Press Coverage
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Public Relations: J Public Relations (UK)
Contact: communications@bequiabeach.com
We're delighted to feature some of the press coverage Bequia Beach Hotel has received.
‘27 of the coolest boutique hotels in the Caribbean’
The Times ~ 27 November 2024
Swap gloomy grey days for island life with our pick of the pads that provide a piece of paradise (without the crowds)
“Authentic” has taken over from “hidden gem” as travel’s hardest-working cliché… the problem is that both perfectly describe Bequia Beach Hotel. It’s on Friendship Bay, the best beach in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and its time-capsule conviviality has been fiercely protected by the owner, Bengt Mortstedt, for almost 20 years. No need for a DNA test: the whitewashed, cane and rattan interiors mean these rooms could only be of Caribbean heritage. The same goes for its Bagatelle restaurant, where you nod to the fishermen as they land your lobster. Though be warned: the rum punches at Jack’s Beach Bar are so “Popeye” strong you’ll actually start believing the local sailors’ tall tales.
‘A Laidback Bolthole On One Of The Caribbean’s Hidden Gems’
British VOGUE, 17 November 2024 -Giles Hattersley
The elevator pitch
Mustique’s earthier, more everyday, but no less zenned-out cousin across the bay – the island of Bequia – has been an out-of-the-way bolthole for those in the know for some years now. With a population of just 5,300, nestled on seven square miles near Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Barbados, there are but a scattering of options of where to stay, and none so well placed as the extremely chill Bequia Beach Hotel.
Bequia Beach Hotel, sitting on a fair stretch of coastline facing Mustique, has pretty, tree-filled grounds dotted with greenhouses and a riot of flora. In the era of the cut-and-paste, high-glitz, ultra-smooth resort, there’s a sense of lost magic about the pace, with a laid-back approach that feels reminiscent of childhood holidays. No big designer names have been consulted on the guest rooms, suites, apartments and cottages that make up the main hotel – this is calm, cosy Caribbean comfort that feels like a hug.
‘Looking for Some Winter Sun’
Country & Town House ~ 8 November 2024
Winter sun and the Caribbean are almost synonymous – but you can still veer off the beaten track. Perched on one of the smallest islands in the Caribbean is the beautiful but still relatively undiscovered Bequia Beach Hotel. A family owned gem championing laid back luxury, expect a charming setting with a soothingly relaxed atmosphere – perfect for dusting off the cobwebs as we enter 2025.
‘Bequia: the most charming island in the Caribbean?’
London Evening Standard, 9th March 2024 - Kate Lough
We had touched down in Bequia (pronounced Beck-way) from Barbados, a slither of an island in the Grenadines shaped like a lightning bolt. Neatly guarded by the neighbouring islands of St Vincent and Mustique — and only 9km long and 2km wide — you can easily walk across it. We had flown there in an ex-air ambulance, remodelled by the Bequia Beach Hotel, our final destination, to smooth the passage of its guests to this hard-to-reach island. Clambering into one of the converted pick-up trucks you see all over the island, we set off for the sweep of Friendship Beach, the warm afternoon breeze softening our travel-weary faces. The Atlantic coastline sped past in a blur of fishing villages and chattel houses, like a sun-washed postcard from the sleepy Caribbean of old.
‘Honeymoon Review: Bequia Beach’
The Wedding Edition ~ 12 February 2024 - Isabella Foulger
For couples keen to dodge the cookie cutter Caribbean island formula and veer a little off the beaten track, without losing the luxury touches. This is where to go for authentic Caribbean character, scratching behind the tourist screen and offering couples a meaningful experience. The classic honeymoon thrills are still there – the Champagne on ice and rose petals, private beach dinners, romantic boat trips to nearby islands for lunch – but it feels more ‘real,’ and perhaps less contrived than the larger resorts. Ultimately, the true essence of this hotel is to switch off and lean into go-slow island life.
Not many people have heard of Bequia, it’s often referred to as Mustique’s shy little sister. A visit to this island allows you to step back in time and experience the Caribbean’s unsullied spirit, which is often hard to find with many of the nearby islands being so popular with tourists. What’s more, the hotel’s own airline, Bequia Air, with connections from Barbados means couples can arrive in style.
‘Escape To These New Luxury Villas At The Caribbean’s Best-Kept Secret’
Forbes ~ 23 December 2023 - Adam Morganstern
Ask people to name the places they’ve visited in the Caribbean and Bequia isn’t the first name you’ll hear. That’s an advantage — especially when you want all the beaches, beauty and local charm of an island vacation without feeling like you’re surrounded by more tourists than sand. And for the ultimate escape look no further than the newly opened Grenadine Hills overlooking Friendship Bay Beach, from the island’s top resort Bequia Beach Hotel.
‘I’ve stayed everywhere in the Caribbean — these are the 50 best hotels’
The Times ~ 10 September 2023 - Nigel Tisdall
What are the best hotels in the Caribbean? I’ve had the good fortune to have spent much of the past 25 years romping around this compelling region, so have hundreds to choose from...
Low-key, Swedish-accented luxury...
Few Caribbean destinations are as consistently charming as Bequia, another St Vincent and the Grenadines island that’s much loved by yachties and travellers who like things friendly and low-key. This Swedish-owned, 58-room beach hotel works equally well whether you want to crash by the pool with a gripping thriller or get exploring — top of the list should be snorkelling with turtles in Tobago Cays.
‘Bequia in the Grenadines: Tall tales and windswept shores’
City AM ~ July 2023 - Angelina Villa-Clarke
The hotel is as barefoot and laid-back as its homeland. At night, you fall asleep to the soundtrack of the waves crashing on the beach. Colonial-style four-poster beds are dressed with bedspreads stamped with mini pineapples, your bedside lamp is a kitsch ceramic parrot, and retro travel posters adorn the walls.
Mortstedt might describe himself as an ‘accidental hotelier’ but, somehow, things feel just right here.
Just seven miles long, there is no mass tourism on Bequia, no large resorts or noisy tourist towns. Instead – offering the very essence of slow travel – its unfussy charm is found in driftwood-strewn beaches and frangipani-framed chattel houses. Down by the waterfront in the harbour, rastas sell guava and mangos and Beresford Hammond’s two-step reggae is on a loop. Ferries dock here, bringing workers, and a handful of tourists, from neighbouring islands. This is as busy as it gets.
‘A Glorious Destination for a 'Stealth Wealth' Escape’
Luxury Travel Magazine ~ May 2023
The new money trend aims for the Ibiza and Amalfi Coast scenes for the ultimate vacation, where the only choice is to go big and go home. Whereas the world of "quiet luxury" has a more refined mindset that prefers immersive vacations in destinations that venture on "if you know then you know" territory, where one may have to do a quick Google search to locate on the map.
Enter the hidden island of Bequia. Known as the Caribbean's best kept secret, this island offers just the right amount of seclusion, where one can go to not be seen, and feel like they're on a private island upon landing. A labor of love built by entrepreneur Bengt Mortstedt, Bequia Beach Hotel is a family-owned resort that exudes barefoot luxury and an authentic, unspoiled Caribbean experience.
For a true private getaway from arrival to departure, reserve a seat at Bequia Air owned by Bequia Beach Hotel. Stay at Bequia Beach Hotel, renowned for its ambience and vintage island style, or its recently launched brand-new luxury villa collection adjacent to the main property, Grenadine Hills, to indulge in a sophisticated retreat in a classic getaway.
‘These unsung Caribbean beaches are stictly for the in-the-know’
New York Post ~ March 2023 - Mark Ellwood
Enjoy old school Caribbean in Bequia... Like Canouan and Mustique, this is one of the Grenadines, but beers-and-barefoot Bequia (say it BECK-way) couldn’t be more different than its polished sister islands.
Bring a crew and stay at one of the brand new villas at the Bequia Beach Hotel offshoot, Grenadine Hills — the latest, Rock Villa, opens soon with its own ocean-fed saltwater swimming pool. Hang out for the day on the golden sands of Princess Margaret Beach — she made a trip there once when staying on Mustique — and try the Gibbon’s Rum Punch at Jack’s Beach Bar there.
Daily Mail ~ February 2023 - Nick Redman
The turbo-prop banks through pink clouds, revealing the island below: bottle-green hills, thumbnail crescents of sand, jade Caribbean shallows, wooden shacks and homes. And a crinkly coastline.
Bequia, half an hour by air from Barbados, is a prized dot in the archipelago nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines, which includes billionaire hideaway Canouan and celebrity magnet Mustique. When I last came, eight or so years ago, Caribbean old hands were already proclaiming Bequia (‘bek-wy’) the next big thing in the Windies. So I’m a little nervous. Has it changed? Or is it still unspoilt, unhurried and unassuming?
‘The little Caribbean island of Bequia was set to be the next big thing’
Country Life ~ February 2023 - James Fisher
It's from the top of Mount Peggy that you can see all of Bequia (pronounced 'bek-way'). She is not a large island, only seven square miles, but it's all here. A lively port centres the island and, from there, it's beaches and trees and a blissful beauty that makes you wonder why, exactly, you spend all your time sitting in an office (home or otherwise). Bengt Mortstedt wondered why in the early 2000s. He'd been to Bequia before, with his brother, both keen sailors. It was at Bequia, he thought, that he'd build his retirement home. Instead, he took on the derelict Bequia Beach Club and turned it into the five-star Bequia Beach Hotel...
‘Island Escapes’
‘An elusive slice of authentic Caribbean island life’
Luxury London ~ November 2022 - Zoe Gunn
In fact, so laidback is the vibe of this relatively undiscovered slice of the Caribbean that I immediately feel foolish for thinking this trip might require a pair of heels. Bequia is about adventurous mountain hikes followed by long ocean-side lunches and dancing barefoot on the sand until the small hours. If your idea of holiday heaven is Ibizan beach clubs and manufactured Instagram photo opportunities, this is not the place for you.
Which, I get the feeling, is just fine with Bengt. As with most great hoteliers, his relationship with Bequia is one built on decades of love for the island, and he’d much rather have guests who share his admiration.
‘Best Winter Sun Holidays’
Country & Town House ~ July 2022
Out of all the Caribbean islands, Bequia is the laid-back cooler counterpart to its famous sister, Mustique. Bequia Beach Hotel is the understood go-to place on the isle. Throngs of tropical palms, papaya and almond trees line Friendship Bay Beach, where the hotel’s suites and cottages are nestled in. If you manage to prise yourself off the sun loungers: make use of the hotel’s own luxury superyacht available for private charters. Why not also take a complimentary visit to Princess Margaret Beach and spend the day grazing at the infamous bohemian ‘Jack’s Bar’.
‘Fly society: the most glamorous way to escape’
Tatler ~ April 2022
At the very top end of the spectrum, some elite hotel brands and luxury tour operators are flying their own branded private jets too – curating everything from island-hopping jaunts to once-in-a-lifetime multi-destination adventures. Bequia Beach Hotel in the Caribbean, for instance, is operating a private-jet service to bring safety-conscious guests to their idyllic outpost, while in colder climes, the illustrious Badrutt’s Palace in St Moritz has its own PJ to whisk guests to the slopes.
‘Bequia, the hidden paradise of the Caribbean’
The Standard ~ Jan 2022
Bequia Beach Hotel is about as developed as the island gets. Spread across 10 acres running along the crescent-shaped Friendship Bay beach, the hotel consists of cute cottages dotted around manicured gardens and three floors of suites overlooking the rolling waves. From its picket-fence entrance to its clubhouse reception, the place has bags of old-style charm. The hotel’s cheerful Swedish owner Bengt Mortstedt, who whizzes around waving from his Moke.
‘Brilliant Beaches, Bequia Beach Hotel’
Conde Nast Traveller ~ September 2021
Bequia is one of the Caribbean’s most unspoilt and secluded islands, and this elegant hotel is the ideal place to soak up the vibe. Framed y verdant hills and its own white beach, and just steps away from the sparkling turquoise sea, the hotel offers a wide choice of luxury rooms, suites, villas and cottages with private pools and terraces, plus three restaurants serving up tasty Caribbean and Italian dishes. When you’re not sipping cocktails at Jack’s Beach Bar - famed for its location on one of the Caribbean’s best beaches - you’lll be enjoying a massage in the tranquil spa or cruising the Grenadines on the hotel’s very own superyacht. And with a kids; club providing everything from outdoor games to baking, little ones will be in their element, too.
‘Dreaming of Bequia during lockdown’
Daily Mail ~ Jan 2021 - Mark Palmer
The posh place to stay is Bequia Beach Hotel on Friendship Bay, where a Swedish lawyer, Bengt Mortstedt, let his heart rule his head a few years ago and built a 60-room resort that most people at the time thought was an act of folly. It has worked out just fine. Before lunch, I’ll take a dip on Princess Margaret Beach, possibly the best beach in the Caribbean.
There’s a gentle breeze wherever you go on Bequia. I can feel it now as I write this and look out the window at grey skies, the temperature just above freezing.
One day, please, have me back, Bequia.
‘Future Perfect’
OutThere ~ December 2020 - Uwern Wong
Bequia has been a favourite for years among cognoscenti of the Caribbean and it's easy to see why - the guest experience at this family-run resort is nonpareil and grows organically by the day, in tune with visitor's needs and those of the planet.
It sets the scene for the kind of property BBH is - unpretentious, relaxed and a well-kept secret among people from all walks of life who want a true taste of the Caribbean.
‘A pristine Caribbean island not yet invaded’
Travel + Leisure ~ March 2020 - Maura Egan
"Interesting people end up on Bequia," Philip Mortstedt told me over lunch. His father, Bengt Mortstedt, a Swedish businessman based in London, first encountered Bequia while sailing around the Grenadines in 1992. Back then, the place reminded Bengt of "St. Bart's in the seventies" — a pristine Caribbean island not yet invaded by designer shops and oligarchs. He was smitten.
Even after the recent addition of 47 rooms, a yacht for guest charters, and a private jet to pick guests up from Barbados, the resort still has a laid-back, old-school vibe.
‘Bequia: ‘quiet island’ of the Caribbean’
Financial Times ~ February 2020 - Jan Dalley
Bequia (say: Beck-way) is, I’m told, the quiet island. Not Mustique-starry, nor mass market Barbados sceney, there is a sense of the old Caribbean — working fishing boats along the waterfront in the capital Port Elizabeth, women walking their fruit to market, neat uniformed schoolchildren, churches, goats in the road. It’s already the end of January, but the annual Christmas lights competition, tightly contested between different villages, doesn’t seem to be over.
The old-world tone is set in the reception, where a Reading Room has deep sofas, books, rattan fans gently swirling, all decorated with period leather luggage evoking a bygone era. The cabanas around the pool are jauntily coloured, with hand-hewn wooden fretwork. Rooms have high four-posters draped with filmy white mosquito curtains, quirky antique furniture and objets, old maps on the walls: Caribbean history is all around. With some 50 rooms across the whole estate, this is the largest hotel in St Vincent and the Grenadines yet still feels homey and it’s full of entertaining touches. At the bottom of the outside stair leading up to my room, a soft brush hangs on a peg — for dusting the sand off your toes.
‘A tiny Caribbean paradise with golden beaches, superb diving and party vibes’
The Telegraph ~ February 2020 - Fred Mawer
Part of the 32-island nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Bequia (pronounced Beckway) is simply one of the most delightful spots in the Caribbean you can visit on a cruise ship. Covering just seven square miles and with a population of around 5,000, the hilly and verdant S-shaped squiggle has a picturesque natural harbour, unspoiled golden-sand beaches and a wonderfully laid-back atmosphere.
‘The 50 Best Romantic Getaways’
Travel + Leisure ~ Feb 2020
Having your own private island is the epitome of a romantic getaway, and this tropical destination gets you very close. At just 7 square miles, with about 5,000 residents, there are no traffic lights, no neon signs, no chain hotels or restaurants, no golf courses, and no gated communities.
Once on the island, you can stay at Bequia Beach Hotel, a tucked-away, family-owned luxury resort.
‘The best Caribbean islands – our expert's ultimate guide’
The Telegraph ~ January 2020 - Fred Mawer
Unlike in some other parts of the Caribbean, you never feel hassled by anyone and our island is very safe. Though Bequia is tiny, it’s very cosmopolitan. The guy sitting next to you in the bar may be a billionaire, but you won’t know it because he’ll be in T-shirt and shorts.
There’s a healthy, easy-going interaction on Bequia between locals, ex-pats, land-based visitors and passing yachties. All hang out together at the bars, cafés and restaurants along the Belmont Walkway, a little waterfront strip overlooking Admiralty Bay.
‘Finding Bequia’
Miami Herlad ~ January 2020 - Carol Ann Davidson
Bequia, from the air, gleams like an emerald drop in the variegated blue and green necklace of the remote archipelago Saint Vincent and Grenadines. All seven square miles of it is home to 5,000 people of African, Scottish and Island Carib descent. It's off the beaten track just enough to stave off hordes of tourists, but idyllic enough to beckon adventurous spirits.
Enter Bengt Mortstedt, the jovial Swedish-born former lawyer, and self-proclaimed "accidental hotelier." In the early 1990s he and his family were beguiled by Bequia while on a sailing vacation through the Grenadines. "It was unspoiled, a rugged beauty," he said. While walking the milelong Friendship Beach, a few years later, he spotted a For Sale sign in front of an old, closed B&B. The rest is history. On New Year's Eve 2009 his creation, the Bequia Beach Hotel, was born on nine acres fronting the sea.
‘After decades of searching I've found the perfect Caribbean paradise’
The Telegraph ~ October 2019 - Sue Lawley
Hunting for the perfect winter hideaway is a bit like waiting for that proverbial bus. You spend years looking and then two come along together. Make no mistake – I’ve been searching in some wonderful places, from South Africa to the Great Barrier Reef, from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean.
But the question has always been “Would you go back?” and the answer has never been a wholehearted “Yes!” Then, early this year, I fell into the tropical embrace of a pair of absolute beauties.
They are a hundred miles apart in the Caribbean: one on the west coast of Barbados, the other on the little island of Bequia in the east Caribbean, one of the tiny dots which form the tail of the kite that is St Vincent and the Grenadines.
‘Beautiful and uncrowded corners of the Caribbean’
The Telegraph ~ October 2019 - Fred Mawer
Many parts of the Caribbean are developed and thoroughly discovered.
But not everywhere. Tranquil and unspoiled idylls await too. In many cases these take the form of islands to which you can’t fly direct, so involve the trouble and additional expense of a short inter-island hop on a small plane after your transatlantic flight to a main island.
For an easy-going, character-rich little getaway, this Grenadines island (seven square miles, population 5,000) excels in virtually every way. Verdant and hilly, Bequia is exceptionally pretty – Admiralty Bay, dotted with yachts, is one of the Caribbean’s most pleasing-on-the-eye natural harbours. At its rear, the villagey capital of Port Elizabeth is a friendly, hassle-free place.
Bequia Beach Hotel, the best hotel on the island, set on the peaceful Friendship Bay beach.
‘Stepping back in time on nostalgic Bequia’
The Sunday Times ~ September 2019 - Hunter Davies
I have been going to the Caribbean every year since 1986, and have stayed on more than 30 islands. But my favourite is Bequia.
Part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, it’s less than 10 miles from its sister island, Mustique. The latter is a sort of tropical Hampstead Garden Suburb, with manicured lawns and security fences, whereas Bequia is how the West Indies must have looked in the 1950s, with no mass-market attractions, just real people going about their business: mending boats, fishing and running cafes and restaurants.
‘A slice of authentic Caribbean life in Bequia’
Toronto Globe and Mail ~ September 2019 - Heather Greenwood Davis
Today, the Bequia Beach Hotel offers a vintage respite on the edge of the Atlantic in Friendship Bay where mainly repeat, in-the-know clientele tuck in for a week or more at a time. Mortstedt is very much a part of the place, though you'd be hard· pressed to pick him out from the guests - a mix of Europeans, Canadians and Americans - relaxing on the outdoor breakfast veranda. That kind of interaction is par for the course on the island. There's nowhere, outside of churchgoers on Sunday, where I see anyone dressed in anything fancier than a collared T-shirt and pressed shorts, and most of those are tourists.
But the island offers more than a chance for casual days. Because tourism has yet to completely overthrow all the local industries, they continue to thrive. At market stalls in town you'll find handmade caftans and tunics from the local ladies at Bequia Threadworks - a social enterprise that launched last year. fruit stand sellers chat easily among themselves and only stop to throw a compliment or two your way.
In the end, I never manage to accept the nightclub invitation, opting to sway to the beach rhythms instead. At night, I fall asleep with balcony doors open, the sound of the waves crashing against the beach and the feeling that I've secured my own piece of paradise far from the madding crowds.
‘A Beginner’s Guide to Bequia’
Islands ~ August 2019 - Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
“There are no secrets on Bequia,” I was warned by a local my first evening on island, as she referred to the “coconut telegraph” of gossip that runs rampant through its ruggedly beautiful seven square-miles. However, the second largest of 32 Grenadines itself remains one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets, known centuries ago for its whaling and boat-building traditions but today falling largely beyond the well-worn tourist path.
But Bequia’s anonymity has its advantages. On an island where there’s no traffic or daily newspaper, no casinos or mega-resorts, you feel almost like a pioneer in Paradise, a welcome visitor to a destination that’s remote enough to be truly relaxing yet offers so much to do. It only took a four-day visit for me to fall in love with one of my now favorite islands, and, if you go, I’m confident you’ll be equally smitten.
‘The Best Hotels in the Caribbean’
Country & Townhouse ~ July 2019 - Sue Lawley
Go now, before it gets much busier, and when you do stay at the Bequia Beach Hotel. Standing at the water’s edge on Friendship Bay – surely one of the finest beaches in the West Indies – it’s the vision of a Swedish businessman with a relentless attention to detail and its spacious beachfront suites, garden cottages, classic rooms and smart villas are all furnished with great taste – colonial refinement meets Thirties chic.
The whole place exudes the unhurried, friendly charm that is Bequia’s hallmark. Kick off your shoes and order a cocktail. After a few days you’ll have forgotten how to live in any other way.
