The Caribbean, known for reggae beats, frozen cocktails and yacht parties, is not historically the go-to spot for peaceful contemplation. Until now. In the wake of hurricanes that devastated neighboring islands, Park Hyatt St. Kitts opened in November, bringing a much-needed Zen vibe. The property’s ethos of clean luxury—its aesthetic, at once spare and warm, echoing the natural landscape—seemed to communicate a quiet, but emphatic statement: The Caribbean is still open for business. Paradise prevails!
That calm energy pervades every facet of the resort. The rooms (126 in all, including 48 suites) emphasize the landscape with barely adorned shiplap walls; an azure, white and slate gray decor; and massive windows that overlook the entire enchanted property, including a slip of Caribbean Sea called the Narrows and cloud-topped, volcanic sister-island Nevis (once home to Alexander Hamilton). Guests can take “me time”—with an array of room-service wellness juices—in claw-foot tubs, on spacious decks with private infinity plunges or under indoor/outdoor tile and stone showers.
The menus at all three restaurants feature regional seafood and refined takes on Caribbean flavors, plus treats ranging from coconut, quinoa and chia porridge to cream cheese-filled donuts. But most notable is Executive Chef Pankaj Bisht’s dedication to sustainability—and not just via his herb garden. He pursued local resources for eggs and lobsters so ardently on the island that he spurred the growth of two major new businesses.
The ultimate respite, though, is the 37,752-square-foot Miraval Life In Balance Spa, the first in the region. In this sprawling indoor/outdoor facility, guests, draped in sumptuous robes, loll in open-air relaxation nooks before services from Laurel Organics facials to Sojourn to Wellness journeys including sunrise meditation and Ginger Healer body treatments. Most exceptional is the meditation/yoga space, constructed to mirror the island’s historic conical sugar mills. As monkeys cavort outside, practitioners lie in shavasana, looking up through a circular open ceiling to the perfect, blue Caribbean sky—and breathe.
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