Eventually we tore ourselves away and ventured down the hill to explore the hotel, each villa comes with two golf buggies, so it’s easy to get around. The Mandarin Oriental is located on the Canouan Estate a sprawling estate that curves across one half of the island, dotted with luxury villas and a world-renowned golf course.

The main hotel borders the beautiful white sand beach we’d be admiring from our villa on the hillside above. This is the action hub, housing the gym, a tortoise sanctuary in the herb garden (guests are invited to deposit baby tortoises here to grow in a safe environment) and the hotel’s behind-the-scenes sustainability initiative, a circularity lab with a water bottling and recycling plant.

It’s also the spot to refuel in the hotel restaurants. Ansienne is the breakfast spot, where you’ll find fresh fruit plates, pastry baskets and a rotating menu of specialities. Our favourites were the banana French toast, breakfast burritos and acai bowls with homemade granola. For coffee and light bites the Lagoon Cafe is open all day and serves a complimentary afternoon tea with a scone. a perfect snack after a hard day on the beach. There’s also the pool bar, where we munched on fish tacos and salads at lunchtime, and Tides is the elegant (and expensive) fine dining restaurant that opens in the evening, with a focus on surf and turf.

There are 26 suites (rather than hotel rooms) in the main hotel, more traditionally decorated than our villa in neutral white and grey, with hot pink accents. Facing out to the beach, with the reef and breaking surf in the distance, each suite has a living room and balcony or terrace, with direct access to the beach at ground level.

The same hot pink shade features on the beach umbrellas, which pops against the pale white sand and the azure-coloured sea. Reading on the beach loungers here, is a relaxing way to idyl away the hours. The friendly staff deliver water and homemade fruit ice lollies to keep you cool or the sea is just steps away. It’s some of the clearest blue water I have ever swum in!

For the more active, beach volleyball and water sports are on offer here too, although it was a little too wavy for paddle boarding or wakeboarding during our stay. The watersports staff will also boat you from the beach across the bay to Shell Beach, where you can snorkel along the shoreline, have lunch in the restaurant or take the hike up Mount Royale.

You can also buggy your way across the golf course (golf is the lure for many to come to the hotel) and take in the sights of the Canouan Estate. I’d also highly recommend taking the high road up to the 13th hole. A magical hilltop spot where you can watch the sunset as it dips down into the Ocean, with the St Vincent and Grendine islands sprawling out in front of you, and apparently it’s not unheard of to see Mr Bezos cycling by. Opt for the sunset drinks package and your butler will escort you with a champagne, canapes, picnic chairs and speaker setup. It would make an epic proposal spot (if I wasn’t already married) and there’s even a Church on the estate, so a wedding is also an option.