Superyacht Marinas Are Transforming Into Luxury Destinations

When Port Nimara, the Caribbean island of Anguilla’s first superyacht marina, opens in 2027, its 118 berths will be only one part of the sales pitch. Anchoring amenities will include a five-star Equinox resort, branded private ocean residences, the Beaufort Yacht Club, restaurants, and high-end boutiques. Sure, the marina will accommodate yachts up to 240 feet-plus, but there will be no dry dock, maintenance yard, or chandlers. “We are focusing much more into what people want and need, rather than what the boats want or need,” says David Mizrahi, C.E.O. of Port Nimara and its developer, SF Investments. He points out that a modern marina is “not just a parking lot for boats.” Yet that is how they have long been viewed. Increasingly, however, marinas are becoming desirable destinations unto themselves. World-class accommodations and dining, wellness facilities, and an array of indulgent activities and events are transforming harbors into truly lavish havens.

Another recent example is the Mediterranean’s Club de Mar-Mallorca in Palma. A five-year redevelopment—costing more than $100 million—saw existing structures razed, replaced by four buildings replete with a gym and a spa, luxury retail outposts, and exclusive members’ areas. Key to the complex are new pedestrian walkways that invite the public into the formerly private grounds.

At Singapore’s One°15 Marina Sentosa Cove, this opportunity to enjoy opulent waterfront living is a major membership driver, explains general manager Nick McLaughlin. “We have a large community, and not everyone’s a vessel owner,” he says. Members can use wellness zones and coworking spaces, join group sailing adventures, enjoy a year-round social calendar, and take advantage of reciprocal arrangements with over 220 other clubs. It’s also home to Singapore’s only floating bar.

The marina as an A-list address is particularly alluring to a new cadre of yacht owners. “A younger client might spend the day anchored in a secluded bay and then deliberately head into a marina in the evening because they want the contrast of privacy during the day and social energy at night,” says Mitja Mirtič, C.E.O. of charter brokerage Goolets.

As a result, marinas are assuming some of the social functions long held by the yacht club. Membership now provides greater access to a broader range of hospitality and social options.

Ben Martin, a principal at architecture firm HKS, who has advised on projects including Med mainstays YCCS Costa Smeralda and Porto Montenegro, puts it this way: “Traditionally, the yacht club says, ‘Belong here,’ but the contemporary marina says, ‘Come and join us.’ ”