Lacure, the luxury villa company, has launched Lacure St. Barths, which will provide clients with access to permanent on-island operations on the Caribbean island. Management says that this will provide hands-on service from pre-arrival to departure.
Lacure, based in Toronto and founded in 1979, provides villa stays in the Caribbean, Mexico, the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Canada. It’s been operating on St Barths for 20 years, will now employ a full-time local team on the island, which includes private concierges, villa management, and villa consultants. (Pictured above is the new Lacure St Barths team: Florina Cucu, Hugo Le Floch, Carina Vieira.)
We hear Lacure has also established partnerships with chefs, mixologists, yacht charter operators, wellness practitioners, and retail brands to “enable Lacure to customize each stay and provide hyper-local experiences that define St. Barths,” according to management.
The company also plans to introduce a wellness collective comprising the island’s nutritionists, personal trainers, recovery experts and chefs, so that clients can maintain their routines and wellness programs into their stay.
Lacure CEO Adam Davis tells World of Luxury that in the Caribbean (the largest market for Lacure) that there’s a clear shift toward shorter, more intentional trips over long, drawn-out vacations. And that means there’s a condensed window of time to provide highly curated, high-impact experiences for them. “That's actually pushed the bar higher for what a property and a concierge team need to deliver, because every day of that trip has to count,” he said.
Lacure saw a gap in the St. Barths market because most villa companies don't actually operate the homes or have dedicated teams on the ground to control the quality of the guest experience, said Davis.
“In a market as sophisticated as St. Barths, access to stunning accommodations isn’t enough. It was important for Lacure to establish a physical presence in St. Barths with a team that could cultivate a more ‘held’ guest experience, while also being available 24/7 via text or WhatsApp to respond to any need,” he said, noting that having such an on-ground team will enable guests to go beyond the obvious high-profile establishments on the island.
“We’re getting people to try the more local off the beaten path spots with fewer tourists,” he said. “Without a budget, you can design an entire experience tailored to you with no limitations: fancy beach clubs, you can go to Anguilla, you can have a private chef, you can go yachting, you can have fitness experiences, you can have elaborate dinners, you can go hiking,” said Davis.
Next up for a similar expansion? Anguilla. "The fundamentals there are very strong right now," Davis tells World of Luxury. "The island is seeing meaningful infrastructure investment, including a new marina and airport expansion, along with new beachfront developments like Beach Enclave. The culinary scene continues to evolve with more local-inspired cuisine and talented chefs contributing to a growing food culture. What’s even more compelling is that much of the hospitality talent comes directly from the island, which is reflected in the authenticity of the food, culture, and entertainment," he adds.