet you on arrival. The trip costs around US$13 per trip and takes about 10 minutes. If you would feel more comfortable using the concierge services of a local organiser, which will include meeting you at the airport, arranging airport transfers as well as island activities, we suggest Caribbean Horizons. If you are travelling with a tour operator, the company’s representative should be at the airport to meet you but please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
A car can make an excellent addition to a trip to the Caribbean. You can explore the island and go out to dinner in the evenings and in Grenada particularly you can head off to one of the many excellent beach bars for the day. If you are looking to rent a car for a day or two, the hotel reception will be able to help you. Please note though, that it is advisable to book in advance if you want a car for a week or more, because pre-booked rates are often better, and particularly during the winter season when there is often a shortage of cars. We recommend Y&R Car Rentals for their reliable service over many years and suggest you take delivery at the hotel. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. Taxis are available through Reception. |
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All the information on this page comes to you free of charge. Please remember to mention DefinitiveCaribbean when you contact Spice Island Beach Resort to enquire or book your Grenada holiday or Y&R Car Rental for your car hire.
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