When Hurricane Irma was first sighted, Antigua appeared to be directly in the line of fire. In the event, the storm passed 40 miles to the north. This unexpected deliverance was doubtless a considerable relief to the owners and employees of Jumby Bay, a private island resort off Antigua’s north coast. Just two weeks before Irma’s arrival in the region, the property had become part of the distinguished Oetker Collection. After routine seasonal maintenance, it opened for the winter season on October 9.
Oetker’s other Caribbean resort, Eden Rock in St. Barths, was much less fortunate. There the damage was so extensive that the hotel will not receive guests until summer 2018.