Rosewood Is Coming

In its push to attract high-end luxury tourism development to the island it seems Barbados has snagged yet another big catch – Rosewood Hotels and Resorts. A blurb in the company’s recent press release mentioned Barbados as one of the projects in Rosewood's development pipeline of several world-class hotel projects. Rosewood is a leading “ultra-luxury” hotel and resort manager in the midst of a global expansion of its premier portfolio. The project in Barbados with which Rosewood’s name has most been associated is the Harrisons Point development in the parish of St. Lucy on the site formerly occupied by a US Naval base which currently houses a prison temporarily since the fire which destroyed the island’s only prison.

The development calls for a 200-room hotel, 75 villas, 160 condos and 100 townhouses. If Barbados gets anything near the opulence here pictured at Rosewood’s recently opened resort in Sunny Isles just north of Miami, then it’s move over Sandy Lane! Of course Rosewood would have to also at least match what’s in the pipeline for the recently announced Four Season Clearwater Bay on the site of the old Paradise Beach Club.

Talking about moving over, there is no end to the excitement coming out of King's Beach recently. What we thought was a done deal regarding the sale of this property a few weeks ago turns out to be anything and everything but a done deal. First, there was the non-auction auction, then there was the staff disappearing act at the village across the street, and finally news that the sale was off and the hotel (not the village) was now in the hands of the receivers. Oh, well, except perhaps to the staff involved whose livelihoods are threatened, the whole spectacle brings a level of entertainment to Mullins Bay not seen since the days when cars coming around the corner at Bayfield would sometimes land in the drink.
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www.mullinsbay.com

The Ethereal Mullins Bay

The heart of Mullins Bay is of course the beach, and this is what is captured in this Kevin Bishop photo. Kevin lives on Mullins Bay and is no doubt in tune with what makes it such a fascinating place where visitors to Barbados love to congregate. Even before the advent of the colorful beach umbrellas and watercrafts Mullins Bay has always been the subject of photographers and artists from all over the globe. I grew up on Mullins Bay myself and in my mind’s eye I can still the early 1950s Ivan Payne rendering of this subject area which hung on our living room wall. Ivan Payne was one of the more famous painters to come from Barbados and himself lived not very from Mullins. The sand is still there and the casuarina trees still tower above all the other vegetation, and the clouds in the sky and the calm waters seem almost ethereal in their beauty and presence. It is great to see that 50-odd years after Ivan painted it Kevin captures the same spirit that makes this spot special.
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www.mullinsbay.com