MARCH 2020 PAGE 21 DESTINATION SVG O


n rare days off, you’ll find Jo- seph Scott-Len-


non soaring above the waves on Union Island. The


26-year-old hops across from Canouan Island to go kite-surfing with one of the world’s top pros, Jeremie Tronet. Joe is the son of Kill-


iney Castle owner Eithne Scott-Lennon and Abbey Tavern owner James Scott-Lennon, and the nephew of Fitzpatrick’s Manhattan hotel boss John. An economics gradu- ate, he worked at Inter- continental hotels in Dubai and New York before


Azure days


Catherine Murphy on St Vincent & the Grenadines


getting a call


from billionaire Dermot Desmond offering him a job on Canouan, one of nine inhabited islands in St Vincent & the Grena- dines.


Desmond, who had previously invested heavily in the opulent Pink Sands (now Man- darin Oriental) hotel on his favourite Caribbean island, developed a 120 berth marina in 2017 and phoned Joe to say he was looking for an Irish man- ager.


Named after Sandy


Lane in Barbados, Sandy Lane Yacht Club and Residences (SLYCR) at Glossy Bay may be set amidst the white sand and turquoise waters of the southern Grenadines but there’s a distinct homage to Ireland.


Desmond’s yacht ‘Celtic Bhoy’ is moored


Up close and turtlesonal


at the marina (his pri- vate jet is parked up at the nearby airport), the beachside bar and restau- rant is named Shenani- gans and two forty foot containers serving as a shack bar at the water’s edge have been named Scruffy’s,


after the


legendary Scruffy Mur- phy’s in Dublin.


I


n June, at the end of the tourist season, the marina is quiet but with stylish Foxy Jack’s restaurant, a grocery store and high end accommo- dation, it’s fully geared up for intrepid yachters who want to stock up and spend a few days on dry


land in relative luxury. St


Vincent & the


Grenadines is dubbed ‘the Caribbean you’re looking for’. Up until now, this 32 island chain has been marketed less strongly than other Carib- bean destinations but the opening of a new airport on St Vincent heralds a new tourism era.


Irish visitors may have to travel a little bit further to get there – via London to Barbados and onwards to St Vincent or Union Island – but what awaits them is a Caribbean idyll of tiny private islands, secluded beaches, great sailing, relaxation and adventure. The island resorts –


Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Petit St Vin- cent, Palm Island and Canouan – may seem to offer up the same slice of Caribbean life but in fact, visitors will find distinct experiences to savour. Canouan is home to the most opulent corporate bolthole on the islands, the Mandarin Oriental, where it is said billion- aires go to get away from millionaires. The setting here is merely a lottery dream for most of us with room-only rates starting from $1,400 per night. The MO was formerly


the Pink Sands which Dermot Desmond in- vested in, reportedly to the tune of 120 million


dollars. He subsequently parted company with his Italian partners in the project but the property’s luxe suites retain a focus on pink, Desmond’s fa- vourite colour.


The vast complex features 26 fabulous suites and


six villas


overlooking the ocean. Guests are checked in from the comfort of their own suite and enjoy but- ler service. Suite func- tions are controlled by ipad and a full size ‘tv wall’ opens or closes depending on whether guests want to watch tv or enjoy jaw-dropping ocean views.


Dressing


rooms, private terraces and classically stylish


living rooms complete a memorable suite scene. The scale of the prop-


erty is such that you may get lost until you notice the stunning Murano glass chandelier which ascends the stairs to a spacious, refined foyer. The kids club is like a private complex in itself complete with swimming pool and games rooms. Dining at the Manda- rian Oriental – whether eating lunch at the water- side bar or dinner in the Italian restaurant – is a fine experience and at sunset, guests like to be taken by golf buggy to the island high point – Mount Royal – to sip champagne and enjoy


Clockwise kitesurfing JT Pro Center. Canouan hotel lobby, kite surf ice cream, Barbara Mercury of SVG Tourism,Mark Semark GMof Petit St Vincent, amd Catherine Murphy. infinity pool


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