Island chain The Grenadines Area 50 ha Island groups Antilles, Lesser Antilles | Website Petit St. Vincent Owner G. Philip Stephenson | |
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Petit St Vincent, known locally as PSV, is an island 40 miles (64 km) south of St. Vincent in the Grenadine islands. It is the southernmost island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The entire island operates as a luxury resort, with 22 one- and two-bedroom bluff cottages and luxury villas, and has been a part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World hotel chain since July 2013.
Contents
Map of Petit Saint Vincent, St Vincent and the Grenadines
Location
Petit St Vincent is located at latitude 12.32 north and longitude 61.23 west in the southern part of the Grenadines island chain, to the north of Carriacou and Petite Martinique and south of Palm Islands and Union Island.
Geography
PSV is surrounded by two miles (3.2 km) of white sand beaches. Inland, the terrain consists of gently rolling hills and tropical woodland, amid which the resort’s accommodation is built. The highest point on the island is on Marni Hill to the northwest of the island, which is 275 feet (84 m) above sea level. The Grenadines are marginally drier and warmer than St. Vincent to the north, with the average daily temperature being between 29 and 30 °C (84 and 86 °F) all year round, due to the island chain’s proximity to the equator.
History
The island is privately owned. In 1963 Haze Richardson and Doug Terman chartered their yacht, JACINTA, to Mr. H.W. Nichols, Jr. and family. During this three-week cruise, Mr. Nichols expressed interest in purchasing an island and building a small hotel. Richardson and Terman concentrated their search on the Grenadines island chain, eventually arranging the purchase of Petit St. Vincent from a woman on Petit Martinique. The two men oversaw the construction of the resort on the behalf of Nichols, who asked Richardson to stay on as manager. Richardson accepted this offer and never left the island, becoming owner after Nichols’ death in 1985.
Richardson died in a swimming accident in Costa Rica in 2008. His wife, Lynn Richardson, continued to manage the resort until November 2010, when it was announced that the island had been sold to business partners Phil Stephenson and Robin Paterson. Stephenson invested heavily in the refurbishment of the resort, and under the management of husband and wife team Matthew and Anie Semark, the island was inducted into the portfolio of Small Luxury Hotels of the World in July 2013.