Antigua boasts of 365 beaches—“one for every day of the year” in tourism pitches. But sea and sand are only part of the allure for house hunters who are flocking to this Caribbean territory of about 100,000 residents, one of two islands that comprise the single nation of Antigua and Barbuda.
“This is the pearl of the Caribbean,” said Joseph Valentino, executive director of Blueprint Global, a Toronto real estate development company that is bringing the high-end Nikki Beach resort brand to Antigua. “It’s not very Americanized. And it’s not a high-traffic scene. In fact, we’re going to be the island’s first branded resort.”
Antigua “is not a mass-market destination like the Dominican Republic or Mexico,” said Dominique Silvera, owner of Christie’s International Real Estate Antigua & Barbuda. “It’s further to get here, and it costs more. Our hotels become a catalyst for attracting high-net-worth buyers. And there’s a tremendous yachting community—Jeff Bezos’s boat is berthed here. Yachters stop in Antigua for a fabulous meal, then see the real estate and scenery and fall in love.”
While luxury developments are far-flung across the island—including $10 million homes at the exclusive Mill Reef Club and the under-development Pearn’s Point enclave—buyers have been eyeing Jolly Harbor, the west coast township where Nikki Beach is building six residential buildings, four hotels, five luxury villas, three pool decks, an aquatic center and a beach club.
Long home to mid-level resorts and condos, “Jolly Harbour is an opportunity buy,” Silvera said. “It’s moving into luxury, and we’re already seeing $5 million homes with boat slips in that area.”
