By Alexander Britell

It began in 2011, a personal real estate project that turned into a dream hotel that turned into one of the Caribbean’s bucket-list travel experiences.

A little over a year ago, Hurricane Maria came, and Dominica’s halo hotel was shuttered.

But now, Secret Bay, the eco-hotel that has become Dominica’s luxury beacon, has officially reopened its doors.

The Portsmouth-area hotel has relaunched with six villas: Zabuco I, II and III, Ylang Ylang I and II and a new, larger Ti-Fey Villa.

Even better? All of the villas at Secret Bay now boast their own private plunge pools.

But that’s not the only change.

The new restaurant at Secret Bay.

Secret Bay has added a new, sit-down eatery called Zing-Zing— complementing the hotel’s existing in-villa dining and pre-stocking.

The property also has its signature spa, yoga and wellness pavilion, this time on a riverside location.

The new Gommier Spa is something Secret Bay’s owners are particularly excited about, turning something that had been exclusively an in-villa experience into a full-fledged wellness center, with treatments from hot-stone massages to four-hand massages.

“I am most excited about being able to share Secret Bay with the world again,” Secret Bay proprietor Gregor Nassief told Caribbean Journal. “I love hearing from guests in their own words about how Secret Bay’s beauty and our sincere, caring staff have given them joy and lasting memories. That is what makes it all worthwhile and that’s what I have missed.”

Nassief says that while the property has unsurprisingly made a number of changes in the rebuild, the essence of Secret Bay remains the same.

The new Gommier Spa.

“I think what guests love about Secret Bay the most is that the resort is small, intimate and private with an attentive and discrete team of great people looking after them,” he said. “And we never want that to change. So what they will find special is how the introduction of the new amenities and the related concepts are in harmony with and complement what they love about Secret Bay.”

The return of Secret Bay is a powerful moment for Dominica, whose tourism comeback has been making steady progress.

Now, more than ever, it’s time to come back to the Nature Island.

For more, visit Secret Bay.

— CJ