LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
DEPARTURES
ALMOST ALL
TO YOURSELF
On 380 acres along Anguilla’s Rendezvous Bay, Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club combines extraordinary privacy with golf, sailing, hydroponic gardens, destination dining and enough diversions for every generation, without ever losing the delicious feeling that the island might just belong to you.
REBECCA ETORIA
Anguilla begins showing off before the plane even lands.
From the air, the island appears suspended in shades of blue that become more improbable the closer you get to them. White beaches curve along the coastline, sailboats look like toys below, and the Caribbean stretches so cleanly toward the horizon that for several minutes I simply stared out the window wondering why anyone fortunate enough to live here would ever leave.
Touching down at Princess Juliana International Airport was equally painless. A short walk from the tarmac, a quick stop with immigration and, seemingly within minutes, I was on my way. The drive to Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club takes only a few minutes, but somewhere along the route the airport already begins to feel distant.
The first glimpse of Aurora is striking. Whitewashed buildings with carefully placed domes emerge through lush tropical gardens, their Mediterranean lines softened by palms, flowering greenery and the unmistakable light of the Caribbean. The architecture is elegant, but the arrival has been designed so that the buildings never become the main event. That role belongs to Rendezvous Bay.
The open-air lobby frames the reveal beautifully. A procession of arches draws your gaze across reflecting water, palm trees, crisp white buildings and elegant loungers until eventually there is nothing left to look at except the sea. Check-in happens casually at a lounge table rather than across an imposing reception desk. A chilled lemongrass-and-ginger drink appeared in my hand, staff greeted me with smiles wide enough to make it clear they were genuinely happy I had arrived, and somehow they already knew my name and preferences.
I later learned that the ingredients in that welcome drink came from Aurora’s hydroponic farm. At the time, I was mostly wondering how quickly I could get closer to the beach.
Aurora is owned by Best Buy founder Richard “Dick” Schulze, whose involvement in the resort was one of the things that had piqued my curiosity before the trip. His interest in how the property actually operates, rather than simply owning a Caribbean resort from afar, can be felt in the details. This is a substantial property, yet service rarely feels institutional.
A golf cart carried me through the grounds toward my beachfront accommodations on Rendezvous Bay, where another small miracle had occurred: my luggage was already waiting. I hadn’t seen it since Scottsdale. Anyone who travels frequently understands how quickly that sort of thing earns goodwill.
My suite was spacious and serene, stocked with thoughtful welcome gifts that included sandals, a tote and delicate treats made on property. The bellman gave me a tour, but my attention kept drifting toward the sliding glass doors. Just beyond the covered terrace, perhaps 20 steps away, was the beach. Coconut palms moved gently in the breeze. A sailboat crossed the horizon. I could hear almost nothing.
Peace like that should be bottled. Someone would make a fortune.
I could have stayed exactly where I was, but it was Thursday, and I had been told not to miss the lobster barbecue at C Level. I am very glad I listened.
The spread was generous enough to render discipline useless: lobster, fish, Johnny cakes, soup, paella, Anguillan pigeon peas and rice, and more dishes than I could reasonably sample. I tried anyway. Then came my discovery of the evening, crayfish. Not crawfish. Crayfish. By that point I had already eaten enough to know better, but vacation rules prevailed, and I went back for more.
Dinner unfolded directly beside the beach while a live band moved easily through a sound somewhere between Sade and Billy Ocean. A large group nearby had returned from Carnival festivities. Some guests ate with their feet almost in the sand; others gathered on the deck. Families roasted s’mores around a fire beneath the moon.
On the beach, a young girl practiced contemporary dance moves while what appeared to be her little brother repeatedly attempted to capture the Caribbean in a cup. Their mother watched nearby. The waves rolled in, the temperature had softened, and everyone seemed exactly where they wanted to be.
That scene stayed with me more than any carefully planned entertainment could have.
EVERYONE GETS A VACATION
Aurora is not an all-inclusive resort, nor does it need to be. Its appeal is the freedom to construct precisely the kind of Caribbean vacation you want, including the occasional day when you construct nothing at all.
Rendezvous Bay is the sort of beach that can make ambition seem slightly foolish. The sand is powder-soft, the water shifts endlessly between turquoise and blue, and St. Marteen sits on the horizon as if someone placed it there simply to improve the composition. A perfectly productive day might consist of swimming, reading, ordering lunch, falling asleep beneath an umbrella, waking up, deciding whether another fruity drink is necessary and repeating the process.
If that sounds too relaxed, Hobie Cats, paddleboards and kayaks wait nearby.
I knew perfectly well there were other guests at the resort, yet there were long periods when I could barely see them. That is an impressive achievement on a property covering approximately 380 acres and offering everything from beachfront accommodations and multi-bedroom villas to golf, spa, restaurants and a full entertainment complex.
That discretion helps explain another part of Anguilla’s appeal. There were recognizable people on the island during my stay, and no, I am not telling you who. The atmosphere reminded me of New York in the 1990s, when you might spot a celebrity at the next table, offer a knowing nod and continue eating dinner. No rush for the selfie. No spectacle. Everybody gets to enjoy their evening.
I saw Aurora’s multigenerational appeal almost accidentally after striking up a conversation with two ladies from Kentucky in the lazy river. Later, I spotted them at dinner and discovered the rest of the family, roughly a dozen people spanning generations, with the youngest around 12.
Suddenly the size of Aurora made perfect sense.
One person can spend the morning playing golf. Another can disappear into Sorana Spa. Children can head toward the waterpark. Teenagers have places of their own. Someone else can remain firmly attached to a beach chair. Everyone reconvenes for dinner having had an entirely different vacation.
The Entertainment Park is where this becomes most obvious. Its aquatic area is enormous, with a lagoon-style pool, 1,400-foot lazy river, waterslides, splash areas, a swim-up bar and cabanas. Around it are tennis and pickleball courts, basketball, sand volleyball, bocce, mini golf and a climbing wall.
The Kids Club deserves particular mention because calling it a kids club feels somewhat inadequate. It has the polish of a private club for Aurora’s smallest members, complete with organized games, arts and crafts and scheduled activities. Older children have a Teen Center with pool, table tennis, air hockey, foosball, a jukebox and gaming areas.
For parents, the important amenity may simply be time: lunch without negotiations, a massage, or two quiet hours at the pool during which nobody asks where their goggles are.
When evening arrives, the resort’s amphitheater keeps the energy going with performances and movies beneath the stars, with St. Marteen floating in the distance. It is a remarkable amount of recreation for one resort, yet because everything is dispersed across the property, it never feels overwhelming.
ANGUILLA FROM THE WATER
One of the best decisions of the trip was allowing Aurora’s VIP concierge to arrange a day at sea.
After a short drive to the marina, the sort of scenic drive that encourages dangerous fantasies about moving to the island, a dinghy carried us to Freedom, a custom 2022 Lagoon 42 sailing catamaran operated by Renegades Luxury Charter.
Captain and co-founder Andre, who has navigated waters from Germany to California, was at the helm, while head steward Diane made it immediately clear that we would not be suffering from hunger or thirst.
Our destination was Little Bay, a protected cove tucked between dramatic cliffs with a sliver of silver-white beach at their base. Traffic amounted to perhaps one or two yachts dropping in to admire the view. The water was warm enough to remove any hesitation about jumping in.
Freedom came prepared for people who cannot sit still: SEABOBs, paddleboards, floating mats and other toys waited on deck. For those of us perfectly capable of sitting still, there were beanbags on the trampoline, shaded lounge areas and a light-filled salon surrounded by panoramic windows.
There was also a chessboard facing the sea, which struck me as a particularly civilized touch.
The afternoon required almost no planning. We swam beneath the cliffs, stretched out on floating mats and climbed aboard for lunch before deciding whether we were ready to do anything again. Someone could race around on a SEABOB while someone else remained completely motionless beneath the sun, and both appeared to be making equally good decisions.
Andre and Diane kept food and cocktails coming without ever interrupting the rhythm of the day. By the time we headed back, I wasn’t entirely sure whether Little Bay or Freedom had been the destination. That is probably the highest compliment I can give a day at sea.
WHERE THE GARDEN MEETS THE TABLE
I am a gardener, so Aurora’s hydroponic farm interested me far more than I expected.
Rows of eggplant, tomatoes, lettuce and other produce grow in carefully controlled systems that seem particularly ingenious on an island where traditional farming comes with obvious challenges. I was told that cultivating lettuce this way can help limit exposure to some of the soil-borne problems that trouble conventional crops. It was fascinating to see technology being used not to distance food from nature, but to make growing it locally more practical.
Then I spotted something much more familiar. Soursop. As the child of Jamaican and Cuban parents, this was not some newly discovered superfruit for me. Soursop was part of childhood. Long before wellness circles began talking excitedly about its potential, it was simply something we knew, ate and drank.
Seeing it growing at Aurora felt unexpectedly personal. When it is in season, guests may find it incorporated into dishes and drinks around the property. There is something satisfying about encountering a flavor from childhood thousands of miles from home and realizing that, in this part of the Caribbean, it never needed rediscovering in the first place.
The farm’s work has roots in the legacy of hydroponics pioneer Dr. Howard Resh, while Rohan Maynard now helps carry that knowledge forward. Hearing how Rohan remains connected to his former mentor made the operation feel less like a resort attraction and more like knowledge being handed from one generation to the next.
Guests can tour the growing systems and participate in culinary experiences, but the farm makes its strongest argument at the table.
Breakfast at Chef’s Table became one of those island rituals worth lingering over. Fresh-pressed juices, Champagne, warm pastries and tropical fruit arrive in an open-air setting where palms move with the morning breeze. The brioche French toast is particularly dangerous: thick golden slices of buttery bread topped with berries and tropical fruit, indulgent enough to feel like vacation without requiring an apology.
I remained at the table longer than necessary. That happened frequently.
Tokyo Bay was perhaps the biggest culinary surprise. From outside, there is no mistaking that you are still in the Caribbean. Inside, the atmosphere shifts dramatically toward Japan. Sushi, sashimi, premium steaks and teppanyaki share the menu, accompanied by produce from Aurora’s own gardens and ingredients sourced from around the world.
I am not casual about sushi. This was some of the best I have had.
The homemade soy sauce alone tells you the kitchen is taking things seriously, while the Ultimate Fried Rice abandons all restraint with braised short rib, chicken, pork belly and shrimp. The teppanyaki experience adds theater without sacrificing quality, with chefs preparing dishes that might include local lobster, Hokkaido scallops and filet mignon over the grill.
D Richard’s offered a completely different evening. Set within Aurora’s golf clubhouse and overlooking the Greg Norman-designed International Course, it is Anguilla’s only steakhouse, which makes it a destination even for guests who have no intention of picking up a club.
The atmosphere is polished but comfortable, with the feel of a private club and views that keep reminding you exactly where you are. The menu leans into the pleasures of a classic steak dinner, with prime cuts, chops, seafood and the sort of accompaniments that encourage a good bottle of wine and absolutely no plans afterward.
My choice was the Steak Diane. I rarely encounter it anymore, and I could not resist ordering it here. Rich, savory and unapologetically old-school, it was exactly what I wanted.
There is something wonderfully unexpected about finding this kind of steakhouse on a Caribbean island. After lobster, crayfish, sushi and tropical flavors, D Richard’s changes the pace. Outside, palms move in the evening breeze and the golf course stretches into the distance. Inside, the mood could belong to a favorite club in New York or Chicago, right up until you look through the windows and remember that you are very much in Anguilla.
I do, in fact, pick up golf clubs. I am simply not yet very good at what happens afterward.
That made my session with PGA Professional Richard Phillips equal parts exciting and educational. Richard had his work cut out for him. We began indoors with the simulator, moved through choosing the correct club for my height, adjusted my grip and eventually worked on my short game before taking things outside.
THE CARIBBEAN BREEZE
HAD OPINIONS.
Wind feels romantic when it is moving through palm trees beside your beach chair. When you are a beginner golfer trying to execute what your instructor explained approximately 30 seconds earlier, it becomes another variable entirely. Still, there are far worse places to miss a shot.
Aurora is home to Anguilla’s only golf courses: the Greg Norman-designed 18-hole International Course and the nine-hole Avalon Links. The fairways roll through beautifully maintained terrain with views that make it difficult to remain irritated at your score.
There were no crowds, either. I could settle in at the driving range, listen to Richard, reset my grip and try again without feeling that anyone behind me was silently questioning my life choices. Beginner golf in paradise has its advantages. The pro shop does too, particularly for anyone who considers shopping an important part of athletic improvement.
After golf, pickleball, or a long day doing absolutely nothing, Sorana Spa provides the appropriate counterbalance. Whether the issue is muscles made aware of their existence after a morning of swinging or simply skin in need of enough glow for dinner, the emphasis is restoration without abandoning the easygoing character of the resort.
Aurora’s relationship with the island extends beyond what guests see on the plate or from a treatment room. The property produces its drinking and utility water on-site through reverse-osmosis desalination, an important piece of infrastructure in a place where water is precious. Schulze’s involvement also reaches into the wider community through initiatives that include providing hot meals to local schoolchildren and creating opportunities for young Anguillans to gain experience at the resort.
Those efforts made more sense to me after seeing the farm. Aurora’s relationship with Anguilla is not confined to the edges of Rendezvous Bay; it reaches into how food is grown, how resources are managed and how local talent becomes part of the property’s future.
THE ART OF BEING THERE
WITHOUT BEING SEEN
By the end of my stay, what impressed me most about Aurora was how rarely I had to think about the mechanics of being there. My luggage appeared before I did. Staff remembered my name. A drink arrived when I needed one. Turndown happened while I was elsewhere. The beach remained immaculate. Transportation materialized without drama. Someone always seemed to know what I might need, yet I rarely noticed anyone arranging it. Good service can be conspicuous. Great service often disappears.
There were afternoons when I knew hundreds of acres of resort life were unfolding around me. Golfers were on the course, families were circling the lazy river, chefs were harvesting herbs, children were scaling the climbing wall, couples were heading to the spa. Yet from my chair on Rendezvous Bay I could see little more than sand, palms and water. For a few minutes, I genuinely felt as though Anguilla had been reserved for me.
I resisted the urge to ask whether that was included in the resort fee.
Aurora offers enough to fill every hour of a week without making anyone feel obligated to do so. A family of 12 can each disappear in a different direction. A couple can hide away by the sea. A golfer can spend the morning chasing a better swing. Someone else can board a catamaran and lose an afternoon in Little Bay. Or you can simply sit beneath a coconut palm listening to the waves and wondering again whether it might be possible to move here.
I never did answer that question. But I did start looking at Anguilla differently. And sometimes, that is how these things begin.
PLAN YOUR STAY:
Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club sits on 380 acres along Rendezvous Bay, with beachfront suites, multi-bedroom villas and estates, Anguilla’s only golf courses, Sorana Spa, a hydroponic farm, destination dining, an expansive Entertainment Park and direct access to one of the island’s
most beautiful beaches.
For reservations and additional information, visit
www.auroraanguilla.com.
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