Q. Where in the world are you from?
A. I was born in Worcestershire and lived there until I was 18 years old when I moved to London. Other than two years in the Caribbean working on ships in my younger days I have spent most of my working career in London.
Q. Where have you worked before joining the team at Carlisle Bay?
A. I started my hotel career with Rock Resorts opening their property Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire before moving to the Savoy Group, where I spent five years, finishing as the Director of Rooms at the Berkeley Hotel in Knightsbridge. I then joined COMO Hotels and Resorts and headed up the two London hotels for over seventeen years. When the owners of Carlisle Bay approached me it was too good an opportunity to turn down and I moved to Antigua in May this year to start the new adventure.
Q. How have you found living and settling into Antiguan life?
A. It is certainly very different from the last twenty-four years commuting into central London! Antigua is an amazing country with truly friendly and welcoming people, which has made my move that much easier. In my first few months I have been staying within the resort and to wake up yards away from the most beautiful hotel beach on the island is a wonderful experience. It is a real pleasure to be back on the Bay!
Q. What has been your favourite discovery about Antigua so far?
A. My wife and I visited Antigua 24 years ago and found what we felt was the most beautiful bay on the island. That bay is now where Carlisle Bay is located, so this is more like a homecoming for me. The south of the island is very much unchanged since our last visit and the drive through the tropical rainforest as beautiful as ever.
Q. Where do you love to escape to when you get time off?
A. As a child, my family took me to Salcombe in South Devon and I have been returning every year of my life. Both my boys have developed a love for the place and continue to join us there each year. We all love to ski and have spent many happy winter vacations in France. Now being closer we hope to experience the great skiing to be had in both Canada and the USA.
Q. If you brought a friend to the hotel, what dish would you recommend?
A. A very difficult question, as Carlisle Bay has four fantastic restaurants supported by a wonderful team of chefs creating amazing food. However, if you have room left for a dessert in our Indigo on the Beach restaurant then the Antiguan bread pudding is something you have to experience!
