Hermitage Plantation Inn, An Architectural Gem

The Hermitage Plantation Inn

The Hermitage Plantation is more than one of the oldest Nevis Hotels in operations, in fact more than a hotel, it is one of the oldest wooden houses in the Caribbean, and it is a home to our guests; a home with a very long tradition of welcoming guests to Nevis.

The great house was built around 1700 from the rare Nevis hardwood Lignum Vitae, the house has always been in use, as a hotel, as an artist studio, as the head quarters for the Minister of Agriculture, as a rich planter’s home, and as a poor planter’s home. Come feel the years of history and ambiance that makes the Hermitage one of the most special of the St Kitts and Nevis hotels.

Period furnishings, like antique china and oriental rugs, decorate the main house. The hotel bar is the setting for hours of conversation, tea is usually taken on one of the porches and the adjacent library allows quiet reflection, where one can meditate on how much and how little things have changed over time in Nevis. We still have the same traditions of service and hospitality, but now we listen to Bach and Puccini on an Ipod, with wireless internet access in a 300 year old house.

This hotel celebrates a style that is indigenous to Nevis; bright pastel colors, mahogany antiques, four poster beds and private verandahs, surrounded by the tropical sounds of Nevis; hear the trade winds rustle the treetops, the doves coo and the ting bellfrogs ring in the soft evenings. This charming boutique hotel slumbers at 800 feet above sea level at the base of Nevis Peak, the 3000 foot, rainforest covered mountain, with the beautiful beaches of Nevis less than a 15 minute drive away from the hotel.

Like all Nevis hotels we are proud of our uniqueness. We celebrate this history and take great pride in bringing visitors to Nevis. The Hermitage Plantation Inn is pleased to be a member of the St Kitts and Nevis Hotel and Tourism Association.

15 rooms in gingerbread cottages snuggly nestled in sheltered gardens. All uniquely decorated with antiques and furnished with comfortable canopy beds. Private porches and lazy hammocks catch the pure ocean breeze coming off the sea and down the rainforest mountain sloops. The rooms will relax you; the air will rejuvenate you…

Accommodation

The Hermitage offers four room categories; however, each room is an original, uniquely decorated, with its own ambiance and is located with its own charming view. We do not treat our guests like numbers and neither do we treat our rooms that way. Each room has its own name to represent its character; Pink House, Pasture House, Goosepen, Twin Gables, Carriage House and Stable, to mention a few.

The rooms are all furnished with four-poster canopy beds, antiques, curio pieces and knick-knacks to create an ambiance that transports you to another time. We take pride in the traditional feel that we create and our rooms do have modern amenities like hairdryers, irons, safes, refrigerators, and tea and coffee facilities.

The categories are Hillside, Deluxe, Luxury Cottages and the private villa, the Yellow Manor House

Hillside Rooms

Carriage House and Stable. Two large rooms with bath in a handsomely restored 17th century stone building with period furnishings, including canopy beds.

Deluxe Cottages

Treetops Up, Treetops Down, Tower Up, Tower Down, Twin Gables. Each of the Deluxe cottages overlook the pool and sun terrace. The cottages feature a large airy room with bath with separate dressing area as well as a private porch which features a hammock. The rooms are furnished with canopy beds and antiques.

Luxury Cottages

The Loft, Pink House, Blue House, Goosepen Cottage, Gate House, White House, and Pasture House. Charming colonial cottages with private bedroom and bath, plus separate sitting-room and kitchenettes. As with all of the rooms, the furnishings are in period style, with canopy beds and antiques. Extra guests can be accommodated on two day-beds in the sitting-rooms. Each cottage has a private porch with hammock. These rooms also have cable TV and CD players.

Manor House

Magnificent replica of a Nevis Manor House in its own private garden, with a ceramic-tiled pool. Period furnishings include canopy beds. On the ground floor is a sitting room (which can sleep four extra guests) with cable TV, dining room (with table seating for 10), full kitchen and full bath. On the upper floor there are two master bedrooms and baths with canopy beds, plus a spare bedroom. The building is completely surrounded with large porches and verandahs for relaxing and entertaining.

Dining at The Hermitage

On an island with few people and little nightlife, dining can be the social event of the day. The Hermitage cooks are unrivaled, particularly under the direction of Maureen Lupinacci and her 30 years of entertaining in the West Indies. One of their secrets is the best quality ingredients available. To be sure of the quality, most is produced on the plantation including home-reared pork and lamb. Much of the fruit comes from our own trees and the herbs from our own kitchen garden. Fresh fish, conch and lobster are obtained from our neighborly fishermen. All of the baking, ice cream, desserts, jellies and jams are homemade.

Breakfast

The day starts with Full Planters Breakfast from 8:00am to 10:30am on the verandah. The sausage is from our own piggery, the yogurt freshly made daily. Specialties include West Indian omelets, eggs any style, a variety of breakfast breads (lemon, orange, poppy seed, pumpkin, bran or corn muffins), fresh seasonal fruit, pancakes (banana, pumpkin, oatmeal), or Orangeblossom French Toast. Bacon, ham or flying fish are usually available as well as West Indian saltfish every Sunday.

Lunch

Lunch is served from Noon to 2:30pm on the Verandah or poolside. Grilled marinated chicken breast, grilled fish of the day (generally mahi mahi or red snapper), lobster, shrimp, chicken or tuna salads are offered along with regional dishes such as pumpkin soup, rotis and curried chicken salads, followed by our sorbets and ice creams and cakes.

Afternoon Tea

Served in the Great Room or tea porch. English teas or our own local teas such as lemongrass are available along with the famous Hermitage carrot cake and other specialties.

Dinner

Dinner is served a la carte, or offered table d’hôte and it is always an event at the Hermitage featuring the most amazing creations mixing our fresh local products with classic international recipes. Maureen’s menus are a constant surprise and delight.