Richard Branson is one of the most famous names in travel and so, naturally, he is also the owner of a luxurious private island. Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands was badly damaged in last year’s hurricanes, but now the island has officially reopened and welcomed back its first guests.
Branson’s company Virgin has unveiled a sneak peak of what the island is looking like these days, more than one year since it was severely damaged during Storm Irma. There is still construction happening on the island, but right now it is up and running for guests and has already welcomed Canadian tennis champ Eugenie Bouchard.
The 74-acre site has long operated as a luxury resort, with accommodation available for 34 guests. Now, the Great House has been restored with two brand new rooms, making for eleven in total.
They’ve also added an additional Balinese style house called Leha Lo, which offers panoramic sea views, and there are more Bali Houses opening in the coming month.
Turtle Beach has been redone to make it the ideal spot to watch the sunset and there’s even a sunken trampoline to play on. But, there's also plenty of reasons to just hang out on the main beach, where you can dine under the stars and sip champagne.
Branson bought the island way back in 1979 and spent years turning it into an exclusive retreat. Earlier this year, people from around the world were intrigued when Virgin started a hunt for a new personal and administrative assistant to go and live and work on the island. Unfortunately not everyone can get paid to live in paradise, but anyone interested in a short stay can book Necker Island exclusively or enjoy an individual room.
