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Boutique hotels in Mustique

Holidays in Mustique - Caribbean

Mustique Overview

Caribbean

Coastline
Chic castaway shores
Coast Life
Paparazzi-free paradise

Mustique is a 1,400-acre private island, managed by the Mustique Company (in turn belonging to a conglomerate of island home-owners). To arrive here is to step into a perfect world, where the beaches and ocean are whiter/more turquoise than a dream, road signs are hand-painted, and even the grass is cut with exceptional care.

The big deal about Mustique is its sense of space and exclusive isolation; even when there’s full occupancy, the beautiful beaches are virtually deserted. There are just two guesthouses and 65 private villas. Long famous as a hang-out for a fast aristo/rock set – Princess Margaret, Mick Jagger, Noel Gallagher – it’s a slow-paced, laid-back island: a place to chill out, play some tennis, go horse-riding, snorkel, rent a yacht or muck about in a speedboat.

Marvellously Mustique

It’s got to be the luxury butlered picnic – a speedboat out to the Tobago Cays, then Krug and caviar for two on a perfect day (they’re all perfect). All this can be arranged by the Cotton House.

Local knowledge

Taxis
No such thing. Cotton House staff will greet you on arrival and the hotel can organise a chauffeur service for you to go anywhere you desire.

Tipping culture
Discretionary, but a minimum of 10 per cent is expected.

Siesta and Fiesta
Early to bed and early to rise. People generally eat at around 8pm, and nightlife is based on private parties so there’s no rule of thumb.

Packing tips
Casual couture if you want to fit in with your fellow jet-setters, jodhpurs if you fancy trekking around the island on horseback, MBT trainers for the custom-made jogging/walking circuit with a view. And your iPod for the in-room speakers at the Cotton House.

Recommended reads
Mustique by Roger Vaughan’ Princess Margaret: a Life Unravelled by Tim Heald; Island of Dreams: 99 Poems from Mustique by Felix Dennis; Spear’s Wealth Management Survey.

Cuisine
Fresh fish and seafood caught daily. The food at both Firefly and the Cotton House is terrific: from Caribbean dishes to French food and wine, with almost anything you fancy magicked up on request.

Currency
The local currency is the East Caribbean Dollar, but the US Dollar is widely used.

Time zone
Atlantic Standard Time zone, so GMT -4 hours.

Dialling codes
The international dialling code is +1 784.

Do go/don't go
The Cotton House closes in September and October. It can be great to go towards the end of the season (May to August) when the rooms are more reasonably priced and you have the island almost to yourself. The weather is still fantastic.

Don't go home without

Letting loose your inner ker-azy Sloane with a dance at Basil’s Bar.

Mustique Hotels

€ £ $

Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and romantic boutique hotels in Mustique


Cotton House

Mustique, Caribbean

Style
Coral stone colonial

Setting
The champagne set’s private island

A coral stone boutique hotel in the most exclusive corner of the Caribbean, the Cotton House sits in 13 acres of meticulously manicured beach-side gardens and serves the finest French cuisine in the Grenadines.

View hotel
Doubles from:

(USD 520)

A bottle of wine in your room and, for guests staying four nights or more, a picnic lunch in your room Member offer

Book now


Getting there

Holidays in Mustique - Caribbean

Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.

Planes
Fly British Airways (www.britishairways.com) or Virgin Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com) to Barbados, then fly onwards with Grenadine Airways (www.grenadineairways.com) on a 50-minute scheduled flight, or charter a private plane with Mustique Airways (www.mustique.com) or SVG Air (www.svgair.com). Arrangements can be made through the Cotton House.
Boats
To charter your own yacht, ring the hotel to arrange in advance – they have some 50 boats on file.
Automobiles
The only mode of transport on Mustique is the mule – a souped-up 4x4 golf buggy, costing from $50 a day. They are very popular and there is only a limited number to go around, so book well in advance (ask the hotel). If you book the Cotton Hill Residence, your mule will be included in the rate.

Boutique hotels in Mustique

Holidays in Mustique - Caribbean

Mustique Activities

Highlights the best Mustique has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.

Worth getting out of bed for

Mustique itinerary
More…

Viewpoint
Rent a boat for the day or take a sunset cruise to drink in the gorgeous Grenadines seascapes.

Arts and culture
The design and architecture of some of the villas is notable, but there’s no culture as such that isn’t real-estate-related. Head over to the nearby island of St Vincent to see a truer Caribbean vibe.

Something for nothing
Tuesday night cocktails, when the Mustique Company invite all of the island’s guests and residents to the Cotton House for an informal get-together.

Shopping
Another thing about private islands – no shops! Well, only a handful. There’s the Cotton House shop, next to the spa, and a couple of boutiques in Britannia Bay (Treasure Boutiques, the Purple House), where you can find beautiful eveningwear, lingerie, jewellery, designer swimwear and custom-made kaftans. There are local stores in Britannia Bay and Lovell Villages, Mustique hubs where the island’s year-round residents live.

Daytripper
Rent a yacht, sailboat or speedboat and zip over to St Vincent and Bequia, or the completely undeveloped Tobago Cays for incredible snorkelling.

Best beach
Of the island’s nine beaches, Macaroni beach is perhaps the most famously lovely, and unbelievably uncrowded. The beach of the Cotton House is great for snorkelling. At Lagoon Beach you can walk out for miles in waist-height clear water. Pasture Bay is perfect for early-morning strolls; since there’s a strong undertow swimming is not recommended and it’s consequently nice and private.

Perfect picnic
Put yourself in the hotel’s hands. Cotton House staff can accompany you to the beach to set up your lunch – giant prawns, smoked salmon, caviar and champagne – and even keep your glass topped up if you like. The best spot (book ahead in high season) is Macaroni 5, a shady picnic table under the palm-trees.

Walks
There aren’t any marked trails, but it’s easy to explore the island on foot. Ask at the hotel about beach-to-beach paths.

Children
Families are made very welcome on the island, but the environment hasn’t been designed with young children in mind. From 4pm on Thursdays, you can convey young offspring to the Mustique Primary School for story-time, open to all. There’s a playground behind the Bamboo Church.

Activities
Ask at the hotel about horse riding, fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling, sailing, speedboat jaunts, hikes, tennis at Mustique Tennis Club, access to personal trainers, and tours of the Tobago Cays and other neighbouring islands.

Diary

January/February Annual Mustique Blues Festival at Basil's Bar, Brittania Bay. For more information visit www.basilsmustique.com

Boutique hotels in Mustique

Holidays in Mustique - Caribbean

Mustique
Eating, drinking and dancing

We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Mustique.

Cafés

Johanna’s Banana Café

A good spot for a morning coffee, cocktails or homemade ice-cream on the waterfront, in Mustique’s commercial hub.

Britannia Bay

+1 784 486 4777

The Cotton House Beach Café

A seaside spot for a coffee and a pastry. Alfresco lunches are also served and, in season, the café offers informal evening meals

The Cotton House

Restaurants

+1 784 486 4777

The Cotton House

Fantastic French/West Indian cuisine served on a stylish terrace lit by chandeliers and candlelight, looking over perfectly manicured gardens and to the sea beyond.

The Cotton House

+ 1 784 488 8414

Firefly

A privately owned four-bedroom guesthouse whose cocktail bar and restaurant make a popular hang-out for Mustique regulars. Famous for its martinis.

Overlooking Britannia Bay

+1 784 488 8350

Basil’s Bar

Owner Basil Charles is well known in the Caribbean for his charity work and for the Blues Festival he holds every year. He wanders around in his trademark kaftans, dancing and welcoming guests. The food at this modest yet celebtastic hang-out is trad Caribbean, with a great barbecue on Wednesdays.

Britannia Bay

Bars and clubs

+1 784 488 8350

Basil’s Bar

Wednesday night is Jump Up Night, when local bands play reggae and the whole island goes down to party.

Britannia Bay


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