Paula Soares by Kate Bellm at Colony Club Barbados for Vogue Netherlands June
/
History of the Colony Club
Known as ‘The Clouds’ when the property was originally constructed as a private six-acre plantation estate by Mrs. Spencer Phillips, the sugarcane-producing property was purchased by Barbadian magistrate and horseman JR ‘Bunny’ Edwards in 1941. Edwards maintained a paddock with 10 brood mares on the property.
Ann Embericos became associated with ‘Bunny’ Edwards and on her suggestion, the six-acre plot and coral stone house was renamed ‘Colony’, inspired by a well-known restaurant in New York City she loved. Embericos, considered to be the pioneer of the west coast luxury development in Barbados, was also a race horse enthusiast who retired in Barbados in 1941.
In 2025, following a massive, top-to-bottom renovation, the 96-room property reopened in late 2025 as Colony Club, a Luxury Collection Resort, Barbados. blending its historic 1940s pedigree with modern Bajan luxury, as envisioned by Marriott.
The word ‘Bajan’ originated as a localized, phonetic contraction of "Barbadian". Over time, this accent-driven pronunciation evolved into a unifying term of national pride.
New Twists in an Old Story
Anne of Carversville has been a progressive-values, global storyteller since our founding in 2007. We continually stumble into new twists on core themes of our shared global humanity and history. Last week, we shared our discovery that the original owners of Newport, Rhode Island mansions were largely Southern plantation owners.
Today, our research expands the synergies between plantations in the Caribbean and new ones in the American south. The link comes shortly.
