Open Season!
A new season is upon us and the North Sound Oil Nut Bay team is rested, renewed and ready to rock and roll. There is a huge amount to be excited about this year. An expanded luxury villa collection, recently released real estate opportunities, a remodeled marina, revamped menus, reimagined activities and adventures, and some brand new team members to get to know. Perhaps, however, the most exciting news of all is the fact that this year Oil Nut Bay is not alone. Immediate neighbors Saba Rock and the Bitter End Yacht Club join the luxury resort community in opening to international visitors and the local community and Oil Nut Bay could not be happier.
September 6th, 2017 was a dark day for the BVI. But while one of the most powerful storms in history was able to all but annihilate animate objects – buildings, docks, boats, landscaping – it could not tear apart our sense of community, of connection, of correlation to each other. In fact, she did quite the opposite. And while the years that proceeded the meteorological misfortune that befell us have been exacting, here we are, three years on and coming back strong.
New Flava for Saba
Founded in the 1960s, this one of two legendary neighbors was founded by renowned diver, treasure hunter and adventurer Bert Kilbride, Saba Rock has long been a cornerstone of the North Sound community with a worldwide cult following of sailors and salty seadogs, landlubbers and local residents alike. Many memories have been forged (and, we confess, forgotten) on the acre-and-a-half island of sun, fun and copious amounts of rum.
While this little rock in the ocean has retained its original charm, Saba’s transformation includes a complete rebuild of the entire resort including a gourmet restaurant, island chic roof top bar, seven guest bedrooms, three stunning suites, a helipad, boutique and awesome exhibition of sunken treasures gathered by Kilbride himself. Dreamed to life by Saba’s late, much-loved and missed owner Petr Kellner in conjunction with Czech-based ADR architects, the new resort is an artful amalgamation of wood, glass, concrete and natural stone. A contemporary, considerate creation that honors what has past and celebrates what is to come.
“We are thrilled to finally be able to open our doors and welcome guests to Saba Rock,” says General Manager Alain Prion. “It’s been a long road, but the wait was worth it because we’re extremely proud of the new Saba Rock experience. Old friends will appreciate how we brought back the same great vibe of the original Saba Rock, and everyone will enjoy the upgrades. We are looking forward to renewing our long lasting relationships with our North Sound neighbors and hope everyone will come by to see Saba Rock for themselves.”
You don’t need to ask us twice, Alain.
A Not-So Bitter End
While we were unable to get directly in touch with the team from the Bitter End, an epic comeback is on the cards!
Did you know that this legendary maritime destination has been proudly owned by the same family across three generations for the past 50 years? 50 years that inspired a loyalty like no other. And it was this loyalty that shaped the resort rebuild. Just like its North Sound neighbors, the Bitter End is so much more than just a holiday destination – it is a family, a second home, a close knit community of like-minded people who have adventure in their blood and saltwater in their veins. By sending a survey to each and every past guest to get their take on what they wanted to see included in the comeback, the team was able to marry all the old favorites with future hopes and dreams.
We love the fact that much of the destroyed property was salvaged, up-cycled, and recycled as much as was possible in order to both limit the resort’s reconstruction footprint while retaining its authentic soul.
When asked what to expect from the new Bitter End in a recent DOCKWA blog, Chief Marketing Officer Kerri Quinn Jaffe commented: “We’re focused on maintaining the legacy, the history, and the overall vibe of Bitter End, which is laid back, communal, and aligned with our environment. The overall experience centers on entertainment in and around the water. So, we’ve reimagined everything with that in mind. That said, we’re upgrading everything. All our buildings will be brand new while incorporating our 50-year history into our design, making your stay and experience at Bitter End unique.”
Bitter End plans to reopen to the world this winter. See you at the bar!
Love Thy Neighbor
The North Sound is much more than a dot on the map. It is a community, a family, a refuge. It has shone, celebrated and rejoiced, lost, grieved and been brutally beaten. Its collective comeback is momentous, irrespective of the length of time it has taken each family member to get there. Because the North Sound is not about bigger, better, faster. It’s about understanding one another, our collective history, individual roots, challenges past, present and future in order to thoughtfully carve out the future. The past few years have taught those of us that call the BVI home a multitude of lessons, but perhaps the most important is to truly love thy neighbor. And if they happen to serve killer cocktails and canapés – hey, all the better!
