Nestled on six oceanfront acres on Anguilla’s tranquil Shoal Bay East, Zemi Beach House Resort & Spa blends a contemporary luxury with experiences anchored in the rich island tradition. Opened earlier this year, Zemi Beach House is the first resort on Anguilla’s East End, known for its powdery beaches, private villas and beach bars, and the first new-build hotel on the island in six years. From nourishing treatments within an ancient Thai house to small-batch rums enjoyed within the elegant Rhum Room, guests are transported by experiences that awaken and engage their senses.
The resort’s symbol is the three-point stone zemi, worshipped by Anguilla’s ancient Taino Indians who believed it to be the dwelling place of the spirit.
Designed by internationally renowned Caribbean architect Lane Pettigrew, Zemi Beach House’s architecture was inspired by Anguilla’s natural environment, blending modern, clean lines with classic Caribbean building details. The interiors of all public spaces were designed by Miami-based interior designer Cuba Fernandez.
Accommodations consist of 54 elegant guest rooms and nine exquisite suites – available with two or three bedrooms. All guestrooms boast balconies or terraces with sea- or oceanfront views, and feature soft neutrals, crisp white bedding and dark Caribbean shutters, embellished by organic textures and materials. In-room amenities include a loud speaker with Bluetooth, Caribbean mini bar, high-speed Wi-Fi, Cable TV with international channels, motion sensor AC system and Malin + Goetz toiletries.
Providing much-needed dining options on the east end of the island, Zemi Beach House offers five food and beverage concepts including Stone, 20 Knots, Shoal Bay Beach Club, Rhum Room and Provisions. Stone provides a fine dining experience featuring seasonal, locally sourced, farm- and ocean-to-table cuisine. For a casual dining option open all day, including a breakfast buffet, 20 Knots features international cuisine with signature Anguillan specialties. Shoal Bay Beach Club’s Beach Bar and Palm Court caters to sun worshipers with toes-in-the-sand beachfront dining. A destination in itself, the Rhum Room boasts world-renowned, small-batch estate Rhum and serves as a gathering place for late-night cocktails, private dinners, meetings and tastings. Provisions, Zemi’s one-stop marketplace, offers sundries, beach picnic baskets and snack staples such as coffee and ice cream.
Nestled inside an authentic Thai House that was transported from Thailand to Anguilla in the 1980s, the Zemi Thai House Spa is the resort’s crowned jewel. Carefully restored to offer a ground-breaking wellness experience and spanning 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, the spa houses the island’s first co-ed ‘House of Wellbeing’ with a heated gobek tasi, sun deck for mud and salt body treatments, outdoor showers and vitality pool.
Central to the wellness experience is the Taino Bathing Ritual which offers a social, highly unique treatment process allowing guests to journey through different temperature changes using ancient plants and herbs used by Anguilla’s native Taino Indians. Spa facilities includes oversized private spa villas, couples villas, a wellness boutique, outdoor rest areas with wave loungers and spaces for yoga and Pilates; and a mediation garden where guests can enjoy classes on mindfulness and relaxation. A fresh juice bar at the ancient Thai Rice House features teas and cold-pressed juices made from fruits, herbs and plants from the spa garden.
Other amenities and services at the resort’s first-class facilities include around-the-clock concierge services; a beach concierge; a Zemi Beach House Kids Club; snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, glass bottom kayaks and other non-motorized water sports at Zemi’s Shoal Bay Beach Club; two pools with cabanas, including an oceanfront pool with an underwater window facing the beach; tennis courts and a fitness center outfitted by TechnoGym.