Anguilla's CuisinArt Is Making a Comeback

Long one of the Caribbean’s havens for foodies, the luxe CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa is making a comeback in Anguilla.

The 91-suite, seven-villa resort, which shuttered in the wake of last year’s Hurricane Irma, is planning to officially reopen on Nov. 1, according to a spokesperson for the resort.

The Rendezvous Bay property will reopen “fully restored,” with “fresh design updates, transformed interiors, expanded golf and spa programming, and new dining venues,” according to a statement.

“It is with great pride that we announce the triumphant return of CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa,” Stephane Zaharia, President & Managing Director of CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa,  told Caribbean Journal. “Hurricane Irma presented a humbling experience, but one that also allowed us to reassess and make changes to ready the resort for its next chapter. Guests new and returning will enjoy a fresh coastal chic design, as well as heightened amenities across the resort, from enhanced Golf and Spa to new dining venues and sustainability efforts. We look forward to welcoming guests back to Anguilla this November as we carry the CuisinArt legacy into the next generation.” 

The interiors will reopen completely redesigned, with a new entrance, new lounging areas and new loungers and private cabanas.

The resort’s original lobby bar will be reborn as “Kazbar,” a Moroccan-style space, while the property is also adding a new 5,000-square-foot meeting space.

Changes to the rooms include a new “chic coastal aesthetic,” with wood-style flooring, handmade headboards and floor-to-ceiling windows, while the resort’s penthouses and villas are also getting a new look designed and furnished by Roche-Bobois.

All rooms will include Frette linens, Nespresso machines and other amenities.

And yes, the resort’s signature culinary offering will improve, too, with a new eatery called Mosaic, a pan-Mediterranean menu at Santorini and a Caribbean-focused offering at the becah bar.

The CuisinArt is also relaunching its 27,000-square-foot Spa by CuisinArt, with a new spa menu, new specialty treatments, an updated fitness center and a range of fitness classes from kickboxing to aqua conditioning.

CuisinArt’s modern-contemporary sister hotel in Anguilla, The Reef by CuisinArt, reopened earlier this year.

KB Home Announces the Grand Opening of Villas at Spring Shadows in Houston

KB Home (NYSE: KBH) today announced the grand opening of Villas at Spring Shadows, its latest community of new single-family homes in Houston. Villas at Spring Shadows’ commuter-friendly location in Spring Branch offers easy access to Beltway 8, US Route 290, Loop 610, and Interstate 10, making it convenient to major employment centers, including the Energy Corridor, The Galleria, Westchase, Texas Medical Center, and downtown Houston.

Villas at Spring Shadows is located close to several community parks, including Bear Creek Pioneers Park, Moritz Pech Family Park, Memorial Park, and Nob Hill Park, which together offer a mix of open green spaces, sports fields, playgrounds, biking and walking trails, wildlife viewing areas, golf, and a swimming pool. Congressman Bill Archer Dog park, just eight miles away, features two sections differentiated by dog size, agility courses, and wash stations. Residents at Villas at Spring Shadows can enjoy a plethora of nearby retail, dining, and entertainment options at CITYCENTRE®, Memorial City Mall, The Galleria, and Marq*E Entertainment Center.

KB Home is offering six home designs at Villas at Spring Shadows that range from 1,663 to 2,315 square feet, with up to five bedrooms and three baths. First floor living space, ample storage, open floor plans, and dedicated laundry rooms are characteristic of all the homes at Villas at Spring Shadows. Residents will enjoy the private access and low-maintenance living available at Villas at Spring Shadows, with pricing beginning in the low-$330,000s.

As part of KB Home’s unique homebuying experience, buyers at Villas at Spring Shadows will have the opportunity to personalize many aspects of their new home, from selecting their homesite and floor plan, to exterior elevation and interior finishes that best fit their lifestyle and budget. As with all KB homes, those offered at Villas at Spring Shadows will be built to ENERGY STAR 3.0® guidelines and include WaterSense® labeled faucets and fixtures, meaning they are designed to be more energy- and water-efficient than other typical new and resale homes, potentially saving homebuyers money on their monthly utility bills.

KB Home will host a grand opening celebration on Saturday, February 3rd, during which guests will have the opportunity to tour the elegantly appointed model home and enjoy food and refreshments from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Villas at Spring Shadows sales office, located at 2963 Laurel Mill Way, Houston, is open on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. If coming from I-10 West, exit Gessner Road and turn right. Turn left on Kemp Forest Drive to community on the left. If coming from Beltway 8, exit Clay Road heading east. Turn right on Gessner Road and right on Kemp Forest Drive to community on the left.

These villas in the Maldives have slides

A luxury resort in the Maldives is sure to appeal to the child in all of us – as the incredible villas feature slides that guests can take straight down and into a shimmering blue lagoon.

Soneva Jani, a resort that opened just over a year ago in the Maldives, is built around the 150-acre island of Medhufaru. There are 24 water villas and one island village in a 5.6km lagoon, which is one of the largest in the Maldives. Each one includes a 13-metre private pool on the outdoor deck, where lucky guests can relax as they look out over the lagoon. If getting straight in the crystal clear ocean is more appealing, then you can hop on the amazing slides that take you down into the water.

Since Soneva Jani has a focus on preserving the eco-system, the pools use seawater with UV filtration and the villas are built over the floor of the lagoon so there is no damage to the reef.  If you want to admire the complex ecosystem below, the overwater villas also have three different glass-bottomed areas so you can check out views of the water from all angles.

For anyone looking up, the master bedrooms even have retractable roofs that make stargazing easy and enjoyable. The resort also features the first overwater observatory in the Maldives, where guests can go and learn more about the skies with the help of the resident astronomer.

If you want to sneak in a bit of culture, the resort also provides the first open-air overwater cinema in the Maldives, so you can hang out on the beach and check out some new and classic cinema. To help protect nesting turtles and wildlife, guests can listen to the film with Bluetooth headphones.

4 Enchanting Moroccan Villas by French Duo Studio KO

The superstar architectural pair is perhaps best known for their evocative, minimalist villas—and it's easy to see why.

Olivier Marty and Karl Fournier of Paris-based Studio KO are architects who don’t like following trends or shouting about having a signature style, but their texturally engaging architecture has won them many famous fans. "We wish for there to be no KO style, but a KO attitude," says Fournier. His partner Marty explains that they'd rather come up with the best solution to a problem, rather than impose their own formal language. 

Perhaps it’s this independent streak that’s put them in favor with clients such as Italian aristocrat Marella Agnelli and former director of Hermès Patrick Guerrand-Hermès, who commissioned Studio KO to design their homes; or celebrity hotelier André Balazs, who hired them to design his London hotel Chiltern Firehouse.

In late 2017, they completed the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech—a 43,000-square-foot museum and cultural center that pays tribute to the works of the late and great fashion icon.

While they've worked on projects around the world, the duo has an affinity for Morocco—they have an office in Marrakesh—and have created a number of remarkable private villas with powerful architectural forms there.

The duo’s anti-brand approach means that every project they work on has its own distinct character, where the architecture becomes the best part of the interior design.

In many of their projects, the texture of the building’s surfaces—materials rooted in rural architecture such as unpolished stone, dry earth, a hammered iron basin, and rough-hewn beams—speak louder than statement furniture or décor. Recently, Studio KO has published a book showcasing their work. We take a look at four Studio KO-designed villas in Morocco included in their monograph.

Villa K
In the small town of Tagadert, looking to views of the Atlas Mountains, is this villa with a simple perpendicular pool and a facade comprised of enigmatic, cubic modules that echo the old dwellings of the nearby village. 

Villa E
Red stone walls, reminiscent of structures from medieval times, are used in the construction of this villa in Ourika Valley. Conceived with a narrow glass window that cuts through the interiors from floor to ceiling, the light that enters the home has a sundial effect, and pans across the rooms over the course of the day.

Villa D
This monolithic villa in the town of Al Ouidane has a chapel that takes the form of a black cube, which can be accessed through a side breach of a larger cube that serves as the main entrance. Because its art collector owner dislikes stairs, and didn’t want traditional windows, Studio KO concealed the stairs within the "second skin" of the house, so they disappeared into the thickness of a wall, and used narrow slits and small apertures in place of conventional openings.

Villa DL
Located near the peaceful seaside village of Ghazoua, this villa has small roofless courtyards, and a central patio reminiscent of the types found in ancestral farmsteads in the nearby countryside.

An Idyllic Grecian Island Getaway

For a memorable Grecian getaway, why not go off the beaten track? Skip the crowded vacation spots, the overrated resorts, and visit the small, sleepy, coastal towns on the island of Corfu.

While one of the first islands to open to global tourism in the 1960s, Corfu isn’t as crowded as you might think. The island remains rich in unspoiled stretches of infamous coast and quaint inland towns that you can visit for a more immersive yet intimate and quiet Greek holiday. Carpeted by lush, wild olive trees and dotted with historical, whitewashed buildings, Corfu is one island that should be on top of your island-travel bucket list.

Corfu is an eclectic combination of the cosmopolitan and historical, with posh resorts and vibrant streets juxtaposed with Byzantine-era churches and Venetian-style fortresses. From beach-combing to sight-seeing to sailing and on to wining and dining, if you’re looking for an unforgettable Greek vacation, you can definitely find something to love about Corfu.

A Greek getaway for every taste and budget

Whether you’re out with the family or in for a mix of business and pleasure, a good place to come home to in Corfu is Krouzeri Beach Luxury Apartments and Villas. Sophisticated yet still boasting of that Mediterranean beach vibe, Krouzeri’s sea-view apartments offer the best vistas on the island. This is probably because Krouzeri offers the most magnificent place for sight-seeing, right from its beautifully furnished and unmistakably Mediterranean luxury rooms and villas.

Each apartment or villa has a clean, wide, airy feel and an open layout that allows you to take in the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea beyond. You can also enjoy fun-filled days soaking in the Corfu experience through bicycle, motorcycle or car trips across the island. If you would rather be free from the confines of land transport, the resort offers the perfect starting point for boat trips along the coast.

Treats for the eyes and the palate

From Krouzeri, you can visit other inland towns such as the historic Old Sinies, the quaint Nissaki, the charming Barbati or the lush Ipsos, which overlooks Mount Pantokrator. Many of these villages offer tavernas, bars, shops and restaurants that serve local and international cuisine.

Scattered throughout the island are various restaurants and bistros. An institution among waterside tavernas is Fagopotion, located in the heart of Ágios Stéfanos Sinión. A few of the must-try dishes include their signature three-cheese saganaki, rabbit stew and the succulent, melt-in-your-mouth octopus. Meanwhile, a favorite among tourists and locals alike, Salto Wine Bar Bistro in the Old Port offers superb specials with fish and shellfish all freshly caught that same day.

Viewing Corfu from the coast

A Corfu holiday is never complete without viewing the island from the turquoise Mediterranean waters and experiencing all of its coastal sights and sounds by boat. An abundant range of boat-rental companies throughout the island’s coast can cater to your island wanderlust. Boats and yachts are available for every budget, starting from 50 euros per day, with petrol charged separately.

Two New Villas to Try at Jamaica's Tryall Club

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica’s Tryall Club villa resort has added a pair of new luxury villas to its rental portfolio.

The Montego Bay-area property has added the hip four-bedroom Aqua Bay, along with the “timelessly elegant” Quinntessential [sic]” villa.

Each comes with its own private staff and unique amenities, from a gym with Peloton bikes to a putting green and a private pub.

Aqua Bay has four bedrooms, highlighted by its “Atlantis Suite,” with a veranda and a spa-like bathroom. Other features include a movie room, a private spa with two massage tables and a fire pit, among other amenities.

Quinntessential has five bedrooms, all of which face the ocean, along with a master suite that even has its own private plunge pool.

Guests of each villa can access all of the resort’s amenities, including its recently-renovated golf course, tennis club, private beach club and dining venues.

The Tryall Club is set on 2,200 acres in Montego Bay.