Inside Richard Branson’s restored Caribbean lair

After being flattened by Hurricane Irma three years ago, then closed during the pandemic, Necker Island is back in business as an oasis of barefoot luxury.

A master suite on Richard Branson’s Necker Island, which strikes a balance between wild natural beauty and stylised luxury.

Carola Long

Aug 12, 2021 – 10.20am

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In September 2017, Hurricane Irma ripped through the British Virgin Islands, causing widespread devastation. Guests on Branson Branson’s 30-hectare private island cut their trip short, but the Virgin boss hunkered down in a wine cellar with about 60 staff, drilling holes into the shutters to reduce the force of the air.

From inside, they could hear coconuts clattering and glass crashing, and when they emerged, Branson likened the damage from the category five hurricane to a nuclear blast. Entire buildings had been destroyed, his once-verdant tropical paradise had turned brown as palm trees and shrubs were ripped from the earth, and a hot tub was flung 30 metres into the air.

Financial Times