Pagua Bay ~ Dominica, West Indies: Before & after we graded the front property

PAGUA BAY HOUSE

Our story....... Rick & I were looking for a lifestyle change & had travelled throughout Central & South America, Bahamas & Caribbean and wanted to find a spot to build a home. We got married in St. Croix & during a drive with our taxi guy; Rick asked him, "If you could live anywhere in the Caribbean, where would you live?" The driver responded with Dominica; his daughter married a Dominican & it's the most beautiful country he has ever been too. That's what put Dominica on the map for us. (Dominica, meaning the Commonwealth of Dominica in the West Indies, situated between Guadalupe & Martinique....not Dominican Republic.) We took a scouting trip to Dominica in November of 2006 and agreed with our taxi drivers' observation & moved here 3 months later! Not only does it have amazing topography, it claims to have as many rivers & waterfalls as the number of days in the year! And the people here are amazing, friendly & helpful wherever you go. You just have to remember not to be alarmed when you see some one walking down the street with a machete/cutlass; it is not a weapon, it is what I call their 'Swiss army knife', they use it for everything! A shovel when working in their gardens, to landscaping maintenance, utensils, knife & fork included!

I always say my husband ‘tricked me’ into moving to the Caribbean; I thought I was signing up for rum punch, rivers & hiking…little did I know we would embark on such a significant project that would have us doing construction for the past 7 years! It has truly been a labor of loveJ

We started with our first restaurant; Pagua Bay Bar & Grill in 2009, in 2010 we opened our first four Cabana’s. We worked tirelessly in 2011 & 2012 to finish the next phase, including two Suites, on-site restaurant, pool, rock walls and landscaping. We officially opened with this phase of the hotel in 2013 and have reaped amazing results! With numerous awards, all of which wouldn’t have been possible without the support and feedback of our guests.

*Certificate of Excellence from Tripadvisor in 2011 & 2012 for Pagua Bay Bar & Grill *Travellers’ Choice from Tripadvisor in 2011, 2012 & 2013 for Pagua Bay House for: Trendiest – Best Service – Best Bargain *Travellers Choice’ from Tripadvisor 2014 for ‘Best Small Hotels in the Caribbean’ we were listed at #4 out of 25 *’Cheap & Chic Hotels’ in the Caribbean 2014’ from Fodor’s for rooms under $250 *’The Cool List: Caribbean Coolest Hotels’ in the Caribbean Journal#12 out of 25 *‘The Caribbean’s Best Hotels for Design’ in the Caribbean Journal #13 out of 21…this one is my favorite since my husband did all of the architecture & design.

We have treasured all of our guests and thank you for sharing your holiday and amazing pictures with us! We will continue to strive earning your praise & recognition. Tripadvisor has been an invaluable marketing tool...that's how some of you found us:) So thanks a million for taking the time to share your experiences for past & future guests to enjoy. We hope to see you again in the future!

Thanks for your friendship & support.

Alicia, Rick & the Pagua Staff

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Before & after we graded the front property

Just for comparison, here is the property before we graded, see all of the mangrove & what they call sea grapes. This completely impeded our view & we needed to clear all of the roots out, so we would be ready for the next phase.

Here is a distant view after we graded, before we started any landscaping. We are currently working on the landscaping, but it's proven to be a challenge; due to the sea blast. It's not optimal growing conditions for all plant life (salt & direct Altantic winds), so we are playing the trial by error game!