Caribbean resort where Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston stayed, Belmond Cap Juluca, opens after US$110 million makeover

What’s the story? Since it opened in 1988, Anguilla’s Cap Juluca has become one of the Caribbean’s most iconic resorts, thanks to its dazzling blue waters and prime location, in the secluded cove of Maundays Bay. Under the watchful eye of owners Charles and Linda Hickox, the resort has played host to the likes of Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Penelope Cruz and Harrison Ford (now, that would be a beach volleyball match worth watching!).

Change came in mid-2017, when the couple sold the resort to hotel group Belmond, which prom­ised a glitzy US$35 million renovation and rebranding. Not long after, Hurricane Irma hit and the project widened in scope. Fifteen months and a US$110 million renovation later, the resort is back in business.

So what’s changed? Plenty! The hurri­cane – which was one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic and took 134 lives – left little standing in its wake. The hotel’s signature Greco-Moorish-style villa walls remained intact, but almost every­thing else, including most of the public areas and gardens, was blown to bits.

It was only after a clean-up that involved more than 100 staff members working 24/7 for 45 days that reconstruction could finally begin, in January last year. The hotel now boasts an outdoor terrace and a sea-view infinity pool; and the Arawak spa, com­plete with a yoga pavilion, gym and seven all-suite treatment villas.

How about the rooms? The Moroccan-inspired interiors of old are gone. The 113 guest rooms and suites have been redesigned in natural tones, including greens and blues, with design details that pay homage to island life as well as art and travel. Bathrooms feature mini-courtyards surrounded by tropical gardens, while every room comes with a private veranda or bal­cony overlooking the ocean. The three- and five-bedroom villas include state-of-the-art kitchens and private pools.

What is there to eat? Food is part of Cap Juluca’s heritage – before it evolved into a resort, iconic restaurant Pimms stood on this spot, attracting tourists from neigh­bouring islands such as St Martin, which is a 20-minute ferry ride away. Pimms still exists, and now champions local ingredients (many found in the chef’s garden out back), including salt, which is still hand-picked from the evaporation ponds that pepper the island, and Mauby, a drink made from tree bark.