Hotels
a place where the rich and famous can be both private and casual
Portrait by Tony McQuilkin...Bernado Bertucci and Wendy Potter owners of La Luna
Laluna
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f your avocation is stargazing (not the astronomical, but the Hollywood kind), Laluna is the place to be. Supermodels Kate Moss and Jerry Hall have been guests as have former Eurythmics band member Dave Stuart and fashion queen Donatel la Versace.. In fact. the place has such cachet that superstar Madonna is rumored to have considered a visit, and uber-trendy Gotham magazine advised its readers to “forget St. Barts and Pink Sands.” LaLuna has taken their place. If it indeed is the place to be, the catch is that not many can be there. The resort and spa offers only 16 accommodations, each a one or two-bedroom cottage, nestled into a cove on the southwest shoreline of Grenada. Each has its own plunge pool, Balinese furniture and décor, and a spectacular view of the iridescent sea. Maximum capacity is just 32 guests, each and every one pampered in ultimate luxury … right down to complimentary Hortus Fratus brand personal care products placed in the semi-open air bathrooms. Don’t look for the brand at your local retail outlet. They’re manufactured only in a monastery in the
Italian Alps. If this all sounds like a fashion magazine spread come to life, there’s good reason. The founders and owners of Laluna are Bernardo Bertucci and his wife, Wendy Potter. Italian-born Bertucci was for years a power in the international fashion world, an advisor to Prada, Armani, Cavali, Dolce and Gabbana. Then, in 1999, he decided the high stress world of “one day you’re in, the next day you’re out” was something from which he wanted out. “I was at the point where I had the courage to leave my past life,” he says. Where he went was to the Caribbean, seeking a beachfront retreat. “I didn’t know the difference between Grenada and the other islands,” he recalls. But when a realtor showed him the current site of Laluna, Bertucci says, “I knew this was the place.” The fact that he had no experience as a hotelier was no obstacle to Bertucci. “We traveled a lot. We saw beautiful places,” he says. “I did this from what I like.” His concept was ultra-high end, private and very exclusive, as far from the traditional model as Bertucci could take it. “I get upset when they call it Laluna Hotel,” he says. “It’s not a hotel. It’s a place to feel at home like our guests.” To deliver on the concept, among those Bertucci
called on was Gabriella Giuntoli, an architect who had built houses for Georgio Armani. The result was as unusual in construction as in concept. Giuntoli specified use of a “ancient Mediterranean formula in which specially treated cement is impregnated with pigments of inviting colors,” according to Laluna’s website www.laluna.com. “The cement gives the property smooth sensuous curves and cool interiors.” No expense was spared to create the look the creators wanted. They even had 30,000 pounds of special elephant grass shipped in from Vietnam to create the thatched roofs on the open-air restaurant. The resort’s executive and celebrity clientele has seemed suitably impressed. Even at rates from $775 to $1550 a night, occupancy hovers around 60 percent in a recessionary economy. And though Laluna has only been open nine years, some guests have returned 10 times. Bertucci and Potter are hands-on owners. Wendy does the graphic design and works with the lush landscaping. Bertucci jokingly describes his role as “I sign the checques.” The pair are quick to compliment their staff, however, which is all Grenadian except for an Italian chef. Bertucci trains them, urging them to interact casually with guests. “Be yourself, talk to guests by name,” he tells them, adding, “at first they are shy, but they learn informality.” Once hired, they stay a long time. Like LaSource, Laluna helps guests adhere to a regimen of health and wellness. In addition to Hobie Cat and kayak rental, mountain biking, snorkeling and other activities, the resort has a fitness room, and a spa and yoga center. And Laluna has further shown commitment to a fit lifestyle by being a founding member of the Grenada Wellness Association. The resort contributes to Grenada in other ways as well, including paying a high duty on imported foods and wines, and an eight percent tax on accommodations. Laluna’s future development has already begun. The current resort only occupies about three acres of its total 25 acre parcel. Bertucci has begun to build customer-owned private villas on the rest. Five have been erected, with a total of 25 planned. But even when fully developed, Laluna will still be one of the most exclusive venues on the island, a place where the rich and famous can be both private and casual. “Our typical guest knows what they want,” says Bertucci. “They are sophisticated, but not pretentious … like us.”
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www.businessgrenada.com