This secluded THIRDHOME estate on the Platinum Coast of Barbados is known as Casablanca, and is one of the top luxury home exchange properties in the Caribbean.
When I think of the West Indies, my imagination slips into azure seas lapping baby powder sand, and lilac sunsets dusking beyond the natural curve of the earth. I think of pirates and buried treasure, and secrets hiding where an X marks the spot.
While the pirates of old have since voyaged on, there are still many treasured secrets hidden within the Antilles, including one exquisite destination known as The Platinum Coast – a prestigious strip of land on the West side of Barbados known for it’s calm waters and endless skies – a prized retreat among the well-to-do, and what was to become the newest location of our luxury home exchange with THIRDHOME.
Our plane touched down in the early afternoon, and we arrived at our private estate within 25 minutes of departing Grantley Adams International, greeted by sprawling lawns and indigenous vegetation that rustled against the northeasterly trade winds and the gleaming pearl of the property, Casablanca.
Soft and airy energy was immediately palpable with our first steps through the door, and I was stunned by the refreshing blend of white minimalism with modern colonial architecture; generously open-concept, and splashed with vibrant décor to add life throughout the space, tastefully reflecting traditional Bajan hallmarks and the complex history of Barbados.
The entire property features seven bedrooms – five in the main house, and two in the adjacent cottage. We settled into the Master suite of the main house, partly for the private patio overlooking the Sandy Lane Golf Course, and partly because the rain shower, marble bathtub, double sinks, and over-sized walk-in closet had stolen my heart, even before it skipped a beat.
After unpacking a few items and having a short rest on our luscious king bed, we made our way down to the kitchen where our private chef Martin was already waiting to usher us through the wide open kitchen (past the stocked wine bar) to a lovely table set at the edge of our infinity pool, where fresh flying fish and a pitcher of Mauby drink had been placed just moments before. We tasted our first bites of local cuisine and admired the picture-perfect yard – tranquil, private, and entirely charming – 7,800 square feet of genuine luxury estate, equally suitable for entertaining a family of many, or in our case, an ideal island getaway for two.
As we settled in over the course of the week, we took our time enjoying the comforts of Casablanca. Cool mornings were spent playing tennis on the estate’s Astroturf court, and we took advantage of our top-line gym equipment on mornings that felt too warm to play. The media room is a lounger’s dream, and comes with checkers, chess, and a library of books, as well as a flatscreen paired to AppleTV. This was our kind of lazy haven, and it became our go-to sanctuary after a slow afternoon spent melting into our private beach cabana just five minutes away.
Our only motivation to relocate from the beach, pool, or games room came from Chef Martin, whose saintly command of the kitchen and distinguished flavor pairings were the perfect way to send off each day…
…and it was this dreamy arrangement on our final evening that ultimately kindled the single most coveted memory from our luxurious stay at Casablanca, and the perfect summary of our dreamy vacation: a leisurely evening of ceviche and champagne, beneath a blushing chandelier and pastel pink sky.
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