A TROPICAL GETAWAY TO THE PLAYA GRANDE BEACH CLUB
Photo courtesy of Playa Grande
The view of the compound, which centers around a grass-edged pool surrounded by airy white lattice cabanas
Photos courtesy of Architectural Digest
The 1950's and 60's saw the creation of resort communities started by captains of industry on remote tropical islands in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Jamaica and beyond, providing a chic respite from cold winters in places like London and New York. The golden age of resorts has influenced a new crop of island outpost compounds, and a slew of new developments are underway. Inside the pages of the new Architectural Digest, the Celerie Kemble-designed Dominican Republic paradise The Playa Grande Beach Club, feels like just the sort of resort I'd like to visit to get away from these winter blues. Spring has arrived, but a tropical getaway could be just the thing to shake off one of the worst winters on record. The resort, located on the island's North Coast is just manicured enough, developed in a verdant area that retains the remote island feel surrounded lush rainforest greenery. Reminiscent of the heyday resort from days past with a more relaxed air, the enclave is a fresh take on an old classic. An escape awaits guests who stay in bungalows, and relax the club house, pool and cabanas right at the edge of the clear blue Atlantic Ocean waterfront.
The great room of the club house has french doors on all sides to take advantage of the ocean breezes. The space has been designed with a lighthearted whimsical style, filled with vintage finds that are 1950's resort mixed with curlicued metalwork, wicker and lattice pieces. Dominican Colonial architecture with cut-out details enhances the charm of the buildings with a playful lightness.
The sitting room in the clubhouse mixes pattern tile floors, printed upholstery and frilly metalwork for a fantastical feel. Guests stay in bungalows which dot the property, and gather in the main clubhouse to hang out. Palm Beach-y touches add a prep familiarity.
The sitting room in Casa Guava, Kemble's family home on the property, filled with crisp white and mint green with pops of tropical accents
Guests can enjoy meals on a terrace of th clubhouse, overlooking the pool and ocean. The fact that the resort was designed by an interior designer who specializes in comfortable residential interiors with a fun traditional aesthetic is not lost here-- note the woven Peacock Fan Chairs.