Petit St Vincent, known locally as PSV, is an island south of St. Vincent in the Grenadine islands. It is the southernmost island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The entire island operates as an eco-friendly boutique luxury resort. Resort has 22 one- and two-bedroom bluff cottages and luxury villas, and has been a part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World hotel chain since July 2013.
PSV is surrounded by of white sand beaches. Inland, the terrain consists of gently rolling hills and tropical woodland, amid which the resort’s accommodation is built. The highest point on the island is on Marni Hill to the northwest of the island, which is above sea level. The Grenadines are marginally drier and warmer than St. Vincent to the north, with the average daily temperature being between all year round, due to the island chain’s proximity to the equator.
History
The island is privately owned. In 1963 Haze Richardson and Doug Terman chartered their 77’ schoonerJacinta to Mr. H.W. Nichols, Jr. and family. During this three-week cruise, Mr. Nichols expressed interest in purchasing an island and building a small hotel. Richardson and Terman concentrated their search on the Grenadines island chain, eventually arranging the purchase of Petit St. Vincent from a woman on Petit Martinique. The two men oversaw the construction of the 22 cottage resort on the behalf of Nichols, who asked Richardson to stay on as manager. Richardson accepted this offer and never left the island, becoming owner after Nichols’ death in 1985. Richardson died in a swimming accident in Costa Rica in 2008. His wife, Lynn Richardson, continued to manage the resort until November 2010, when it was announced that the island had been sold to Freedom Resorts Ltd., operated bybusiness partnersPhil Stephenson and Robin Paterson. Improvements made by this group include renovations to the cottages, a new beach bar and restaurant, and a spa. The Petit St. Vincent resort features the 22 luxury cottages with a Balinese-inspired spa and a dive center in the 115 acre area. Food services are provided by the Main Pavilion Restaurant and Bar and the nearby Beach Restaurant with the adjacent Goatie’s Bar. Stephenson invested heavily in the refurbishment of the resort, and under the management of husband and wife team Matthew and Anie Semark, the island was inducted into the portfolio of Small Luxury Hotels of the World in July 2013. Jean Michel Cousteau opened the diving center on the island in 2014. It offers guided dives for "avid diver, snorkeler or anything in-between".
