The legendary Bitter End Yacht Club has reopened after a complete rebuild from damage sustained in 2017’s Hurricane Irma, including the debut of the first of a planned string of waterfront villas.

Designed to resemble traditional sailmakers’ lofts, the two-story wooden villas are perched close to the edge of the British Virgin Island’s North Sound, with ladders allowing guests to dip into the water directly from their front deck.

If not exactly “overwater”, the villas fit nicely with the overall nautical vibe at the resort. The open-fronted accommodations have bedrooms upstairs and first-level living rooms flowing onto decks slung with hammocks, permitting guests a front-row seat for watching the sailboats and yachts cruising in and out of the 27-slip marina and a 72-ball mooring field.

Two of a planned 11 Marina Lofts have been completed and began welcoming guests in February 2022, with several others under construction.

Like the resort’s recently-opened Quarterdeck clubhouse and Buoy Room restaurant, the villas are constructed from a variety of sturdy hardwoods with foundations on ground raised several feet above the previous waterline.

Marina Loft guests can enjoy fine dining at the Buoy Room, casual fare at the Cafe Salacia coffee shop, and drinks at the boat-shaped Reef Sampler bar.

The resort village also includes a well-stocked store and a soon-to-come boutique shop. Sailing and other on-water activities are organized by the on-site watersports center and Sunchaser Scuba.

Located on the island of Virgin Gorda since 1969, the Bitter End Yacht Club was completely destroyed in Hurricane Irma.

After four years of reconstruction, the marina and other facilities began reopening in December 2020. Future plans include the addition of up to 40 bungalows on the 65-acre property.

For more, visit the Bitter End Yacht Club.