by Paul Heney
Last updated: 12:00 AM ET, Thu July 12, 2018
If you're a fan of the beautiful island of Barbados, chances are that you're familiar with the local chain, Elegant Hotels. The company owns nine hotels, seven of which are on Barbados', along with one each on Antigua and St. Lucia. The new Treasure Beach property, which is located on the island's sunny western shore-christened the platinum coast-is a refreshing departure from larger Caribbean resorts.
Treasure Beach, which debuted at the end of last year, is luxe and intimate, with a mere 35 one-bedroom suites that are decorated in a cheery island plantation style. The resort is adults-only and features complimentary daily breakfast, a daily sunset cocktail hour, free WiFi, motorized water sports, oceanfront pool, and more.
Art really is a focus here, and that doesn't stop at the sculptures in public spaces or the imagery on the guestroom walls. Guests are able to immerse themselves in art through the resort's complimentary Treasure Art Crawl, which visits the Arlington House Museum, Caribbean Gallery of Art, Chalky Mount Potteries, and Earthworks Potteries. I fell in love with the pottery I saw on this tour and wanted to purchase an entire new set of dishware for my home. This lovely and informative tour lasts about 4.5 hours and includes a scenic ride through the island's east coast.
Each day, featured artisans from across Barbados come to the resort for a meet and greet with guests, and display their artwork. During our visit, painter Sian Pampellonne was on property, showing her colorful and surprising acrylic on canvas work.
Even food gets into the theme here, with a hands-on workshop called the Art of Food Styling, featuring award-winning Chef Javon Cummins'. Cummins, whose artful presentations are on display every day at the resort's Tapestry restaurant, guides guests through a whole dish preparation, start to finish. It was spellbinding watching him take fresh, raw ingredients and artfully arrange them on a dozen plates, while casually chatting with all of us-he made it look incredibly easy, although as my house's main cook, I know it sure isn't!
Speaking of Tapestry, the signature restaurant is a delight for all three meals of the day. An adjoining wine cellar gives guests an alternative space to eat as part of a large group, and themed nights are many, including a barbecue buffet, around the world tapas, and the Chef's Palette signature dinner. Guests can also request a private beach dinner or a gourmet picnic basket, which can be enjoyed at different spots around the island.
One extra that I loved here is Elegant's free water taxi. This covered boat runs from 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day and will take you to some of the chain's other resorts: Waves Hotel & Spa, Crystal Cove, Tamarind, The House and Colony Club. This gives guests the opportunity to dine at other restaurants or enjoy other pool setups at the sister properties. It's really the best of both worlds, having the intimacy of a small luxury resort with the added amenities of a much larger property at your disposal.
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