New York swagger meets private island paradise – the HTSI property hot list

Beach beauty in Barbuda 

Eight years ago, Hurricane Irma ravaged Barbuda, causing the population of 2,000 to decamp to Antigua. The one-town Caribbean island is in the news again: following the establishment of Nobu Barbuda, a beachfront restaurant that opened in 2020, construction is well underway at Nobu Beach Inn, a 36-room hotel with 25 residences for sale, which is due to open next year. It’s the work of actor and Nobu franchise co-founder Robert De Niro who, along with his two partners, Australian billionaire investor James Packer and Daniel Shamoon, will have homes on the property. Shamoon is the co-owner of Luxury Hotel Partners, operators of Nobu Ibiza Bay and the Marbella Club.

The trio have pledged to put sustainability and community to the fore: the inn will be entirely off-grid with its own farm, and community dues and rental prices will include an optional surcharge to support the local population. Prices are expected to start from $12mn.