Inside Curtain Bluff: How glamorous 1950s American couple built Antigua's oldest exclusive hotel - and where old-world values make it first choice for the most discerning vacationer

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Sir Howard Hulford was in his mid-30s when he spotted Curtain Bluff from the cockpit of his plane as he flew over Antigua in 1957.

Below him was a craggy finger of headland - goat pasture no more - that poked out into the ocean and divided the rough Atlantic one side and the calm Caribbean the other. On it stood one solitary tamarind tree.

Sat behind Hulford, for those interested, were the oil and gas executives he flew around the Caribbean for Texaco after finishing his service as a fighter pilot in WWII.

The dream he shared with his glamorous wife Chelle was to find their land and build their home. 10,000ft below was exactly what this adventurous American couple had been looking for. 

Curtain Bluff, Antigua's first exclusive hotel seen from above. At night, with your balcony doors open you can hear the crashing waves just feet from your bed. It is consistently ranked among the best inclusive resorts in the world

Calm: The pristine private beach has well spaced out shaded sun loungers. Every so often staff will appear at your side with cold towels and iced lollies. The beach bar is a stone's throw and the jetty is a short swim out at sea

The pool is set just off the beach. 70 lengths of this is approximately one mile

All rooms have breathtaking, gaze-all-day views. Large, floor-to-ceiling windows and verandas or ground-floor terraces look out over the beach and across the sea to a lush-green headland

The heart of Curtain bluff. Sir Howard and Chelle Hulford opened the resort in 1961. In 2008, Hulford was named Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation for his outstanding contributions to Antigua and Barbuda and the welfare of its citizens

To their disappointment, the Antigua government returned with a firm 'No' to plans for a private dwelling. A hotel, with jobs for the locals, 'Yes'. Private dwelling most definitely 'No'.

Not to be defeated the pair decided a hotel it would have to be and within four years of setting their hearts on Curtain Bluff, they had raised the money and opened Antigua's very first luxury resort.

The night I arrived with my parents we were invited up to Bluff House - the private dwelling that sits at the very top of the hill along which are dotted the fabulous guest rooms. It is here that the Hulfords, now just Chelle after Sir Howard's passing in 2009, have been hosting weekly pre-dinner cocktail parties for their guests ever since it opened.

Dress code was smart, champagne flowed and the guests, who all seemed to know each other, mingled out on the huge wraparound patio looking out at Montserrat and Guadeloupe. Within ten minutes we had met an eminent liver surgeon, a 16th Century clock restorer, a group of yogis from Rochester and a landowner and his lovely family from Norfolk, England.

What bound this group together was not just their friendliness but their loyalty and love for Curtain Bluff. It seemed to have a mythical pull on these people - they would not fault it. Just what was going on here? We were about to find out... 

Rob Sherman the charismatic hotel manager called for silence as he welcomed us all and proposed a toast before calling up one special guest Roger Lockwood. This tall, tanned American in his late 60s emerged and was presented with a silver tray and the promise of a 50% discount on all future stays as a thank you for his 40 years of repeat custom. Two other couples also received trays for 30 and 20 years 'service'. In 2015 Curtain Bluff celebrated its first 50-year guest. Incredible. 

This is Bluff House, set at the top of the bluff and where weekly cocktail parties have been held for guests ever since the resort opened in 1961

The rooms are decorated in a 'simply-elegant' tropical style, complete with all the modern luxuries from air-conditioning and over-sized soaking tubs to wood-paneled ceilings, refrigerators and high-speed Internet access

The 72-room all-inclusive resort lapped by two beaches exudes class and caters for the affluent and low-key, mainly British and American vacationer

The resort looks out to Montserrat, Cades Reef, St. Kitts, Nevis and Redonda

Spectacular: Curtain Bluff has deluxe rooms from US$820 plus 22.5% taxes per night, based on 2 adults sharing on an all-inclusive basis

But exactly what was it that they kept coming back for?

Well, this 72-room all-inclusive resort lapped by two beaches exudes class and caters for the affluent and low-key, mainly British and American vacationer. Not only do the same guests return year after year, so too do the staff. Curtain Bluff has 211 employees and the average length of service is 28 years. The place seems like a well-kept secret for the discerning few who know they are on to a good thing. While the nearby Jumby Bay may be considered even more exclusive - try telling that to the Curtain Bluff regulars.

Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel and Jay Kay from Jamiroquai are just some of the famous guests who stay at the resort which this May 6th closes until October 28th for a major refurbishment.

Boardwalk: From here you can indulge in the water sports which are included in the package and include: snorkelling trips to Cades Reef out towards Montserrat; scuba diving (providing you are a certified diver); paddle boarding, windsurfing, Hobie-cats, kayaking and waterskiing

All of the rooms run along the back of Surf Beach, an undulating stretch of golden sand shaded by palms. The quieter of the two beaches, it’s ideal for contemplation, playing in the surf, and swinging in a hammock to the rhythm of the waves

At dinner the tables are flecked with candlelight and the terrace sparkles with decorative lights. Changing every night, the five-course menu always includes salads, locally caught fish, outstanding meats, healthy options and so many desserts they have their own menu.

Open-walled in the traditional plantation style, the main restaurant The Tamarind Tree looks out over a terrace canopied by the spreading limbs of the tamarind tree. At breakfast the restaurant is shaded from the bright morning sun and cooled by a breeze from the sea, just visible through the palms. The menu includes banana pancakes, French toast and Eggs Benedict, plus traditional island dishes, fresh juices and fruit. All breads, croissants and pastries are freshly baked by the pastry chef

The rooms start at US$820 plus 22.5% taxes per night, based on 2 adults sharing on an all-inclusive basis. They are all huge, airy, with massive corner baths - perfect for a room service piña colada after a hard day relaxing in a hammock on one of the two beaches. No TVs, thank you very much, just floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, the waves crashing just feet from your balcony. And here goes my only fault: the round gold taps were hard to turn off with wet hands. It's a tough life.

Water sports are included in the package and these include: snorkelling trips to Cades Reef out towards Montserrat (with cold beers on the way back); scuba diving (providing you are a certified diver); paddle boarding, windsurfing, Hobie-cats, kayaking and waterskiing (with very patient instructors!). You simply walk up to the beach hut, name your game and off you go. 

For those looking just to to flop you can lie under the shaded sun loungers within earshot of the beach bar and choose between a sea swim out to the floating dock or a dip in the beautiful pool. You'll be offered throughout the day fresh fruit iced lollies and refreshing cold flannels.

Down on the calm-water beach there is a kids' club centered around a shaded 'basecamp'. Activities range from chocolate making to crab races, mocktail lessons at the bar to designing wind chimes.

There is also a shaded sandbox with full Jungle Gym for the little ones and a Games Room designed specifically for younger guests and equipped with board games, computers (loaded with all the latest video games) and a wide-screen TV (with cable and DVD player) on which we show age-sensitive films.

For the youngest guests, early dinners are served outside on the Tamarind Terrace at 6:00 PM. Babysitters (arranged for an extra charge) can then look after children back in the room, freeing up parents for leisurely dinners and dancing to our nightly live bands.

If tennis is your thing you can play on one of four championship courts with night lighting a lob shot from the sea. Three resident professional players Rennie, Nigel and Dillo are on hand to help you improve your game with private lessons starting from as early as 7am. (Lessons are not included in the package and cost $US 70 per hour).

Fred Stolle, winner of the U.S. and French Open Championships, is a Curtain Bluff regular and makes the most of the tennis facilities, of which he said: 'I have been fortunate to play at many of the finest tennis centers in the world. So I know a good tennis center when I see it. I come to Curtain Bluff at least once a year.'

Beyond the tennis courts and the lily pond is the 5,000-square-foot spa with a cliff-edge infinity jacuzzi that looks out at Montserrat. See here for treatments. 

The yoga group from Rochester would power into breakfast under the palms (there are now 80 varieties of palms to keep that lonely early day tamarind company) having taken advantage of the early morning session down at the waterfront before filling up on fresh fruit and granola.

There are two restaurants - one on a veranda under the palms serving breakfast and dinner - the other on the beach with foot baths at the entrance to rinse the sand off before lunch. It also takes reservations for candlelit dinners. Both offer fresh lobster, Maui-Maui, red snapper and everything else the island has to offer whether it's caught or grown. There are canapés at cocktail time and a weekly Caribbean lunch with steel band. All top brand drinks and house wine are served complimentary with one of the island's best wine cellars providing special bottles at an extra cost if you are feeling giddy.

During our stay England were playing the West Indies at cricket. Of course, Curtain Bluff had a box at the stadium where guest were invited to spend the day enjoying the game, lunch and drinks. Service was impeccable (despite England winning).

Talking of cricket, one regular British guest famously celebrated a birthday at Curtain Bluff only for the fun-loving hotel manager Rob Shearman to organise a game. He invited along three of the Caribbean's most famous cricket players to play on the men's side and the Antigua national netball team to help out the women. The women won, so goes the legend.

At night, after dinner, a local band will kick up. We watched an 18-year-old girl blow everyone away with a voice that betters anything you will see on X-Factor. What Simon Cowell is doing holidaying at Sandy Lane, Barbados, I have no idea.

While Sir Howard and Chelle may not have quite realized their initial dream of that private Antigua home - what they built instead was the most magical of second homes for everyone who stays. Make it yours.

Curtain Bluff, Antigua (T. 0800-051-8956 / www.curtainbluff.com) has deluxe rooms from US$820 plus 22.5% taxes per night, based on 2 adults sharing on an all-inclusive basis.  

The softly curving Bay Beach is the hub of daytime activity (and inactivity). The jetty at one end is the departure point for dive trips, water-skiing, and rides on the Super Mable (an inflatable raft that is towed behind a boat). Sheltered by Cades Reef (the site for twice-daily snorkeling trips), the water is calm and clear, perfect for swimming, sailing a Hobie and kayaking. Recliners cluster in the shade of palapas

Curtain Bluff seems like a well-kept secret for the discerning few who know they are on to a good thing. While the nearby Jumby Bay may be considered even more exclusive - try telling that to the Curtain Bluff regulars. It is consistently ranked among the best Inclusive Resorts and tennis centers in the world

Philanthropy: Howard and Chelle Hulford started the Old Road Fund in 1974, naming it after the village that sits just outside the resort’s gates. Initially its purpose was to supply basic necessities to the community’s neediest families, but it quickly out-grew these modest goals thanks to support from the resort and its guests. To date over $US 1 million has been spent on various programs ranging from university scholarship assistance and medical relief to sports development. In the last twenty years alone more than 150 children have gone to tennis camp in the U.S. and 45 have received a full university education. Eleven students are currently enrolled in college in the U.S. Over 20 have had major healthcare benefits

Guests can try water-skiing with a patient instructor who will talk you through the moves as you grab hold of the rope and try to stop your legs from separating.  It makes for a great late morning activity before treating yourself to a well-earned drink at the beach bar while staff prepare the beautiful buffet lunch at the beach restaurant

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