For the past 10 years, Secret Bay’s reputation for a six-star experience has evolved from being the Caribbean’s best-kept secret to being a globally renowned, award-winning resort among the media. It’s been an honour to share the quiet beauty of our lush Nature Island with the world, and in celebration of our 10th anniversary, we’re looking back at some of our resort’s greatest press hits. From our humble Travel + Leisure cover story in 2013 to topping CNN Travel’s lists in 2021, join us in reliving our top 10 press hits from the past decade.
1. CNN | February 2021
The World’s Most Breathtaking Clifftop Hotels
Back in February, CNN Travel placed Secret Bay at the top of their list in the article, “The World’s Most Breathtaking Clifftop Hotels.” The publication highlights our all-villa rainforest resort as one of the most coveted stays in the world atop a “high promontory amidst a lush rainforest and faces the sea” with panoramic ocean views.
2. Travel + Leisure | July 2020
The Best Hotel in the Caribbean Has Private Clifftop Plunge Pools and a Stunning Secret Beach
On the heels of the World’s Best Awards, Travel + Leisure spotlighted Secret Bay in an article titled, “The Best Hotel in the Caribbean Has Private Clifftop Plunge Pools and a Stunning Secret Beach,” accentuating its #1 ranking in the Caribbean and #6 ranking in the world. The publication spotlighted Secret Bay’s multifaceted appeal, writing: “Whether you opt for romance, adventure, relaxation, or all three, chances are you’ll leave Dominica with a deep understanding of why travelers call Secret Bay ‘a rare gem, truly one of a kind.’”
3. Forbes | April 2020
Dominica’s Secret Bay Is A Leader In Environmentally Regenerative Gastronomy
In 2020, Forbes profiled Secret Bay as a world leader in sustainable food tourism, detailing the all-villa six-star resort’s hyper-local ingenuity, environmentally regenerative gastronomy and Green Garden Initiative. The article reads: “As Dominica works to become the world’s first climate resilient nation through renewable energy, organic agriculture and sustainable infrastructure, Secret Bay is doing its part to innovate and support government initiatives while also creating its own sustainable ecosystem.”
4. Architectural Digest | August 2019
10 Stunning Clifftop Retreats Around the World
In the summer of 2019, Secret Bay was featured by Architectural Digest, the world’s bona fide luxury design authority, in the article “10 Stunning Clifftop Retreats Around the World.” Highlighting Secret Bay’s architectural grandeur, the write-up described our dream-like Zabuco Villa as “a sustainable masterpiece that seems to dance above the treetops…each extraordinary structure includes personal plunge pools, free-standing tubs, gourmet kitchens, and pillow hammocks.”
5. Outside | September 2017
A Treehouse Paradise on Dominica
Outside Magazine, an acclaimed outdoors publication that covers the best in travel, sports, health and fitness dedicated a coveted one-page feature in their “Base Camp” section and a subsequent digital feature to Secret Bay. Travel writer Stephanie Pearson underscored Secret Bay’s seclusion as an otherworldly coastal and rainforest getaway: “Guests feel like they’re floating above the forest canopy, enjoying 180-degree views of azure salt water and Dominica’s mountains.”
6. Robb Report | May 2017
The Tropical Resort That Is the Caribbean’s Best-Kept Secret
Luxury lifestyle publication Robb Report featured Secret Bay as the Caribbean’s most desireable and sheltered eco-luxury resort. The article highlighted the boutique hotel’s beautiful deviation from typical island destinations: “Guests are secluded in their retreats, lounging by their private pools on Guyanese timber decks and summoning the services of Secret Bay’s chefs, yogis, and massage therapists whenever desired.”
7. Vogue | April 2017
Dominica, the Caribbean’s Best-Kept Secret for Nature Lovers
In April 2017, Vogue featured Secret Bay as the “one and only” place to stay in Dominica, calling the island “The Caribbean’s Best-Kept Secret for Nature Lovers.” Writer Christina Liao lauded the magical and unexpected wonders that comprise the spectacularly atypical and active Caribbean vacation. Liao wrote: “Fall asleep to the waves crashing against the rocks and wake up to singsongy chirping and butterflies fluttering around the trees before a chef arrives to prepare your breakfast. Here, things are done a little differently.”
8. Condé Nast Traveler | March 2017
A few years ago, Condé Nast Traveler presented Secret Bay on its list of “7 Secret Island Getaways,” wherein travel writer Krisanne Fordham highlighted her most valued under-the-radar destinations, including Dominica’s array of unprecedented experiences and Secret Bay’s essential respite after a long day of adventure: “You can even snorkel through ‘champagne’ at Champagne Beach (so called because of a natural phenomenon that makes trapped volcanic air bubble up out of the seabed like champagne bubbles). Or simply post up by your private infinity pool at Secret Bay, the island’s only luxury resort.”
9. WSJ | January 2017
Going Local—and Luxe—on a Caribbean Vacation
In this special feature that graced the cover of The Wall Street Journal‘s “Off Duty” section, writer Alison Humes ventured to Dominica and took an eye-opening journey that led her to forego “fly-and-flop” vacations for true and deep life experiences instead. Alison’s evocative narrative of her experience perfectly captured the spirit of the island and all who inhabit it.
10. Travel + Leisure | November 2013
In 2013, Secret Bay brought the island of Dominica its first-ever cover of Travel + Leisure Magazine, with the full-page cover photo featuring the view from our Zabuco Villa alongside the headline “Secret Caribbean.” The dedicated 10-page lead feature declared: “Dominica finally has a world-class resort to match its stunning natural assets.” One of Secret Bay’s earliest debuts in the international press, this story granted readers a peek into the magic of clifftop living.
