Rosewood Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda reopened last Friday after being closed for about four years. (Photo: PROVIDED)

Rosewood Little Dix Bay, the 55-year-old Virgin Gorda resort founded by legendary philanthropist Laurance Rockefeller, reopened last week after a four-year closure exacerbated by damage from Hurricane Irma.

The 500-acre resort, with 80 guestrooms, suites, houses and villas redesigned by New York-based firm Meyer Davis, is now touting new services and amenities.

“Over the last four years, an expert team of environmentalists, architects and designers has worked tirelessly to honour the resort’s storied past while incorporating modern amenities and comforts,” Managing Director Andreas Pade said in a press release.

New staff positions

Mr. Pade said the new offerings will include a 24-hour butler service from employees trained and certified by the Guild of Professional English Butlers, which are not affiliated with the resort. They will be on hand to assist guests with checkin and checkout, unpacking and repacking, arranging dining reservations, and other activities.

The butlers will be among some 200 employees on staff as of the hotel’s opening day, Mr. Pade told the Beacon this week.

One third of the staff are previous employees; the rest are new to the property, he said, adding that he anticipates more hiring to follow.

“We have just announced our next recruitment drive, which will be held on Tortola next week as we look to fill our staffing levels in anticipation of a great opening year,” he said. “At optimal staffing we will employ just over 250 associates.”

In September, more than 300 jobseekers attended a three-day career fair that Mr. Pade said was important to the community.

“Everyone here in Virgin Gorda has at some point either worked with Little Dix Bay or provided a service with Little Dix Bay, … so there’s a lot of emotional investment in the role it’s always played in the community,” he said at the time.

History

The resort closed for a planned renovation in 2016. When Hurricane Irma hit in September 2017, the work was about 90 percent complete, representatives have said.

However, according to Mr. Pade, the owners acted quickly after the storm, sorting out insurance and getting the project back on track.

In September, the website began accepting reservations for March 2020, and as renovations progressed it began taking reservations for earlier and earlier dates.

New amenities

As guests arrive, the resort’s upgrades will hit them shortly after they touch down. Those passing through Tortola will get a ride to the hotel on new “ultraluxury” catamarans, where captains will point out the highlights of the islands’ coastlines, according to the resort.

Once they arrive, they’ll find the resort’s four restaurants; a Rum Room featuring more than 100 brands of rum; two swimming pools; six tennis
courts; and a spa with “Africure” treatments incorporating jumbie tree leaves.

The rooms, suites and villas have been designed with “privacy, relaxation and reconnection in mind, with the majority of rooms serving as digital-free sanctuaries without televisions,” according to the press release. Two of the villas are original to the 1964 property.

This story has been edited to clarify points concerning the butler service and the date of the resort’s opening.