Airiness, authenticity: Anguilla's Zenaida villa

Airiness, authenticity: Anguilla's Zenaida villa 

Travel sellers looking for opportunities to put together special-interest groups don't often consider villas, unless the group consists of family members or friends. 

One villa in Anguilla offers an opportunity relatively unusual to private homes in the islands: the ability to host a group of up to 14 people on one property in several separate living areas. 

Zenaida Beach and Tennis Estate is perched on a cliff right above Sandy Hill Bay. A secluded swath of the white-sand beach is directly accessible by stairs from the property. 

The estate itself is built over 3 acres of tropical gardens where a 17th-century Dutch fort once stood. While many Anguillan villas trend toward a modern decor, Zenaida has an old Caribbean feel, owing to spacious grounds and gardens and open-air spaces that let the Caribbean breeze flow through rooms decorated with wood and wicker furniture and terra-cotta floors.

The property has seven full bedrooms with en suite bathrooms spread out over three houses: two with three bedrooms each and a standalone one-bedroom garden cottage. The main house has a master bedroom on one floor with two bedrooms below it that are separated by a common area. The second house's three bedrooms each have their own entrances.

The property's open-air great room offers a central hangout area. Varied outdoor spaces include separate pool and hot tub areas, winding gardens and a beach gazebo halfway down the cliff that stores towels and snorkel gear and makes for a breezy, shaded place to relax with an ocean view. 

Almost all rooms at Zenaida have ocean views, but they are most striking from the great room and the master bedroom. 

Tennis enthusiasts would be particularly attracted to the estate because it has the only Har-tru court in Anguilla. 

"It stands out because of its history, its large lot of 3 acres and tropical, jungle-like gardens … and access to the beautiful Sandy Hill Bay," said Elaine Hearn of Properties in Paradise, the villa's management company. "It is, of course, great for tennis players and guests looking for a genuine Caribbean feel in their accommodation."

The company's concierge service handles private chefs, tennis pros, yoga instructors, massage therapists, car rentals and excursions and offers 10% commission. Rates range from $1,300 to $7,142 per night.