The Owners of #1 Hotel in the Country on TripAdvisor Have a New Must-Visit Resort

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Tucked just a 10-minute boat ride from St. John and St. Thomas sits a U.S. Virgin Island you’ve likely never heard of. But soon, the tiny oasis that is Lovango just might just top your post-COVID travel wish list. That’s because the proprietors of the #1 Hotel in World on TripAdvisor are now the proud owners of half of Lovango.

Recently, the Boston Globe reported on this new business venture from Mark and Gwenn Snider. The hoteliers are well known within the hospitality community thanks to the Nantucket Hotel, which has become a go-to New England spot for beach lovers and Instagrammers alike. That’s clear thanks to its top TripAdvisor rating. However, the achievement is made even more impressive when one considers that when the Sniders purchased the preexisting business almost a decade ago, it was in a decidedly shabby state.

Regardless, a Caribbean outpost—and one that functions as a resort and beach club to boot—is certainly a bit outside the typical wheelhouse of the Massachusetts-based duo. (In addition to the Nantucket Hotel, the Sniders own and operate the Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard.) But as the couple makes clear, they’re bullish when it comes to the potential of this new venture.

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“There are many beautiful, big properties in the Caribbean,” Mark Snider commented to the Globe. “But they come in and bulldoze everything and the end result doesn’t reflect the location. It could be anywhere in the Caribbean. The mission here is to honor the island and to have a location that is sensitive to the topography and the vegetation. Something that fits right into the island. So it’s a little different strategy. And I think we found the right place for it.”

Once vaccines have been more fully distributed, the Sniders hope to be further along on their expansion plans, which include the construction of a glamping site. (Despite these efforts, much of the island, which as of now has just three full-time residents, will still remain in pristine natural shape.) What is more, the Lovango Resort and Beach Club is poised to provide more year-round employment opportunities for those looking to work during both the peak New England and Caribbean holiday seasons. And of course, it’s set to offer another top vacation location for those eager to travel.

When asked by AD about the aesthetic sensibilities of their properties, the couple commented: “We always strive for authenticity. New England recalls so many iconic coastal images for people. At the Winnetu and Nantucket Hotel, there is blue and white, but not in the expected ways. In the Caribbean, [we’re including] nods to the rich woods and bright colors associated with the islands, but in more modern ways. We seek to be timeless.”

Outdoor restaurant seating by the dock.

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