Anegada Reef Hotel Celebrates 50 Years
The Anegada Reef Hotel is celebrating 50 years of pioneering hospitality in the British Virgin Islands. Founded in 1976 by Lowell and Vivian Wheatley, the beloved beachfront landmark transformed Anegada into a premier yachting and seafood destination. Today, the family legacy continues under the leadership of their children, Lawrence and Lorraine Wheatley.
Fifty years ago, skeptics believed tourism on Anegada would never succeed. Defying those expectations, Lowell and Vivian Wheatley set sail from Road Town on September 26, 1976, aboard a 25-foot Bertram alongside a houseboat and an outrigger canoe to embark on a visionary venture: reviving an abandoned beachfront property at Setting Point.
Half a century later, the Anegada Reef Hotel remains an iconic British Virgin Islands institution. Originally constructed in 1970 by Kenneth Bates, the property was brought back to life when the Wheatleys secured a government lease in 1975. Despite limited infrastructure and the island's remote location, the couple recognized Anegada's untapped beauty, expansive beaches, and pristine waters.
Their timing aligned perfectly with the burgeoning charter yacht industry, turning the hotel into a primary bridge between Tortola and Anegada. The hotel quickly established traditions that defined Anegada hospitality, most notably fresh lobster kept live in the sea and grilled over hot torchwood fires in repurposed oil drums.
In December 1976, Captain Lucien Pickering brought the hotel its first guests, initiating decades of strong camaraderie with the yachting community. That bond endures today through the Royal BVI Yacht Club's annual Lowell Wheatley Anegada Pursuit Race, a flagship fixture on the BVI sailing calendar.
Following the tragic passing of Lowell Wheatley in July 2002, his children, Lawrence and Lorraine Wheatley, stepped up to lead the family business. Today, the 20-room beachfront hotel thrives under their second-generation stewardship. Lorraine has also made significant contributions to the wider territory, serving on the BVI Tourist Board, leading the Anegada Resilience Team, and earning recognition as Sister Islander of the Quarter in 2026.
From matriarch Vivian's invention of the signature blenderless Rum Smoothie during the island's pre-electricity era to the generations of visitors who return year after year, the Anegada Reef Hotel stands as a testament to Virgin Islands resilience, family enterprise, and authentic Caribbean hospitality.
Primary source: Guavaberry