Best Winter Getaways 2023: Private Island Petit St. Vincent Reopens With New Ownership

Petit St. Vincent Resort, the 115-acre private island getaway in the southern Grenadines, is poised to welcome guests back starting November 1, 2022, with both new ownership and a new general manager.

Inspired by new owner Tanja Ellis, founder of Culture Home, the resort’s 54th consecutive season will unveil a series of renovations, additions, and refreshed programming designed to elevate the guest experience. Ellis, an American businesswoman, designer, and philanthropist, will oversee enhancements to the property that promise to wow both new and returning visitors while maintaining the private island’s distinctly off-the-grid appeal.

“I’ve long admired PSV as one of the Caribbean’s most authentic and truly classic resorts, with a reputation among travelers in-the-know as one of the world’s best hideaways,” said Ellis in a press release. “I am looking forward to working with the team to elevate and enhance the resort. Long-time repeat guests and new guests alike will be thrilled with the changes we have planned.”

Initial revamps will soon include a new wellness center and spa, refreshed interiors and amenities in guest cottages and villas (including Terres d’Afrique and local spa products), as well as an updated wine cellar.

The resort will also welcome Chorten Wangyel as general manager. Wangyel brings to Petit St. Vincent an impressive background in the luxury hospitality industry, most recently as GM focused on the development and pre-launch activities for Kisawa Sanctuary in Mozambique. He previously served as GM at The Dunmore Hotel & Residences in the Bahamas and The Cove Eleuthera, and has held several other roles with COMO Hotels worldwide.

“I am delighted to return to the Caribbean to lead one of the region’s most sought-after resorts,” said Wangyel in a press release. “Petit St. Vincent is an incredibly special place, with a rich history. I am honored to be part of the team, and to help elevate the Petit St. Vincent experience as the resort embarks on a new chapter.”

With just 22 cottages and villas scattered at scenic points high and low—from windswept beachfront perches to secluded hillsides boasting show-stopping views of the island and beyond—the property often gives guests the enviable feeling of having the whole resort to themselves. Constructed of hand-quarried volcanic stone, all accommodations feature vaulted hardwood ceilings, spacious living rooms, and indoor and outdoor dining areas.

Predictably, PSV spoils guests for choice of sea-centric activities. In late 2014, Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of legendary marine conservationist Jacques Cousteau, opened the resort’s state-of-the-art dive center, which offers a range of scuba certification courses, as well as dive and snorkel excursions. Seafarers can also hop on a resort boat and head to the the Tobago Cays Marine Park, an invigorating 30-minute ride away. Designated an official wildlife reserve in 2006, the 19-square-mile park’s crystalline waters are home to an array of exotic fish, as well as endangered green and hawksbill sea turtles.

Petit St. Vincent’s principal gateway is Barbados’s BGI airport, served by direct flights from New York, Miami, London, and Toronto. Rates for the 2022-2023 season start at $1350/night for a one-bedroom cottage, based on double occupancy. A $200/day surcharge includes all meals and non-alcoholic beverages, unlimited room service, and all non-motorized water sports.

For more information or to book, visit www.petitstvincent.com.