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Set in the grounds of a 17th century Dutch fort amid a profusion of bougainvillea, oleander and hibiscus, Fort Recovery Beach Villas are a collection of charming villa apartments in a quiet beachfront setting. There are 17 very comfortable one, two and three-bedroom suites and one eight-bedroom villa, each of which has its own private balcony to take in the views of islands across Sir Francis Drake Passage. Fort Recovery offers some low key activities - there is a spa for massages and beauty treatments and there are daily yoga/Pilates classes - but it is mostly about relaxing in a secluded retreat with attentive, friendly service. To keep you busy there is a good stock of books (including children’s books) and there is original artwork on the walls. Fort Recovery is ideal for couples and families alike and for all age groups. It is also a great spot for single people wanting somewhere to chill out.
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KEY FEATURES
| Charming Tortola villa resort/small Tortola hotel. Swimming pool, cable TV in all rooms, spa, hair and beauty services, exercise room, yoga & Pilates classes, in-house bar & restaurant, private dock, 32ft skippered motorboat, library with some children's books, children's beach toys, WiFi. |
STYLE
| Tropical style with some traditional features, red roofs and wooden balustrades, white stucco walls topped with wooden shingle tiles. A low key, beachfront retreat for those seeking a relaxed setting with a therapeutic ambiance. |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Attracts all age groups, including families and some single travellers, and has a high level of repeat business. Popular for weddings, reunions, honeymoons and anniversaries. |
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With a restored 17th century Dutch fort at their midst, Fort Recovery Beach Villas have an air of history and calm that makes an ideal, low key, beachfront retreat. Set near the lively western end of Tortola, Fort Recovery offers you a chance to relax and do your own thing among like minded people, within a shout of all the activity of Tortola. The villas are owned and operated by former Broadway producer Anita MacShane, who fell in love with the setting at the end of the 60s when she was shooting a commercial in nearby St Thomas.
Now Fort Recovery has seventeen one and two-bedroom villa apartments set along the shoreline (one by the pool) and a separate 8-bedroom beach house. Over the years Anita has amassed an enviable collection of original artwork, including local work, which decorates the walls of the villas. The finest collection is in the beach house, where there are also a number of sculptures.
Fort Recovery is very relaxed and low-key, very much a home away from home, and offers friendly, unobtrusive service. A good example of this is that although the villas all have full kitchen facilities, Fort Recovery offers private in-villa dining through an on-property chef and waiter service. Continental breakfast is available each morning on the veranda by Reception and you can either eat it there or take it to the privacy of your villa. Fort Recovery is the sort of place where it seems right to pass the time watching the yachts on Sir Francis Drake Passage, or you can snorkel, swim or read a good book. There is no need to bring your own as each of the villas has a small library and the Reception has a larger selection. For a slice of well-being you may want to join the daily yoga and Pilates class out on the dock, or if you are feeling energetic there is a small gym, but the small resort is intentionally low-key, a quiet enclave on quite a busy island. If you are looking for a full programme of activities, nightly entertainment and a busy bar with a happy hour then this is probably not the place for you (nor the BVI in general). Fort Recovery is for a get-away from it all, good old fashioned, beach holiday.
The villas are set behind a wall overflowing with greenery and colourful sprays of bougainvillea. As you enter you pull up at the main central building, where you will find the library and a homely, open plan Reception. This handles reservations, offers a concierge service and is the main point of contact for anything that needs to be organised. Attached is the spa room, which currently doubles as the gym, and of course the breakfast veranda. For Recovery’s freshwater swimming pool is set back from the beach. It provides a shady spot to sunbathe, but has views of the sea via a wide walkway between the nearby fort and the villas.
The pretty stucco and shingle-sided cottages overlook the waterfront from an area of lawn. They are surrounded by tropical plants, palms and trailing flowers and each has their private patio or balcony looking out to sea. Fort Recovery has a very private setting with a good stretch of sand on a small bay where there is good swimming and snorkelling and a private dock and jetty. Along the waterfront are occasional benches and picnic tables where you can have a drink or eat by the waters edge. The crenellated fort sits on the edge of the beach, between the villas and the beach house, and makes for a romantic backdrop for wedding ceremonies.
Fort Recovery is popular for no fuss reunions and is a popular choice for exchanging vows. With its multiple bedroom villas it copes well for families, but equally, its atmosphere makes it a good place to stay for solo travellers. You can tuck yourself away and there is no need to worry about sitting in a restaurant alone. If you decide to eat in you can either cook for yourself or leave it to the in-house chef and have your meal brought to you.
Note: An additional 15 villa suites were added during summer 2005, followed by an in-house bar and restaurant in December. The original Four-Bedroom Beachfront Home was re-built as an Eight-Bedroom Grand Beach House in 2007 |
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Beach & Swimming
The beach at Fort Recovery is a nice strip of light-coloured sand backed with lawns, palms and the fort of the name. There are views over the Sir Francis Drake Passage to the nearby islands of St John, Norman Island and Peter Island. It is set in a protected bay, so the waters are shallow and calm and provide a safe area for swimming and snorkelling.
There is a fresh water swimming pool (14ft x 26ft with depths of 3ft to 8 ft) with surrounding wood decking for sunbathing, set back within the grounds, partially shaded by trees and coconut palms. |
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Sports & Recreation
The Fort Recovery Spa, which is certified by the World Holistic Massage School in California, offers Swedish, shiatsu and hot stone massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and salt scrubs and ear candling. The spa is located to the rear of the Reception and is now open to clients from around the island as well as hotel guests.
You will also find exercise equipment there including a treadmill, and air-glider and bicycle.
There is a daily yoga session, sometimes held on the jetty, which guests are welcome to join. Private yoga sessions are also available on request.
Fort Recovery has its own 32ft motorboat with captain. All guests that stay for a week are treated to a trip across Sir Frances Drake Passage to Norman Island, where there are a couple of excellent snorkelling spots. It is also possible to charter the boat and captain privately if you wish to put together your own trip.
Fort Recovery also arrange scuba diving packages with Blue Water Divers, who are ideally positioned at Soper’s Hole less than five minutes drive away. Blue Water Divers visit sites all over the BVI, usually on two-tank dives.
At Long Bay Beach Resort, about five minutes away by car, you will find two floodlit astroturf tennis courts and a 9 hole pitch and putt golf course. |
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Staff
Daily, hotel style maid service. Fort Recovery is owned and run by Anita MacShane, a former actress from the States, who bought the property in the late 1960s (see more about how Anita came to Fort Recovery). Also instrumental in the management of the property is Pamelah Antoine, who heads up the marketing and reservations. She also leads the daily yoga training and the spa and massage. |
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The Villas
The villa apartments are located in a series of cottages facing the bay, with upper and lower floors (with the exception of the poolside villa and beach house which are single storey). All of the oceanfront units are furnished in a similar, light tropical style with pretty white wicker and rattan furnishings, bleached, steeply pitched wooden ceilings. The floors upstairs are white timber floors and downstairs cool white tiles. They each have a comfortable, open plan living/dining area with fully equipped kitchen and breakfast counter to the rear and a sitting area that gives onto a terrace or patio reached via French or sliding doors. From here there are delightful sea views. Bedrooms, with bed linens by Ralph Lauren, are located to the rear of the villas. They are all air-conditioned and have en suite bathrooms. While the decoration is mainly light, the artwork provides a splash of colour. Collected by the proprietor over the years, the paintings and sculptures feature some local work and some from farther afield. Details of the new villas built will be published at a later date. |
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Dining
The dining room at Fort Recovery has a pretty setting in a West Indian building among the cottages and palms, next to the swimming pool. Some tables are set on a deck just above the pool if you’d like to eat outside. Otherwise there is the air-conditioned interior, where you will find a natural wood ceiling and walls decorated with the small resort’s striking artwork.
The fare is good and the menu has a nice variety, with some Caribbean dishes, some Italian, some from the southern United States and others international. There are also several vegetarian options. Breakfast and dinner are served, but the restaurant at Fort Recovery also offers service to your villa (which already has a table and all the crockery and cutlery of course), so you can eat on your own balcony overlooking the water and Sir Francis Drake Channel if you like.
The bar at the dining room remains open all day. |
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Weddings
Fort Recovery Villas will provide full wedding planning services for guests who wish to get married on property. The service is free for guests. They will require prior notice in order to secure the registrar, order the flowers, cake and arrange any other ancillary requirements. Please see the Practical Facts section below for details of the resort's wedding package. |
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Children
A selection beach toys are available as are children’s books from the library in reception. |
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Useful Hints
Basic groceries can be arranged in advance and placed in your villa for your arrival. Please advise the resort or your travel organiser of your requirements. Items purchased will be billed to your room account and are subject to tax and service charges.
Personal laundry and babysitting services are available on request (extra). |
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Practical Facts
Dress Code: Informal
Facilities: Resort only restaurant and bar (breakfast & dinner), freshwater swimming pool, cable TV, beach towels, beach chairs, library, spa and exercise room, reception
Complimentary: All one week stays receive a complimentary dinner and a boat trip per guest. Daily combined yoga and pilates classes at 6pm. WiFi internet access.
Other Services: on-property chef and waiter service for in-villa dining on request. Spa & beauty services including Swedish massage, Shiatsu, reflexology, manicures, pedicures and hair salon services. Personal laundry service. Babysitting service with 24 hour notice. DVD, VCR and video rental. On-site skippered boat charter for Tortola snorkelling trips. All of these services attract an extra cost.
Accommodation: All villa suites have air-conditioned bedrooms with king size beds (4 bedrooms in the 8-bedroom villa with queen-size beds), en suite bathrooms with showers only, fully equipped and compact kitchens (superior one-bedroom suites with kitchenettes only) within the living/dining area, cable TV, WiFi internet access, a small library and private balcony, porch or terrace. All penthouse suites are located upstairs and have high pitched ceilings and wooden flooring of bleached pine. All other villa suites are located on the ground floor with white tiled floors. Standard One-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite (12): 6 are located on the ground floor above the beach, with screened glass doors to the living area leading out the patio with lounge chairs with sea views. There are 6 (penthouse) suites located upstairs above the beachfront villas, with exposed beamed roofs and wooden floors of bleached pine, with French doors leading out to a sea view balcony. Superior One-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite with living room, kitchenettes (microwave, blender, toaster and fridge), porch or balcony. Two-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite (2): 1 located on the ground floor with open plan living area with kitchen as before, slightly larger with two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, two patios, and an area of garden to the side and a 2nd (Penthouse) located upstairs above the two bedroom beach front, with two balconies. New Three-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite: with 3 en suite bedrooms, large living room and porch or balcony. Eight Bedroom Grand Beach House: in the shadow of the old fort and located directly on the beach, opposite the jetty. It has a spacious open-plan living and dining area with fully equipped kitchen, opening via large folding picture doorways onto a covered wooden terrace. Guests can dine inside on the antique pine table or out on the terrace, with the sea in full view either way. The sitting room is furnished with wicker “Baker” sofas in neutral tones so as not to compete with the view. The villa features an entrance hall art gallery with both paintings and sculptural work, and has 8 bedrooms en suite (4 masters, main with Jacuzzi bathtub). To the rear an atrium style room leads to the pool.
Children: Welcome. High Chairs are available at US$5 per day and cots/cribs for US$15 per day.
Weddings: You will need to pay for the Registration (US$110 wedding stamp), the Registrar (US$100)and anything else you wish to put in place for your wedding such as flowers and a photographer. Photography - from US$400, Flower Bouquet - from US$45, French Designed Wedding Cake - from US$70, Wedding Dinner Planning.
Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard or American Express. |
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Rates
| | 15 Apr- 17 Dec 2009 | 18 Dec- 14 Apr 2009-10 | 15 Apr- 17 Dec 2010 | | Original One-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite (1-2 persons) | 210 | 310 | 210 | | New One-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite (1-2 persons) | 250 | 360 | 250 | | Two-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite (1-4 persons) | 360 | 520 | 360 | | New Three-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite (1-6 persons) | 560 | 750 | 560 | | Eight-Bedroom Grand Beach House: 4 bedrooms (1-8 persons) 5 bedrooms (1-10 persons) 6 bedrooms (1-12 persons) 7 bedrooms (1-14 persons) 8 bedrooms (1-16 persons) | 2,100 2,625 3,150 3,675 4,200 | 2,600 3,250 3,900 4,550 5,200 | 2,100 2,625 3,150 3,675 4,200 | | Extra person - adult | 50 | 50 | 50 | | Extra child - 12 yrs or under Crib | 35 15 | 35 15 | 35 15 | | MAP supplement (full breakfast & 3 course dinner) per person, per day | 45 | 45 | 45 | | Deluxe Package for 2 persons (inc. tax & service see details below) | 2,574 | 3,413 | 2,574 | | Sail & Stay Package for 2 persons (inc. tax & service see details below) | 3,018 | 4,312 | 3,018 |
All prices are in US$ per suite/villa per night, excluding 7% Government Tax and 10% Service Charge. To guarantee a corner suite there is an additional charge of US$20 per night plus tax and service charge. There is a minimum stay of 3 nights for all bookings. All prices are subject to change without notice.
Payment and cancellation policy: A minimum deposit of US$300 or 20% deposit, whichever is highest, is required to confirm bookings and will only be refunded if cancelled with 90 days notice prior to arrival for stays during 15 Apr-17 Dec, and if cancelled within 90 days full payment is still due. For cancellations of bookings for stays during 18 Dec-14 Apr there will be no refund and the charges for the entire stay will apply. Balance of payment due on arrival. For cancellations in an emergency, a room credit may be given for future use. |
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Special Packages
Deluxe Package for 2 - this is makes for an ideal honeymoon package and is also a good basis for building a complete wedding package. The package includes 7 nights accommodation in a One-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite (including tax and service charges), continental breakfast daily, 3 days jeep rental (excludes tax, US$10 driving licence, petrol and insurance), full breakfast daily (excludes 15% waiter gratuity), welcome gourmet snack basket, welcome tropical flower bouquet and a split of Moet Chandon Champagne, 4 nights of dinners for two in their restaurant (excludes 15% gratuity), a half day boat trip to Norman Island for snorkeling and swimming, a half hour massage each, a manicure or pedicure each, and cooler and unlimited ice for the beach/picnic lunches. See table above for prices.
Other Special packages include a 7 night Dive & Stay with 3 days of 2 tank dives for US$2,827 per couple in summer and US$3,647 in winter. A 7 night Resident Artist Package for US$2,574 per couple is available from 5 Nov 2009 to 31 Jan 2010 when American artist Glady's Brodsky is in residence. It includes two special art lessons with additional lessons available for the discounted price of US$20 per lesson, per person. Please see Fort Recovery's website for full details. |
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Stay & Sail
Sail and Stay Package for 2 - this includes 7 nights accommodation in a One-Bedroom Beachfront Villa Suite (including tax and service charges), a two-day US Sailing Association Basic Keelboat Certification course with the Rob Swain Sailing school on Tortola. The corresponding certification for the course is Basic Keelboat. Testing is optional. There is an additional fee of US$50 per person for the certification, which includes text, logbook, certification exam fee and one year membership to US Sailing Association or American Sailing Association. This fee, if you chose this option is payable in person to Rob Swain Sailing. Also included is daily Continental breakfast, 4 night of dinners for two in their restaurant (excludes 15% waiter gratuity), 4 full American Breakfasts each (excludes 15% waiter gratuity), a half day snorkel trip with lunch, a half hour massage each (Swedish, Shiatsu, & Reflexology combination), a welcome bouqet of tropical flowers, bottled water starter supply upon arrival in room, cooler and ice located at reception area for your convenience at any time. See table above for prices |
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Special Offers
Winter Special
Complimentary upgrade to a New One-Bedroom Villa Suite for those on the All Inclusive Special Package at US$3,134 per couple for 7 nights. Value US$400. Offer valid for stays 18 Dec-14 Apr 2009-10 and is subject to availability.
40th Anniversary Specials
10% Off One-Bedroom Villa Suite Rates
Enjoy a 10% reduction off the rates for both the Standard and New One-Bedroom Villa Suites. Valid for stays of 6 nights or more from 15 April 2009 to 15 April 2010 inclusive.
Special Anniversary Gift for Fort Recovery Guests Only
Full 1-hour Tranquil Spa Massage reduced from US$85 per hour to US$75. Offer valid until 15 December 2009.
Offers may be subject to change and to availability. |
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How to Book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Fort Recovery Beach Villas, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. |
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Locality
Fort Recovery is located within five minutes drive of Tortola’s West End, where you will find the West End Ferry Terminal (with daily services to St Thomas and St John in the USVI), supermarkets, several restaurants and bars and other services. The Jolly Roger Restaurant is close to the ferry dock, and is a very popular pub style eatery and bar, with a deck on the waterfront and a large veranda upstairs. It serves Caribbean, pan-Asian & Mediterranean fusion foods with lots of seafood and barbecued fare. In season they have live music on Fri & Sat (barbecue night). This can get extremely lively, as can happy hour. Across the water on Frenchman’s Quay is Soper’s Hole Wharf & Marina, which has a host of services including an ATM, gift shops, boutiques, an ice cream parlour, the Ample Hamper (a grocery/provisioning store which also does great deli style sandwiches), an internet café, a photography studio and nearby Kelly’s Superette. Highly visible in bright pink is Pusser’s Landing Restaurant & Bar (another spot that can get busy in season) and the Pusser’s Store. A grocery shop, Big Ben’s, is within a couple of minutes drive of the villas. It is open daily from 7am to 10pm.
Over the hill on the north side of Tortola you come to Cappoon’s Bay and Apple Bay, also within five minutes drive. You will find two good restaurants here, the excellent Sugar Mill and the less formal Sebastian’s on the Beach. And for a more rustic and fun evening with great atmosphere and good food there is Coco Plums, which also has a lively bar. If you happen to be on island during a full moon then the Full Moon Party at Bomba Surfside Shack is not to be missed. It attracts a huge crowd for Bomba’s special full moon brew and live music.
Further along the north coast (about 20 minutes from Fort Recovery by car and via a very steep hill!) is the island’s most popular beach, Cane Garden Bay, which has a string of beach bars catering to visitors both day and night. Towards the end of the week the bars feature live music and stay open to the wee hours. The most popular spots are Quito’s Gazebo, where Quito Rhymer sings with his reggae band The Edge on Fridays and Saturdays, and Myett’s, which has live music Friday through to Monday. On the way to Cane Garden Bay you pass through Carrot Bay, where you will find simple, tasty, local fare at Palm’s Delight. |
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Meet & Greet
If you are travelling independently, taxis are readily available at the airport or from the ferry dock, however if you have concerns the resort will arrange taxi transfers on request. The ride from Beef Island on Tortola airport is around 30 minutes, depending on the traffic and from West End ferry dock five minutes.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
A hired car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays. It will be useful when you go sightseeing and visit the beaches by day, when you want to dine out at night and particularly when it comes to shopping for groceries. If you are booking direct or through a tour operator, you can organise your car hire at the same time as booking your accommodation. Please be aware that during the height of the winter season, over Christmas and New Year and then in February and March, cars can become scarce, so you are advised to order one well in advance. |
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