Caribbean HQ
Working remotely means you can work from anywhere, so why not move your office to the sunny Caribbean for a long winter break?
Many of us have spent this strange year getting used to working remotely, whether that’s at home or in a socially-distanced neighbourhood café. With no sign of that changing – and with the knowledge that you can actually work from anywhere – it could be worth spending a few weeks restoring your work-life balance by decamping the Caribbean.
The region has not been immune to coronavirus but some islands such as Antigua and St Lucia have reported low levels of cases. Several luxury hotels and resorts on the islands are now reopening and have set themselves up as work spaces, so you can bring the family for a winter treat and spend just enough time Zooming back to head office before you hit the beach. Here are three of the best hotels with work spaces . . .
Curtain Bluff, Antigua
Curtain Bluff is a luxury boutique resort nestled among palm trees on a rocky outcrop between two secluded coves in the south of the island. The beachfront hotel is regarded as one of the finest inclusive resorts and tennis centres in the world, and now you and your family can take advantage of Antigua’s new visa programme, Nomad Digital Residence, which allow vistors to live and move freely across the territory and benefit from Antigua and Barbuda’s personal income tax-free status. So far, the the island nation has experienced a very small number of Covid-19 cases and has an effective system of containing community spread, making the country one of the safest environments in the world.
Sugar Beach, St Lucia
Set up your new home (office) away from home on the white sand of Saint Lucia's famed Sugar Beach, among 100 acres of lush rainforest and framed by the Caribbean island’s landmark UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pitons at the iconic Sugar Beach. Whether you need a change of scenery or a new Zoom background, you could do a lot worse than WFH (the H stands for hotel, obviously) at Sugar Beach with the property’s brand new “Work from Paradise” package.
This includes a private VIP round trip, airport transfers, private terrace with pool, private butler for the duration of your stay, breakfast for two with smoothies, daily lunch, one 50 minute private Swedish massage, private cabana access at the main pool with fresh fruit and water daily, and indoor and outdoor workings space. Now you just need to find time to do some work.
www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/sugar-beach
Eden Roc Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
Eden Roc is a luxury hotel with a high-end beach club situated in Punta Cana’s exclusive Cap Cana enclave. A rainy midweek November night in Guildford it is not. Fortunately, the resort is offering two dedicated packages that cater to working parents as well as children learning remotely this winter.
The Family Staycation package offers an extended stay experience for the whole family, ranging from 20-30 days. This is for longer stays at one of Eden Roc’s stand-alone villas, which come with a full kitchen, private freeform pool, spacious living areas and dining space, along with a 24-hour butler and private chef. And yes, on-demand offices are available for in-villa set up for those working remotely
Another package, Learning by Eden Roc Cap Cana, provides an in-suite classroom to those families visiting for a minimum of 15 days. This allows kids to participate in their remote school classes in their suite, allowing the children concierge to meet them after their morning lessons for a chaperoned outdoor activity and snack before returning to the suite. Lunch is with the family, and then in the afternoon, each child has the choice of up to two free activities per day. Extracurricular activities include Spanish lessons, Bachata and Merengue dance lessons, ballet, piano lessons, Dominican arts and crafts, and swimming lessons. Gives a whole new meaning to home-schooling.