Secret Bay’s quiet revolution and slow evolution in environmental luxury.

Ten years ago, REAL LIFE introduced readers to Gregor Nassief as the “Accidental Hotelier” whose dream home above Secret Beach grew into one of the Caribbean’s
most acclaimed eco-resorts. A decade later, that quiet experiment in simplicity has developed into a global standard for regenerative luxury. What started as four timber villas nestled in rainforest has become a living philosophy of design, stewardship and renewal, now embodied in Secret Bay’s evolution and its visionary new Residences that invite others to share in the story.

On Dominica’s wild northwest coast, where rainforest spills into the sea and cliffs dissolve into hidden coves, Secret Bay appears, less constructed than revealed.
Villas seem to emerge from the hillside like timbered canopies, with paths weaving through cacao, breadfruit and bay leaf, and the soundscape composed of leaves,
birds and breeze. This is not luxury that shouts; it is luxury that resonates with the island’s natural rhythm – slow, sensory and deeply personal.

That tone traces directly to its founder, Gregor Nassief. As a boy, he climbed these very cliffs, long before he ever imagined they would one day hold his life’s work. Years later, he returned to Dominica with a vision to create a place that would exist in harmony with its landscape, not at its expense. “What has always mattered most
to us is preserving the natural environment,” he reflects. “There’s a growing understanding that untouched nature is the ultimate luxury – something increasingly rare and deeply sought after.”

His wife, Sandra Vivas, brought an additional layer of artistry to that vision, drawing on the architectural philosophy of her late father, Venezuelan master architect Fruto Vivas, whose belief in buildings that ‘grow from the land’ helped shape Secret Bay’s distinctive design language. The result is architecture that feels organic, sculptural
and quietly revolutionary – a marriage of form, feeling and place.

From the outset, restraint became the project’s guiding principle. The team would lightly touch the land, building by hand where possible, siting structures within the forest and limiting development to a small part of the property. Sustainability is not an afterthought here; it is the fundamental organising principle – from waste management, greywater reuse and the elimination of single-use plastics to supporting local artisans, restoring coral reefs and protecting nesting turtles.“We view sustainability as something much broader than the environment alone,” Nassief says. “It’s about balance – between nature, community, culture and the economy.”

The effect is palpable. Villas feel grown, not placed. Views are framed rather than conquered. Timber, chosen for durability and warmth, connects interiors to the canopy. Broad decks dissolve boundaries while private plunge pools mirror the sea’s horizon. It is tropical modernism with a distinctly Caribbean soul. Each building reads like a pavilion in a garden, a masterclass in proportion and presence. “The villas were never meant to dominate the landscape,” Nassief explains. “Their placement submits to the surrounding nature, inviting it in, so there’s a quiet equilibrium between the luxurious accommodation and the forest that embraces it.”

The same philosophy extends to hospitality. There is no front desk or scripted routine. Each villa has a dedicated host and service is anticipatory yet unhurried, the kind that remembers you like a regular on your first stay. Dining at Zing Zing embodies the same ethos. The no-menu approach allows the chef to prepare what is best that day – fish from local fishermen, vegetables from nearby gardens, spices that taste of the island. It is terroir expressed through hospitality, a quiet confidence that the freshest ingredient is the finest.

Secret Bay’s development has been both intentional and disciplined. “Sandra and I promised each other that protecting the environment – and the experience it enables – would always be our core principle,” Nassief reflects. “Growth could never come at the expense of that.” That promise has guided the resort’s expansion and its international reputation: consecutive years as Travel + Leisure’s #1 Resort in the Caribbean, recognition among the Top 1% of Hotels Worldwide on TripAdvisor and a respected place in Relais & Châteaux. What defines Secret Bay is its intimacy and craftsmanship. Ask any guest what makes it unique and they will mention the same aspects: the silence, the sense of care – especially from the people – and the feeling that every detail has been thoughtfully considered. “Luxury really comes down to care,” Nassief says. “People caring for people, for nature and caring about the details.”

That same philosophy shapes The Residences at Secret Bay, a programme that invites owners into the story while maintaining its integrity. For those interested in fractional ownership, deeded shares provide time-in-residence each year, access to the resort’s services and seamless management. It is designed as an effortless way to own property in Dominica. For others, full ownership of villas and multi-villa estates is possible, each built with the same environmental lightness and aesthetic integrity that characterise the resort.

Ownership here is a continuation of the guest experience rather than an addition to it. Residences are true homes in the forest, composed with the same vocabulary of timber, air, shade and water. Owners step into a lifestyle that is more organic than opulent: morning coffee to a chorus of birds, a cove that changes colour with the sky, dinner that begins with what the fisherman brought in at four. “People today are longing for simplicity and authenticity,” Nassief says. “They’re drawn to places that allow them to reconnect – with nature, with each other and with themselves.”

Spend time with Nassief and you begin to see how every decision at Secret Bay is guided by empathy and awareness. He approaches development as a dialogue with the land, the community and the future. “It comes back to holistic sustainability,” he explains. “We should always try to continuously have a positive impact on all that we are connected to.” Through GEMS Holdings and its Foundation – the umbrella he established for Secret Bay and its sister properties – the group supports and manages a hospitality school along with annual events including a local art and artisans market, an entrepreneurship challenge and an environmental champion’s grant.

Growth, in his view, is not about more rooms or higher returns but about refinement. “We try to grow with intention,” he explains. “Every addition – whether a villa, a program, or a partnership – should add depth and connection.” New residences appear only where the forest can welcome them. New experiences emerge from collaboration with local guides, artisans and chefs. Even cuisine evolves naturally, ideas germinating in the garden long before they reach the table.

For design-minded travellers, the appeal is clear: architecture that clarifies rather than competes, craftsmanship you can feel in your palm, spaces that prioritise privacy, proportion and breeze. For the environmentally attuned, the case is equally strong: conservation woven into construction, reef and forest protection and community engagement that keeps value on-island.

“They say everyone ends up in Dominica,” Nassief says. “In some ways, it’s true. This island has a way of calling you back to what matters – to nature, to community, to a pace and presence that feel like life as it was meant to be. Secret Bay is simply intended as a reflection of that.”

In a Caribbean crowded with statements, Secret Bay remains a whisper and that is its power. It proves that the highest form of luxury is not excess but essence: time, space, nature and care, composed with intelligence and purpose. It shows that a resort can be both sanctuary and statement, a model for how the region can evolve sustainably without surrendering sophistication.

For those seeking to make Dominica part of their own story, the invitation is clear. If you are drawn to design that breathes, to an organic life lived between forest and sea and to a definition of luxury that listens rather than imposes, The Residences at Secret Bay offer a rare alignment of place, purpose and privilege. Choose fractional for flexibility or whole ownership for permanence, but either way, you become part of a living story that began with vision and continues quietly and beautifully on the Nature Island.