Peter Island Resort & Spa

My wife and I are new BVI boat-owners and we were recently sailing around the BVIs for two weeks. We were excited to visit the newly re-opened Peter Island Resort and take advantage of their advertised “Yacht Club Experience” (YCE). In retrospect, there were lots of CLUES that Peter Island really doesn’t care much about folks in the Yacht Club Experience program. It was far from a great experience. We called the evening before our intended arrival to get logistic details and pricing for the YCE (and a reservation if needed) since there seemed to be no details on the website. No one answered, so we left a message asking for a call back. That was probably CLUE #1, although we didn’t recognize it at the time. The next day (Nov 28, 2025) we sailed to Peter Island and contacted the harbormaster on VHF outside the marina. He advised us to pick up a mooring ball on Deadman Bay then dinghy to the beach there. I asked why we couldn’t dinghy over to the Club directly. He said, “We don’t have a dinghy dock”. I said, “What?? Really??” He said, “Yes, you have to go to the beach.” That was probably CLUE #2. What kind of a BVI marina doesn’t have a dinghy dock to make things easy for its customers? So we moored the boat as instructed and dinghied over to the beach, which is not exactly a cake-walk for a retired couple battling the surf and trying to lift an extremely heavy dinghy up above the water line. Fortunately, a family on the beach saw us and came over to give us a hand…THANKS AGAIN, especially to the cute little girls who pulled REALLY HARD! (No Peter Island staff were anywhere to be seen, of course, which would become a theme…let’s call it CLUE #3.) Next, we walked up to the road above the beach and started heading along it in the direction of the marina. We soon encountered a large black metal gate which was locked. There were no signs, no contact info, no squawk box, or anything else. This was probably CLUE #4. We would soon learn that Peter Island really tries to keep YCE customers like us FAR away from hotel guests and clearly tagged…and it seems the locked gate was part of that effort. Over the next 20 minutes we called the marina four times. No answer. We left messages. No response. Peter Island does offer a comprehensive automated phone menu purgatory system that makes it nearly impossible to reach a human…so there is that! (CLUE #5.) We finally got ahold of someone from the hotel who advised us to walk in the opposite direction from the marina toward a distant building she identified as the spa, and that we could try to get a lift from someone there. Near the spa, one of the golf cart drivers slowed down and offered us a ride. He asked us why we had put the dinghy on the beach. We said that the harbormaster told us that there was no dinghy dock at the marina. He laughed and said that all the customers park their dinghies at the marina. CLUE #6…they really don’t want to make it easy or consistent on the topic of dinghies. The golf cart trip had stunning views from high up on the hills and was about a half-mile long or more. We were then dropped off near the marina office to check in. We learned that the YCE is US$50 per person per day. Fine…we had made it this far. We were given neon-colored wrist bands to wear. (For a supposed intimate luxury resort on a private Caribbean island, the idea of being banded like kids at a Chucky Cheese was a bit disappointing…whatevs. CLUE #7.) I asked the marina office employee where I could get a towel for the pool. He said (exact quote): “You didn’t bring a towel with you?” I said, “No, I’ve been on a boat for two weeks and I thought a luxury club and hotel offering a pool and showers for a fee would likely have towels.” He scoffed and said that I might be able to get one near the pool. (“Might” was the operative word.) He also reminded me that I would need to return the towel. (CLUE #8.) (I really didn’t travel from Texas to the BVIs to come and steal their towels, but I didn’t press that point.) We then went to the restaurant, “The Drunken Pelican” to get a bite of lunch. It’s beautiful! As soon as we were seated, the waiter greeted us by saying “we are really busy” and said that all the food would be slow in coming out. We appreciated the honesty, but the not the welcome…the friendliness left a little to be desired. I ordered a pizza (they had a wood-burning oven nearby, which I always like) and my wife ordered a salad. The waiter was not wrong about the wait. The food, when it did arrive, was really very good. (And what it lacked in timeliness was made up for in price.) After lunch, we went over to the pool area which was fairly crowded. There was only a relatively small number of chairs for the size of the pool and, of course, they were all taken. There also was not a lick of shade to be had. Oh well. We found a nicely marked locker for towels, but it was empty. We decided to get in the pool to cool off. Maybe someone would bring some towels. We were there for about 2.5 hours. During that time, I didn’t see a single staff member anywhere near the pool. My wife claims she spotted one interacting briefly with another group. For sure, no one ever refreshed the towel locker. And certainly no one asked us if we wanted anything. We would have loved to have ordered drinks by the pool, but there was no one to ask. Service for us was non-existent. Maybe that’s how they treat all the guests who are required to wear the neon bands (CLUE #9.) I guess we could have gone back to the restaurant and dripped our way through the dining room up to the bar…but that all seemed a little gauche. Fortunately, we brought our own water bottles, which I advise you to do as well! The pool was nice and the view from the pool was fantastic! By the way, while we were in the pool, we got a call back message from Peter Island in response to our call the previous evening…it only took 18 hours to get a response. At least we got a response, so good job, I guess?!?!? (CLUE #10.) After the pool, I dried off with the wet towel my wife had used and brought from the boat…there were no other options or anyone to ask. Then we decided to stop at the marina store to see if there were any provisions that would be fun to pick up for dinner on the boat. The store was beautiful, but the provisions area was bizarre. Lot of snacks, some expensive artisanal dried pasta (but no pasta sauces of any kind), a few small bags of quinoa and bulgar wheat (not sure what to do with those!)…and a small random collection of condiments. Nothing that I could envision being turned into dinner. For a luxury marina store at a place where provisions are routinely needed, you would expect at least a few essentials that could be plausibly prepared into a meal. (CLUE #11). We decided to make do with what we had on bord back at the boat. After a while, a golf cart driver appeared and took us back to a spot on the side of a road not too far from the beach. The tide had receded a bit putting the dinghy farther up on the beach. Another guest saw us struggling to get it turned around and helped us launch (THANKS AGAIN, BUD!!), but no staff were present, or if they were, they certainly didn’t care enough to help. (Back to CLUE #3.) FINAL THOUGHTS… This is a fantastic property…really stunning! But the service we encountered was abysmal. I presume that resort hotel guests are treated much better than resort yacht club guests. (I sure hope so!) I got the feeling that the YCE program was just an afterthought…and that they REALLY don’t care about the needs or comfort of YCE guests or want them there. And I am still a little grumpy about the towel sitch…that’s probably obvious! There certainly are plenty of CLUES about what you’ll get with the YCE. I am glad that we checked out the YCE at Peter Island. We are returning to the BVIs in a couple months with friends. I would be embarrassed to bring them to Peter Island for the YCE, so I am glad I experienced it first…especially since there are so many much friendlier and nicer nearby options. Pirates' Bight on Norman has a great calm beach with lots of lounge chairs, lots of umbrellas, an amazing bar and restaurant, a nice dinghy dock, a new open-air massage room, and friendly service (with no $50 per person cover charge…they just ask that you buy a drink or two or maybe lunch). Scrub Island has a nice, easily-accessible dinghy dock, a pretty well-stocked store for provisions, a wonderful spa (that we tried) and a very nice pool/beach set-up (we saw it, but haven’t tried it yet….but I have heard good things). Oil Nut Bay has a new marina with a small pool, a dingy dock, and amazing, although really expensive, food. I think they also have some sort of day-pass program for a wider set of pools and amenities that we haven’t tried yet. (Peter Island management and staff could learn from any of them.) If we ever drop by Peter Island again, I hope they will have redesigned the YCE program from the perspective of a customer…and maybe invest in a little staff training. A “Club” should be easy and fun for its paying “members”. This was too hard and kind of lame. FINAL FINAL THOUGHT... The resort motto on the website is: “At Peter Island Resort, there is no limit to how you spend your time, as every experience is uniquely yours—curated your way.” Be prepared to curate on your own, while being at least slightly moist and untoweled most of the time!

The resort is absolutely amazing! The just reopened about 3 weeks ago after a soft-launch and I can’t stop raving about how beautiful this resort is and how incredible the staff is! Every experience was top-notch. We opted for a room on the beach with a hot-tub and it was simply perfect. Each interaction with the staff has been excellent and they go above and beyond to make sure you have what you need (food, drinks, towels, etc). They remember you by name and cater to making sure you are comfortable and having the best time. Take advantage of visiting the various beaches on the island; take the island tour; schedule a night to see the sunset on the top of the island- it is all spectacular! This vacation will be hard to top. We will be back again!!

The resort is absolutely amazing! They reopened about 3 weeks ago after an initial soft-launch and I can’t stop raving about how beautiful the resort is and how incredible the staff is. Every experience was top-notch. We got a room on the beach with a hot tub and it was simply perfect. Each interaction with the staff has been excellent and they go above and beyond to make sure you have what you want (drinks, food, towels, etc). They remember you by name and cater to making sure you are comfortable and have the best time. Take advantage of visiting the various beaches on the island; take the island tour; schedule a night to see the sunset on the top of the island— it is really all spectacular. This vacation will be hard to top. We will be back again!

Este fue mi review para Peter Island Disappointing Experience – Poor Support for Service Dog, Bad Internet, and Unfriendly Staff Our visit to Peter Island Marina was extremely disappointing. One of the main issues was the complete lack of support and understanding regarding our service dog. Despite notifying the marina ahead of time, the staff showed little knowledge of service animal regulations and made no real effort to accommodate us. It was clear they were not prepared or trained to deal respectfully with guests who have accessibility needs. To make matters worse, the internet connection was unreliable and very slow, which made it difficult to stay connected or get any work done. Additionally, the staff was neither friendly nor flexible. We encountered rudeness and resistance anytime we needed help or requested a simple change. There was no sense of hospitality or willingness to make our stay more comfortable. Overall, I would not recommend this marina—especially if you’re traveling with a service dog or expect even basic service standards.

Staff were so personable and kind. Take a minute to get to know everyone there. They made our short marina stay exceptional. Mooring balls available on DocWa for Deadman's bay or Great Harbor. We decided to check out the dock for one night and ended up staying two and going to the spa. The dock showers (outdoor) were the best we had anywhere in three weeks in the BVI! The dock staff were patient and helpful getting us in our slip in the wind and even took our trash up for us when we were looking for the proper receptacle. Despite what the cruising guides say- the resort has reopened (Dec 2024) and though parts of the marina area/restaurant remain under construction, it was no big deal. The property is expansive and absolutely gorgeous. Ask for a pick up and a multi seat golf cart ride will show you the lay of the land. (Thank you Ramon!) For a small fee there is even a sunset ride up to the tippy top of the island- complete with Prosecco and a cheese/fruit plate. Super quiet and not busy. They plan to remain open during the slow (hurricane) season while many resorts close. Not a budget stop, but well worth the splurge for the comfort and hospitality. We loved meeting all of you and appreciated the pampering at the spa. Your team is amazing. Thank you for your attitude of gratitude. -Bob and Erica