Four Seasons Resort Nevis

Understated and elegant, the Four Seasons Nevis is a quiet refuge from the wider world, located on a laid-back island known for its natural beauty. Ravaged by a tropical storm several years ago, the Four Seasons has seen some changes but remains one of the true luxury destination resorts of the Caribbean.

The Four Seasons has more rooms, by far, than any other hotel on Nevis, but smart architectural and landscaping choices keep the property from feeling overdeveloped or too spread out. All guest rooms are in low-rise, two-story buildings connected by winding footpaths and fronted by green lawns.

Our room decor was understated: yellow couches and bed linens, ivory tiled floors, and a wooden deck with wicker furniture. A ceiling fan over the bed kept the air moving; you can slide the louvered doors to the deck open to let in the fresh breezes, but there are no screens so that also means letting in some biting insects, too. The AC shuts off automatically when the doors open -- a nice touch.

The minibar is stocked with the usual expensive snacks and drinks, as well as a bottle of Iconoclast cabernet, the in-house label of the Four Seasons. The bathroom has a large shower stall, a soaking tub equipped with an extendable shower head, and a double sink with plenty of counter space for him and her. The toilet is enclosed in a separate water closet. Toiletries are from L’Occitane.

Guests returning to the Four Seasons will notice one major change: a large berm has been built up between the guest rooms and the ocean to protect the low-lying resort from being inundated again in any future storms. This has two notable impacts on the guest experience: it makes it slightly harder to walk from your room to the beach, and it means that only the second-floor rooms, not the ground-level ones, now have the unobstructed views of the sea.

You can still get a room directly on the beach at the Four Seasons Nevis, but it will cost you extra, and you can’t stay there overnight. We’re talking about the resort’s beautiful private beach cabanas, which are equipped with everything from stocked mini-fridges and lounge chairs to flat-screen TVs and reading libraries. Rent one for a full day or half day (if available), and you’ll also benefit from highly attentive service: just raise the flag when you want something to eat or drink and you’ll quickly be sipping or munching away from a menu of specialty cocktails, appetizers, salads and sandwiches.

Located in the resort’s Great House, the Coral Grill is upscale dining on par with anything in the Caribbean, with top-quality ingredients flown in from all over the world -- Prime and Wagyu beef, black-hog pork from Japan, Australian lamb, to name a few. Grilled swordfish and red snapper were exceptional. Be sure to arrive early for dinner so you can drop in at the comfortable Library Bar to sample some of bartender Kendie Browne’s award-winning cocktails.

Just downstairs is the Neve restaurant, a lovely spot for breakfast and lunch. A satellite grill near the resort’s adults-only pool is open occasionally and serves grilled spiny lobster and other lunch entrees. The open-air, beachside Cabana restaurant is your best bet for a light lunch or snack; the menu here is pretty similar to that offered for room service or at the hotel’s beachfront cabanas. We quite enjoyed the pita-bread appetizer served with a trio of dips and a daily sushi special; the lobster salad sandwich we had on our last day turned out to be one of our favorite meals. Other options include a wrap filled with grilled dorado, and lobster pizza. The bar at Cabana is about as close as the Four Seasons has to a beach bar.

The furthest you’ll have to walk at the Four Seasons Nevis is to Mango, a beachfront restaurant located on the other side of the golf course from the main part of the resort (you also can easily hail a ride if you prefer). Open on one side to the sea, with white linens and curtains and lit by torches and candles, it’s a lovely and popular dinner spot. Blue lights at the water’s edge reveal the occasional flying fish leaping above the surface.

The food and service was good but, especially by comparison to that at the main resort, not outstanding. A hydroponic salad with avocado and fried plantain strips, and an arugula salad with tomato, mango, and smoked wahoo, got dinner off to a promising start. The sticky boneless ribs -- billed as the house specialty -- were tasty but not particularly memorable, and the grilled lobster macaroni and cheese was a little disappointing -- crispy on the top, but unsubstantial inside.

Four Seasons guests have the option of walking a short distance down the beach to dine or drink at Sunshine’s beach bar, a legendary watering hole that also serves a full menu of local seafood, burgers, and more. Careworn couches and tables fill Sunshine’s flag-draped interior. Five dollars will get you a Killer Bee, a potent punch made with local moonshine (nearby Chevy’s, a bar run by a renegade former Sunshine’s employee, sells the rival Stinger Bee).

Golf and tennis are the names of the games at this resort. The renowned, 18-hole championship golf course was designed by master Robert Trent Jones II and plays from the water’s edge right up to the foothills of Nevis’ rainforest-covered (and mostly dormant) volcano. Keep an eye out for green monkeys while you play, especially in the morning when they flock to the edges of the course in search of fruit growing wild in the trees.

The Peter Burwash International tennis center has six hard courts and four clay courts, several of which are lighted for night play -- a good option on an island that can get pretty hot and moist during the day. Each court is meticulously maintained and well-equipped with shaded rest areas and coolers full of cold water. The combination golf/tennis pro shop can provide racquets and balls. Tennis pro Chris Myrold expertly runs through lessons that can benefit beginner and advanced players alike, focusing on playing to contact the ball.

Couples can take one another on in a fun lesson for two that includes a variety of competitive-but-educational drills. Private and group lessons are available daily, along with weekly mixers that bring guests and local players together. It’s all part of a PBI teaching philosophy that, in Myrold’s words, is “a common-sense approach to teach you to be your own coach.”

The beach has been restored to a moderately wide swath of soft, white sand, and the waters here are exceptionally calm. There’s no big drop offshore, so guests can safely wade out a good distance without ever getting in above their heads. One of the two resort pools is for adults only, a nice option to have when the hotel gets crowded. Bean-bag style pool floats are great for relaxing and gazing over the infinity edge of the pool at the ocean beyond. When we visited in the offseason, however, we found that the bliss of the quiet pool was not-infrequently interrupted by the sound of weed-whackers as work crews trimmed the landscaping.

Guests have complimentary use of water toys like scuba gear and kayaks, but face some niggling charges on other activities that we think should be included in the cost of the stay (tennis court time, for example, is $30 per hour, and you'll be charged a daily fee for in-room wireless internet access). The bottom line you need to consider is that even if you happen to get a great deal on a room at the Four Seasons Nevis, be prepared to lay out significant sums for food and recreation.

The spa at the Four Seasons rivals any in the Caribbean in terms of service and atmosphere. In addition to the typical massages, facials, body treatments and salon services, the spa offers a variety of Ayurvedic treatments. The outdoor area of the spa is serene and beautiful, with treatment cottages arranged around a soothing massage waterfall; a cool plunge pool and relaxation deck face the summit of Nevis Peak.

Address: The Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies, P.O. Box 565, Pinney’s Beach, Charlestown, Nevis
Phone:1-869-469-1111
Website: http://www.fourseasons.com/nevis/
Rooms: 196 guest rooms, 40 rental residences, 2 cottages
Rates: $345-$4,000 nightly

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.