Long Bay Beach Resort

Style

Cool, calm, disconnected

Setting

Tortola to a tee

Shh, can you hear that? The swish and sway of waves gently ruffled by trade winds, the crackle of ice cubes in a glass of rum punch, perhaps the rustle of palm leaves, and very little else… Tortola is lousy with ridiculously beautiful coastal enclaves, but Long Bay Beach Resort has bagged itself a spot by the white sands and curaçao waters of dreamy Caribbean cliché. But, this is no cookie-cutter stay, it knows exactly what sun-dazed work escapees want: a rum shack that only takes itself seriously when it comes to high(-end) spirits; staff who’ll gently care for and cajole you – and remember your drink and dinner preferences; and rooms that owe more style-wise to Malibu or Tulum in their chic minimalism.

Facilities

Rooms

37, including 10 suites.

Checkout

11am; check-in, 2pm.

More Details

Rates don’t usually include a breakfast of homemade granola, omelettes, parfait, pastries, a full English, or griddled pancakes and French toast (from US$16). There’s a minimum stay of five nights during the festive season (21 December to 15 January).

Also

There are some steps on the property, but the ground-floor suites are wheelchair accessible and staff are on hand to help if needed.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Public beach; tennis and pickleball courts; spa; gym; yoga area; kitchen garden; beach cabanas, day-beds, parasols, towels and chairs; paddle and surf boards to borrow; laundry service; free WiFi. In rooms: TV, minibar, French press and Guatemalan coffee, kettle and a selection of teas, free WiFi, air-conditioning, workspace, BYREDO Bald'Afrique bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

Ah, this takes us back: to Cali, Tulum, Baja… Style has been imported from several coasts here and to great – if simple – effect; gleaming white with wood and wicker make these restful havens, where the windows are a screensaver of sea and sand (even the one in the bathroom). Each has a furnished terrace, but the only differences are the size (ground-floor suites have an additional 10sq m living room) and the position (first-floor suites have a more panoramic view of the coastline). Beachside Villas and Beach Houses boast both benefits – they sit on a private sandy stretch and even have their own pool.

Poolside

You'll find the pool and swim-up bar just a short walk from your suite or villa. Open daily 9am to 7pm.

Spa

After an active day, find solace at the Cure Spa, which is decked out with a sauna, steam room, heated pool and Jacuzzi. Hair and nail sessions, massages and body wraps soothe from coiffure to cuticle, and couples can get a double dose of relaxation with a treatment for two.

Packing Tips

You’ll spend a lot of time in the water, so bring any aquatic accoutrements: waterproof GoPro, personal wetsuit or snorkel mask (although you can easily find them on island), sailing hat and gloves, boat shoes, no-run mascara (hey, you never know).

Also

Even if you’re travel-worn, you’ll perk up on arrival – all guests are offered a welcome rum punch (or a similar soft drink). And if you’re feeling a little glum at the thought of checking out, pick up one of the hotel’s custom ocean scent candles.

Children

Children are welcome and babysitting can be arranged on request, but this is more of a honeymooners’ haven.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

The bar swings – and several fingers of rum – will bring out your playful side – just don’t fall off.

Dress Code

Go Cali-bbean with elegant wafty neutrals.

Hotel Restaurant

Doffing its (tri-cornered) hat to the Caribbean’s finest export is 1748 Restaurant, which is indeed as old as its name suggests, formerly used as a rum distillery; and as a romantic dining room with stone walls, vaulted white-beamed ceilings and many plants it still has an intoxicating effect. Meals are made using catches from local fishermen, produce from island farms and whatever can be harvested from the hotel’s own organic kitchen garden. And, proving their environmental mettle, kitchen staff have given plants top billing on the menu, with sharing plates of truffled-cauliflower tacos and smashed avo nachos, and small plates of heirloom beets with blue cheese, compressed watermelon and halloumi and a ‘sprouting’ Caesar salad. And don’t worry carnivores, there’s also wagyu steak, red snapper with pancetta and saffron and other tastily prepared proteins. In between courses, head up the stairs to see the bridge to a little garden where donkeys used to trample the sugar cane. For pastries, tropical smoothies and rich locally ground coffee head to the 1748 Coffee Shop.

Hotel Bar

They don’t just roll out the barrel at laidback drinkery Johnny’s Beach Bar, they ship them in from fellow islands and fly them in from all over the world – and this precious cargo contains the finest rums they can find. With its thatched palapa, cheering live music and breezy sesa backdrop, it might seem humble but it’s serious about its spirits and generous with their pours. Sway back and forth on a swing or settle on a sofa on the terrace and keep putting rum punches on the tab till sundown. There’s also a small bar with a sizeable terrace (and a nest chair) at the top of 1748 restaurant.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served from 8am to 10.30am, lunch from 12 noon to 3pm, and dinner from 6pm to 9pm. On Sundays, brunch runs from 8am to 12 noon.

Room Service

You can order food for dining on your private deck during restaurant hours.

Planes

The closest transport hub is Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island at the eastern tip of Tortola – it’s around a 50-minute drive away. It has direct connections to many Caribbean islands, from Dominica to Haiti, but if you live further afield you’ll be looking at at least one stopover, with the final leg from Sint Maarten, St Thomas or Puerto Rico; dazzling views as you cross the Caribbean will up the anticipation. The hotel can arrange transfers on request and the price varies by season.

Automobiles

This is the largest of the British Virgin Islands, and there are soft sandy beaches and iridescent cays from end to end; having a car will let you hop between them. Brits will be pleased to know that you drive on the left here and you needn’t apply for a temporary licence if you’re staying for less than 30 days. Plus there’s plentiful free parking onsite.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Long Bay is one of those pinch-me places that you can’t quite believe you’ve woken up in. The nodding palms, the cacophony of blues between sea and sky, the gleaming lash of sand. A stay here feels like a hazy flashback, but there are plenty of ways to live in the moment here too: discovering madcap coral gardens on a scuba dive, hauling in a huge mahi-mahi on a fishing expedition, pulling your best ‘king of the World’ on a private-hire yacht… The hotel has surfboards, paddleboards and boogie boards to rent for free, and the best breaks are at Cane Garden Bay just further east up the coast. It’s no contest, but Smuggler’s Cove may be a smidge prettier than Long Bay, offering the same winning formula of pearly-white sands, luminous water and a leafy backdrop – the hotel can give you a lift in their ATV or car. Kayaking can be arranged too, and Tortola is world famous for its sailing opportunities, so now’s the time to play skipper. If you want to shake up the colour palette, Mount Sage National Park is as deeply green – and hilly – as its name suggests, and it's criss-crossed with lush hiking trails. Much of Tortola’s pirate heritage has been lost to history, even though Blackbeard and Captain Kidd resided on the island for a while, but if you hop over to St Thomas, you can see Blackbeard’s Tower. And sail out to ritzy Virgin Gorda to plunge into the magical underwater realm called the Baths, a cave system with crystal-clear waters to snorkel through. Back on Tortola, return to that happy hazy feeling with a tour and tasting at the Callwood Distillery, then carry on in the hotel’s beachside bar.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .