Fodor's Expert Review Golden Rock Plantation Inn

Acclaimed artists Brice Marden and wife Helen Harrington have imparted a chic, modernist sensibility to this 18th-century estate property while respecting its storied past. The resulting aesthetic clashes intriguingly with the historic elements while playing off the lush landscaping's richly saturated colors. An old cistern was converted into a spring-fed swimming pool and the sugar mill into a honeymoon haven with a gorgeous winding bamboo staircase. Green vervet monkeys dash about the premises. Many surfaces—from decks to shutters—are splashed in reds and greens; the pool addition resembles a contemporary-art installation, the restaurant a dazzling tiered sculpture garden with waterfalls. The vividly hued gingerbread cottages (each holding two rooms) have dazzling ocean views from their patios; decor contrasts pristine white floors, curtains, and bedspreads with handsome hardwood or bamboo furnishings, pineapple friezes and colorful Berber throw rugs. Service is unobtrusive yet warm, in fine counterpoint to the hip cool ambience and buzz imparted by the cosmopolitan clientele.