Saba Rock, an island resort destination in the British Virgin Islands, celebrated its grand reopening on Oct. 15, debuting a fresh design concept and unveiling new guest experiences. Saba Rock's General Manager Alain Prion announced the resort's official opening following a ribbon-cutting in front of more than 100 guests from the BVI community including government and tourism officials, hospitality partners, and residents.
The eight-bedroom Point Estate is nestled cliffside, overlooking the island's stunning Manchioneel Beach and neighbouring Virgin Gorda. Drawing design inspiration from the homeowners' travels across the world, The Point Estate is built up the cliff offering free standing accommodation and one main entertaining hub house. The expansive communal area of the main house brings the estate together as a dining and entertainment space, with contemporary kitchen and bar and huge infinity edge pool offering 180-degree views of the surrounding turquoise waters. A unique open-air seaside dining pavilion is impressively built right at the cliff edge and offers arguably the best viewpoint of the dramatic BVI sunsets than any other spot on the island. Guests staying at The Point Estate have exclusive, direct stair access to Manchioneel Beach - Moskito Island's primary beach - complete with a dining pavilion, stocked bar and guest facilities.
Perched on the highest point of Moskito Island, you'll find the expansive nine-roomed Oasis Estate. Offering the very best of contemporary living, The Oasis Estate exudes a uniquely chic aesthetic, with sleek, modern design and broad sweeping gestures. The ultimate entertaining abode, the four-story main house is positioned on top of the hill, and seamlessly utilises the natural landforms, with stunning transparent split-level terraces that emerge from the central core of the estate. Featuring multiple bars - including a swim-up pool bar - an expansive billiards and movie room, and rooftop deck that boasts unobstructed 360-degree views of the surrounding territory, the estate provides the perfect balance of fun, privacy, and relaxation to cater for guests' every need.
Petrone comes to Rosewood Little Dix Bay in its 50th Anniversary year, following 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry. A seasoned restaurant management professional, Petrone has led culinary operations for several well-known hotels in the Caribbean and Middle East. Most recently, he served as director of food & beverage at the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa in Anguilla, where he opened two of the resort’s signature restaurants. Previously, Petrone was director of restaurants for the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in Istanbul, Turkey and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt before becoming assistant director of food & beverage at Mardan Palace in Antalya, Turkey.
He joins Rosewood Little Dix Bay from Ayana Resort and Spa in Bali where he was General Manager. Prior to that, Ed was General Manager of the Nam Hai in Vietnam.
A veteran of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Chef Hannon was most recently Executive Chef at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. Previously, he served as Executive Sous Chef at Rosewood Mayakoba in Riviera Maya. At Rosewood Little Dix Bay, he will oversee the property’s three acclaimed dining establishments, including Sugar Mill, Pavilion and Beach Grill, where he will lead culinary efforts with his expertise in revolutionary cooking techniques and his passion for organic and fresh ingredients. Since he began his tenure at Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Chef Hannon has designed new menus at all three restaurants to embrace Rosewood’s signature A Sense of Place® philosophy. The new menus showcase the culinary bounty of Virgin Gorda, using ingredients like fresh lobster caught by local fisherman and produce grown at nearby farms, to infuse his foods with vibrant tropical flavors and create a more authentically Caribbean dining experience.
With more than 20 years of experience at luxury hotel and resort properties around the world, Hogarth oversees all operations with a passion for hospitality that has marked his career. Known in the industry for his dedication to flawless service, Hogarth stepped into the role of Managing Director after serving as Resort Manager at the 500-acre property. His focus was immediately clear. "My priority is to ensure we operate the resort at the high level of standards that will continue to earn us numerous awards," he says, noting that Rosewood Little Dix Bay was recently named the World's #1 Beach Resort by Harper's Hideaway Report. "That was a proud achievement through the hard work and dedication of the entire team." Prior to joining Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Hogarth spent over 14 years with Orient Express Hotels and gained invaluable experience with hotel openings including The Datai, Langkawi. His previous work included La Samanna on St. Martin, where Hogarth was Director of Operations. He also worked in operations at the iconic Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. Hogarth got his start in hospitality with the Savoy Group in London, with seven years of tenure during which he developed not only his leadership skills, but also a true passion for service. Hogarth replaces Martein van Wagenberg, who joined Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort in June.
Velasco’s return to Rosewood follows a brief stint as Corporate Director of Leisure for Kor Hotel Group. Previously, he was Director of Sales and Marketing for La Samanna, an Orient Express resort on St. Martin in the French West Indies. Velasco’s career in hotel Sales and Marketing got rolling as Associate Director of Sales for Rosewood Caribbean Resorts, and he later held the same position at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York City, following several years in hotel operations. A native of Spain, Velasco holds a Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences with a concentration in Political Science from the University of Puerto Rico, and is fluent in six languages: Spanish, German, English, French, Portuguese and Italian. He currently resides in Long Island City, New York. Rosewood Little Dix Bay is located on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands