Caribbean CLASSIC Tina Hobley
Actress falls in love with the quirky delights of Antigua’s oldest luxury hotel
BALANCED on top of a cliff in Antigua, where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean Sea, is a resort called Curtain Bluff – and I am in love with it. I didn’t know what to expect before I went there with my husband Oliver and two young children, Olivia and Orson. I’d never experienced an all-inclusive trip before and I can’t bear going away and just sitting in the resort all day, yet I ended up being blown away by the wonderful world of Curtain Bluff. It might not have incredibly smart bedrooms and it can feel a bit tired at times, but I think that’s part of the charm.
The 72-room resort sits on the southern side of the Caribbean island and was the first luxury hotel in Antigua, opened by American horticulturist Howard Hulford in 1962. Then there was just one tree on the property, a tamarind, but today, thanks to Hulford’s expertise, there are 80 varieties of palm among the lush vegetation – and the tamarind still thrives.
Hulford died in 2009, but his widow Chelle still lives at Curtain Bluff and is closely involved with day-to-day operations. She also continues to host the resort’s weekly cocktail party at her house.
Olivia became great friends with Chelle. Sometimes I would find them together and Chelle would say: ‘I found your daughter – she came up to my house.’
THERE are 211 staff and the average length of time they have worked there is about 28 years. They are utterly devoted to the guests, so it’s not surprising there is such a high return rate among holidaymakers. The openness and honesty about the place is impressive – locks may have been put on the rooms for the first time but many of the regulars still don’t bother with keys.
There were lots of activities to keep everyone entertained. We love watersports so we did everything we possibly could, including snorkelling, diving and waterskiing. I’m not very good at waterskiing, but the instructors were so patient with me that I eventually got the knack of it.
Fortunately, despite our various aquatic adventures, nothing went wrong while we were away. People often ask if I’m good in a medical emergency while on holiday but, despite my 12 years on TV series Holby City, I’m not. I was once out for dinner in Brighton with fellow cast members of a play when a woman collapsed next to our table. One of the actors said: ‘Aren’t you going to help?’ – but I’m the last person you’d call on.
At Curtain Bluff, however, disaster was avoided and the children had a fantastic stay. They spent a lot of time at the kids’ club where a wonderful woman called Ainsley organised treasure hunts and took them off on sea excursions. At first we thought Olivia and Orson wouldn’t last five minutes at the club, but they loved it and would come back with incredible collages they’d made.
As we were in an all-inclusive resort, the little ones could order whatever they wanted in the restaurants and as much as they wanted. Actually, the food is the one thing I think could do with a bit of work – it was very old-school.
The weather was perfect and the beaches (of which Antigua has 365, one for every day of the year) were beautiful. Curtain Bluff has two – one faces the Caribbean Sea while the other is lapped by the Atlantic. The hotel rises on a rocky promontory (known as a bluff, hence the resort’s name) between the two seas, giving breathtaking views. In the distance you can see Guadeloupe and the volcanic island of Montserrat. Hulford bought a stunning plot.
One evening, we went to meet friends for dinner at the nearby Carlisle Bay hotel where we stayed the last time we visited Antigua five years ago. But after Curtain Bluff, it seemed lacking in atmosphere.
We couldn’t wait to get out of there and practically ran back to funny old Curtain Bluff. When we got there, everyone was dancing and a quirky band was playing – it was great. So while the resort might look as if it hasn’t been touched for 30 years, whatever magic Chelle has captured here really works.
When I returned from my trip I told all my friends: ‘You have to go and experience it.’ One of my best girlfriends said: ‘What, that dusty old place?’ But I replied: ‘It just works, I promise.’ Look at all the people who go back year after year.
Usually I think the world’s a big place, so why would you want to return somewhere? But, hand on heart, I would go back to Curtain Bluff in a flash.