Relaxing MARBLUE
FAR away from the hustle and bustle of Kingston city, situated on the secluded Calabash Bay in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, lies one of Jamaica’s best-kept secrets. The Marblue Villa Suites & Restaurant is truly an escape from it all. Owned and operated by German couple Axel and Andrea
Wichterich, excellent accommodation, superb, award-winning cuisine and total relaxation make up the Marblue experience. And that was exactly what the TEENage team got.
With only eight suites, each with a balcony or patio overlooking the ocean, Marblue gives you everything needed for a quiet weekend getaway. Guests also have wireless Internet access, two outdoor swimming pools, and a restaurant and bar for their convenience.
Upon our arrival, TEENage was greeted warmly by Marblue staffers Andrew and Weston, and later by Axel and Andrea, at dinner. Even at night the property looked amazing with the sound of the ocean playing like the perfect soundtrack.
Stylish yet unpretentious, the Marblue rooms (all decorated by Andrea) give a truly relaxing feeling and a welcoming atmosphere. This makes the location not only ideal for honeymooners and couples who seek a romantic retreat, but also perfect for the average student looking for a weekend to just unwind.
Just when we thought the property itself was as good as it would get, we went to dinner. With a variety of local and international dishes including curried chicken (cooked with coconut milk), French chicken (cooked in white wine) and pasta, TEENage saw just why Marblue won Most Innovative Dish four years in a row (2005–09) at the Observer Table Talk Food Awards and Most Innovative Menu in 2006.
Our amazing meal wasn’t just a one-time thing, though, because on Saturday morning, we were greeted with banana pancakes accompanied by caramel-maple syrup and molten chocolate, ackee and salt fish with boiled yam, and cups of unforgettable hot chocolate made from real German and Belgian chocolate.
Breakfast done, we started a relaxing day by the pool basking in the warm Jamaican sun and enjoying the amazing view of the ocean. Shortly after our co-ordinator Monique Edwards took on the task of teaching Oshane how to float. It was an exercise in futility as Oshane ‘floats like a rock’.
By lunchtime, our day of amazing meals continued with freshly baked large pizza from the nearby Jack Sprat restaurant. By ‘freshly baked’ we don’t mean once-frozenbut-just-out-of-the-oven. This pizza had fresh dough, baked with freshly chopped tomatoes, pineapples and green peppers and well-seasoned jerk sausage (all for a very reasonable price). That one definitely topped any other pizza we’ve ever had!
We each took a spot in the open livingroom area that leads to one of the pools. Here, although there are no televisions (yes I said it, no TV) we had fun hanging out listening to music, dancing, watching videos online, just shooting the cool, south-easternly breeze.
Yes, believe it or not, we had fun without cable, and even though we had the Internet, we had more fun just relaxing and chatting.
Even though JPS caused a glitch in the electricity, dinner was prepared on time and was nothing short of another mouthwatering, award-winning meal. Duck al’orange, garlic and wine shrimp and coconut steamed snapper officially made the words ‘gourmet cooking’ synonymous with ‘Axel’s cooking’.
And yes, Axel the owner, also is the amazing and innovative chef for the hotel, and he does quite an amazing job at it! And to top it all off, for dessert we had freshly made passion fruit ice cream garnished with freshly picked mint leaves.
What is important to note here is that none of us was excited about eating the fruit-flavoured ice cream, but we must say that any fruit ice cream that tastes sweet, then tangy, then fuses all in your mouth deserves an award and definitely has our vote! By the end of the weekend the superb cooking even had Oshane saying “I would marry any girl that can cook like this!”
But along with being the resident chef for the villas, Axel started a cooking class for TEENs living in the Calabash
Bay/Treaure Beach area. He explained that growing up in his grandmother’s kitchen had such an impact on him, that he decided to try to impact youngsters in the same way. Taking in TEENs and young adults from ages 13 to 20, Axel has divided them into three groups and meets with them after school or on weekends.
He sees his class not only as a way to give the youngsters a skill and teach them how to cook, but also to give them something positive to do with their free time.
When asked why they chose Jamaica to relocate, Andrea explained that their love for the country and Bob Marley’s music was the main push. And although it was somewhat by chance that they stayed for so long, both Andrea and Axel say that settling in Jamaica is something they don’t regret.
All in all, Marblue isn’t the average hotel. After spending a weekend there the TEENage team can see why they won Best Kept Secret at the Observer Table Talk Food Awards in 2005, Best Hotel Restaurant in 2007-2008 and Best Service in 2007-2008.
Though there are no water slides, beach volleyball or poolside karaoke, one can get the ultimate relaxing weekend from the breathtaking property and courteous staff.
With exams ending for some, and soon to start for others, Marblue is the perfect place to take a load off and simply enjoy natural beauty and exquisite dining.
