We first visited the private Island of Petit Saint Vincent in April 2010; at that time we had never seen such an unspoiled, naturally beautiful island, and we immediately fell in love with the place; the kindness of the staff and the charm of the cottages did the rest. When my husband, our two children and I returned this past Christmas following the refurbishment, however, we had our best holiday ever! It was perfect: the new beach bar and restaurant became the new beating heart of the island, integrates very smoothly into the landscape and provides a delicious menu with grilled lobster, crab backs, excellent Italian-style pizzas, and PSV’s classic cocktails at any hour of the day! Listening to the steel band, savoring a fabulous cocktail while looking at the sunset became a daily routine!
During the day, our children went sailing with the boathouse crew, snorkeled endless hours in search of a rare fish or shell, played tennis, painted watercolors, read, ran around with other guests’ children, participated in a scavenger hunt, and went body-boarding, to name just a few of their activities. They were happy as clams and the island is so safe that it was never a problem to let them do their own thing while we enjoyed our time off. The new spa was a great addition, and I had several excellent massages there! Our days would start with a nice morning walk through the beautiful gardens listening to the birds, which would lead us to the morning breakfast in the main restaurant, where Beckway, Rolland or another friendly, big, smile would welcome us and remember our preferences, the names of our children, and make sure I got my coffee right away! We would then head to the west end of the island where our family has its favorite hide away “private” beach and palapas for a swim, a lot of reading, and maybe a snooze. In the afternoons we would wind surf, go kayaking, play tennis or simply relax on the beach around our cottage. And every night the exceptional view of the stars…no light pollution there, the sky is yours! We had an exceptional day of sailing on the sailboat Beauty, with Captain Jeff taking us to Tobago Cays and where we snorkeled with Manta rays, Eagle spotted rays and marine turtles…it is unforgettable!

The refurbishment of the cottages has been done with taste and returning guests like us will appreciate the difference: a little air-conditioning when needed (but the big great fans are still there), new beds which are very comfortable, and the tap water even tastes excellent. PSV is one of the rare places in the world where you can actually enjoy a quality family time and live for once in the present moment, completely connected to nature and without a watch. We will go back again and again. Thank you to all the staff for contributing to making PSV so special!

When you book a vacation on an exclusive island resort, it’s hard not to get carried away with fantasies of beauty, luxury and privacy. Throughout the Caribbean, resorts, hotels and other ventures know how to market their assets – they post the prettiest pictures, tap into our profound need for peace and quiet, and tell us it’s OK to indulge in pampering, decadent meals and personal service.

If you’re lucky, the actual vacation provides a reprieve from the grind of every day life, some quality time with your travel mates, and a few experiences interesting enough to share with the folks back home. This is all well and good. Probably worth the money and the effort. But if you want much more – without feeling like you’re working too hard to get more – try Petit St. Vincent. It does not disappoint in any way.

It’s such a cliché, but from the moment the boat pulls up to the island, you know you’re about to embark on something special. For us, the magical thing is that nothing about our PSV trip let us down. It just kept getting better and better.

The staff is incredible. I’ve never felt so cared for on vacation. Yet it was also extremely comfortable – they laugh and smile and you feel like you’re the best guest they’ve ever had the privilege to care for. You can see that they love PSV and take great pride in their work. They want you to love the island as much as they do.

The rooms are effortlessly perfect. The original owners were very wise with the placement and design of the cottages – they blend into the environment so nicely, and they’re quite private. The new owner has positively nailed the renovations. The space is contemporary, comfortable, and high quality, yet it has retained the spirit of a tropical island experience. And, well, the air conditioning is awfully nice! (and quiet!)

The food was fantastic. I have to say I’m confused by the mixed reviews on this topic. Our experience was first rate at every meal. We’re not foodies by any means, but I’m a bit hard to please in that I don’t eat any kind of sea food or fish. I had plenty of options at every meal, and I enjoyed everything I tried. Everything was fresh, and it felt like a lot of effort went into preparing interesting and varied menus. Furthermore, the staff and management are there to make you happy – if your meal is less than satisfactory, I’m sure they’ll bend over backwards to make it right. My favorite: anything grilled on the pit at the beach bar. So good.

We loved the beach bar. On one hand, it’s great because it has that ‘pull up a chair and hang out’ vibe that’s so nice when you’re kicking back on vacation. And on the other hand, it’s spacious enough that if you want to eat quietly with your spouse or family , you can take your own table away from the other guests. We mixed it up: we ate at the restaurant a few times, sat at a big table with a group of new friends at the beach bar, and pulled away for a quieter dinner at the beach bar with just the two of us.

When we visited in November 2011, they were putting the finishing touches on the spa. They offered to provide massages in the new tree-top treatment rooms, but they were up front about the possibility of construction noise related to the final spa built-out. We opted to have a couples massage in our cottage, and both the therapists were first class. My sister owns a spa, so I’ve got ridiculously high standard s for massages. The PSV spa services did not disappoint.

Even at a place where you’re doing ‘nothing,’ we managed to stay busy (that good kind of vacation busy). We loved exploring the island – beaches and jungle. In particular, I was in awe of the trees and shrubs. They’re mature and luscious, yet you can tell the owners have paid a lot attention to details such as managing the greenery in a way that showcases the landscape and buildings without being too sculpted or too jungle-like.

We had a fabulous time. PSV is the only place I’ve ever visited that was better in person than in its marketing materials/website. It far exceeded expectations – and we’ve been throughout the Caribbean to Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, St. Martin and St. Thomas.

We loved our trip so much that we’ve decided to share this special place with our three children. We’ve booked a return visit for March 2012. We’re already planning the snorkeling trip with the sea turtles and sailing lessons. I think they’re as excited as we are!

Everything about the island is captivating. Initially, I was enthralled with the idea of spending time on a private island where I could take a break from the craziness of our lives and enjoy some Rest and Relaxation. As soon as we arrived - the island welcomed us with this feeling of excitement and adventure and pure bliss. We were greeted at the dock with a cocktail and taken to our cottage which was lovely and private. We literally had our own private beach.

After one day of sun, swimming, rest, and delicious food, I felt as though I had been there a week. My soul was revived and I felt GREAT. We spent the rest of the week sailing, hiking, going to the spa and eating fantastic food. I loved the beach bar!

This is a wonderful place to reconnect and think your own thoughts. It is relaxing and really special. We went to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary and we cannot wait to go back and bring our daughter! The whole week we kept saying ("she would love this place").

Enjoy!

After complaining with the Manager the only explanation was SORRY,SORRY!
Service slow and terrible!prices outragious,
Never again