New Anguilla hotel set for November official opening
By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor
Work is progressing full steam ahead at The Reef By CuisinArt, the new luxury resort scheduled to open in November on Anguilla’s Merrywing Bay.
We got a sneak peek at the 80-room beachfront resort, sister to neighboring CuisinArt Resort & Spa, where a construction crew of 400 is toiling around the clock, prepping for a mid-October soft opening and an official debut in early November.
The trio of rooms we toured, while not yet guest-ready, were almost there.
Stunning sculptural tubs and spacious rain showers were installed in sleek and light-filled bathrooms; plastic-wrapped contemporary furniture sat waiting to be placed, and large and handsome walk-in California Closets appeared ready for the first guest’s travel wardrobe. We were particularly impressed with the penthouse suite, one of four at the resort, which features a massive ocean-view walk-in closet (with a picture window); an outdoor shower; and a whopping 1,500-square-foot wrap-around terrace with a private hot tub.
Fifty of the resort’s 50 rooms will be in The Reef’s main building, a gleaming glass-clad tower that at seven stories high is the tallest building on the island. Installation of flooring, fittings and fixtures in the resort’s Yacht Club restaurant and kitchens was well underway. When the first guests check in to the resort, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, they’ll no doubt be transfixed by the view across the central infinity pool and palm studded grounds to Rendezvous and Merrywing Bays and the silhouette of neighboring St Maarten on the horizon.
The Reef’s construction team is led by Ronen Arava, who worked on the same site back in 2006 when it was part of the ill-fated Temenos project. Stephane Zaharia is Vice President and General Manager of both The Reef and CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa, where guests will enjoy access to all amenities, including preferred rates and tee-times at the 18-hole Greg Norman Signature championship course; the award-winning Venus Spa; as well as signing privileges at all facilities and dining venues.