Travel / Hotels & Resorts · Dominica
Fifteen years after its beginnings on Dominica's northwest coast, Secret Bay is approaching the final stages of a development shaped by architecture, craftsmanship and the rainforest surrounding it.
On Dominica's northwest coast, Secret Bay has spent 15 years developing a particular relationship between architecture and landscape.
Its villas occupy forested hillsides and coastal promontories overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Rather than concentrating accommodation in a conventional hotel building, the resort has developed separate enclaves, using the contours of the land to establish privacy and distance.
The approach has become central to Secret Bay's identity. As the property advances its remaining development phases, it also presents an interesting question about Caribbean luxury hospitality: how does a resort expand without diminishing the landscape that made it distinctive?
A Different Approach to Growth
Secret Bay traces its origins to a villa designed by Venezuelan architect Fruto Vivas for Gregor and Sandra Nassief. The original architectural vision evolved into a resort whose development has unfolded gradually, with individual villas positioned in response to their surroundings.
Resident architect Claude Lauture has continued that approach through designs that make use of elevation, vegetation and the natural configuration of the property.
According to Secret Bay's official accommodation guide, checked on 24 October 2026, 27 villas are operating across four enclaves. Its wider master plan envisages 42 villas across six enclaves when the remaining development is finished.
For founder Gregor Nassief, the pace of development has been deliberate.
“When we started fifteen years ago, the idea was to grow slowly and with care,” he said in the resort's anniversary announcement.
The philosophy is reflected in the property's emphasis on physical separation between villas and its use of the surrounding forest as part of the guest experience.
Secret Bay says its approach to construction seeks to limit disruption to existing vegetation. The environmental results of those practices, however, require evidence beyond the resort's own descriptions.
Architecture Rooted in Place
The villas are designed to engage with Dominica's terrain rather than impose a single architectural arrangement across the property.
Their locations create different relationships with the coastline, forest canopy and surrounding hills. Elevated villas look outward across the landscape, while others sit more closely within the vegetation.
Materials contribute another layer of identity.
Guyanese Greenheart hardwood features in the construction, while Dominican Red Cedar is used in furniture produced by local craftspeople.
The latter is particularly significant. Locally produced furniture offers a tangible connection between the built environment and the people who make it.
Secret Bay's architecture is therefore not defined solely by its appearance. It also reflects decisions about materials, placement and the involvement of Dominican craftsmanship.
The Final Enclaves
The next stages of Secret Bay's development involve its Waterfront and Cliffside enclaves, which the resort identifies as under construction.
The Cliffside phase includes six proposed villas overlooking the rainforest and Caribbean Sea. Secret Bay's current development guidance places their anticipated completion in 2029.
The resort has also announced plans for two additional spas and a family pool pavilion near Coconut Beach.
These are planned additions, not facilities that should be assumed available to guests today.
Their eventual completion will bring the property closer to the 42-villa configuration described in its master plan.
For Secret Bay, the challenge is not simply completing that inventory. It is maintaining the separation, privacy and relationship with the landscape that have informed the property's development.
Beyond the Villas
The guest experience extends into dining, wellness and the natural environment.
At Zing Zing, Secret Bay's restaurant, dining is presented as part of the property's broader relationship with Dominica's ingredients and landscape.
Bwa Denn brings together culinary experiences and art, while Botanica connects the resort's food programme to its garden setting.
These spaces give the property an identity beyond private accommodation. They also create opportunities to connect the guest experience with Dominican food, craft and creative work.
For travellers considering a stay, Secret Bay offers an all-villa experience rather than a conventional hotel arrangement. Its location near Portsmouth places guests on Dominica's northwest coast, with the island's rainforest, marine environment and cultural experiences forming the wider setting.
The resort's concierge-led model allows visitors to arrange experiences beyond their accommodation, although specific activities and their availability should be confirmed when planning a stay.
What It Means to Build Carefully
Secret Bay's development has unfolded over a period long enough for the original architectural concept to be tested against the practical demands of operating and expanding a resort.
The property has added accommodation, dining and wellness facilities while continuing to describe landscape preservation and privacy as defining priorities.
Across the Caribbean, hospitality developers increasingly speak about sustainability, local materials and sensitivity to place. The more meaningful measure is the extent to which those commitments remain visible in their decisions.
At Secret Bay, the phased development, separate villa enclaves and use of Dominican craftsmanship provide concrete elements through which to examine that approach.
The remaining development will offer another test.
As Secret Bay moves toward completing its master plan, the most consequential measure may be less about the final number of villas than the relationship those buildings maintain with the land around them.
