Jackeedah Bryan
Anguilla is known for its historied Carnival celebrations, including the Miss Anguilla Pageant. A tradition in the community, Carnival events bring both locals and visitors together to celebrate the culture of Anguilla, as well as the country’s beauty and strength. This year, one of Anguilla’s top luxury villa rental properties and the beloved five-star resort, Malliouhana, extended their support in raising the profile for several of the island’s top Carnival activities.
Malliouhana hosted a fun-filled day and evening of music, BBQ, and signature cocktails during Carnival at Leon’s at Meads Bay, which was attended by over 900 visitors and members of the community. They also provided sponsorship for the Poker Run, which continues to see growth in annual participation from both tourists and residents of Anguilla and surrounding communities.
Anguilla local and long-time supporter of the Miss Anguilla Pageant, Patricia Bygrave, General Manager of Long Bay Villas, worked with Chair of the Pageantry Committee, Mr. Romare Kelsick, to boost this year’s event to even greater heights by raising the stakes for the pageant contestants. Sponsored by Long Bay Villas in partnership with Malliouhana, an incentive program was launched for the pageant contestants, offering a two-night stay for all four contestants at one of Long Bay Villas luxurious villas. The contestants were provided full staff and amenities with the villa, including continental daily breakfast. Malliouhana included two oceanfront dining experiences for the contests at Bar Soleil restaurant and Leon’s at Meads Bay.
On the contestant’s final night’s stay, they were treated to a cocktail party hosted by Long Bay Villas. In attendance were the co-founders of the management company for both Long Bay Villas and Malliouhana, Mike Casey and Laura Rose, Managing Partners of Storey Hotel Management Group – an independent luxury hospitality group based in California. Among other guests were Malliouhana Managing Director, George Vlachopoulos, and the Honorable Hayden Hughes, Minister of Tourism. Minister Hughes shared a fascinating history of the importance of the Carnival festivities to Anguilla and of Malliouhana to the island’s legacy of luxury hospitality and tourism.
Addressing the gathering of contestants and esteemed guests, including other noted tourism industry professionals, Ms. Bygrave further shared that the mission behind hosting the contestants at Long Bay Villas was two-fold; it further solidified the management company, villa and resort team’s commitment to supporting the local community and to helping raise awareness about Anguilla’s rich culture and festivals.
In response, Mr. Romare Kelsick expressed gratitude to both properties for their thoughtful and impactful gestures, which he hopes will generate increased interest in future years for Miss Anguilla contestant participation, especially as the Carnival Committee intends to start planning early for Anguilla’s 50th year of Carnival celebrations in 2024.
