1 minute read
Des tina tion
from WelSpotted
ContentCreator note: our own SHARLENE BREAKEY recently resorted (Look! We made up a chic new word) at Palm Heights and were so taken with it, we asked her to submit a field report—because #attentionmustbe paid with proper credit to those who swooned!
This new little hotel on Grand Cayman is so quietly, comfortably fabulous, when we were whisked away here, we hardly knew whether to shout #OMG or whisper #attentionmustbepaid. Palm Heights was opened in 2019 by Gabriella Kahlil, a designer looking to recapture the laid-back, glamorous soul of a ’70s Caribbean estate. It’s no surprise her success is in the details. The fifty suites are full of thoughtful amenities like a well-stocked detox/retox bar (so you can wake to a fresh brewed pour-over after ending the day sipping the good stuff). A straw bag and towel hang by the door, making it easy to slide out to your happy place—a private stretch of sand and sea where marigold beach umbrellas bloom in the sun. Everything is a feast for the eyes—even the servers, whose Emily Bode outfits make you wish you were wearing one. But for all the understated luxury, it’s the unique focus on culture that demands #OMG. There are books everywhere, and we’re not talking beach reads. The Art of Drag, Margeila the Hermes Years, Andy Warhol Polaroids—the estate has amassed a mind-boggling collection, called libraryfetishdotcom, of art, design, and photography titles. In the guest lounge and elsewhere, they complement an impeccable display of furniture and objets d’art that include vintage Mario Bellini sofas and Ingo Maurer fans sourced from far flung places like Paris flea markets and Mexico City and L.A. Yet the thoroughly modern Palm Heights is in no way stuck in the past. Going out of its way to foster the current generation of creators, the hotel’s Estate Residency Program offers stays to those who want to explore some aspect of Caribbean culture, and their work is woven into guests’ day to day. Translation: there is always something cool going on. Collabs also include wellness, so, yes, there’s a spa and spectacular gym, but also classes run by guest hosts (like the trainers from The Ness). All of which explains why Palm Heights has already been proclaimed “the best” by Vogue and CN Traveler and become the darling destination of media/design/creative types. Somebody, please, whisk us away again…
