Summer’s End Designer Details Design Inspiration for an Unforgettable Experience

At Summer’s End, the vision for The St. John Marina and Yacht Club begins with the natural beauty of St. John itself. For Jason Harris and the team at UDesign, the goal is not to create architecture that competes with Coral Harbor. Instead, the surrounding water, hillsides and natural landscape are helping guide how the property takes shape. 

Summer’s End overall plan includes the marina plus a yacht club, hotel, restaurant and market on the shore. The UDesign team is working directly on everything included outside of the physical marina. 

“Coral Harbor is the design,” Harris said. “Our job is to make sure that all the rooms and all the areas where people spend time are surrounded with that view.”

UDesign is currently working through the early stages of the upland’s masterplan, floor plans and interiors, considering how the property will look and function. The ultimate goal is to create a destination that feels luxurious while still comfortable, welcoming and connected to all of St. John, visitors and her people.

With this in mind, the design team is taking cues straight from the island Love City herself.

The four upland buildings are designed with shapes that flow with the surrounding hills and bay, while materials are selected for how they will look and age within the tropical environment. Rather than creating something that feels placed onto the property, Harris said the goal is for the development to look like it belongs there.

The natural surroundings will also be part of the experience throughout the property. The extensive mangroves onsite will be highlighted with boardwalks and carefully integrated lighting, allowing guests to experience the natural beauty of Coral Harbor as they move throughout Summer’s End.

Lighting, music, scent, textures and materials are all also being considered alongside the actual architecture of Summer’s End. Hidden speakers may bring carefully selected music into different areas, while signature scents, natural materials, plants and organic textures will help connect interior spaces to the island outside.

Harris said the team thinks first about the people who will actually spend time inside a space and how they will use it, drawing from the firm’s roots in interior design. The accommodations at Summer’s End are being designed with a “luxury apartment” or “home-tel” feel rather than the environment of a stereotypical hotel room. 

“We want the luxury of a hotel, where your room gets magically made up and cleaned, but the feeling of a home you can relax in and enjoy,” Harris said.

Rooms are expected to include comfortable living areas with a couch, coffee table and other thoughtful details that allow guests to settle in and enjoy the space, rather than simply use it as somewhere to sleep.

Inspired by the island of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Drawing on the natural beauty and the culture of St. John is the most important influence in the design of Summer’s End. The UDesign team has researched local patterns, materials, colors and craft traditions that can be incorporated throughout the property with indigenous weaving and decorative patterns among the influences being explored for walls, ceilings and other design elements.

“If something is indigenous to the island, that’s the first priority to use,” Harris said.

That idea carries through the larger design process. The food, materials, natural environment and history of St. John all provide inspiration for how the marina and yacht club will ultimately come together.

“We’re looking at the designs and elements that have been used for the past 100 years. St. Johnians made these special straw wall hangings with specific decorative patterns and we’re going to bring all of those back to life, but on a big scale and use that as the art.”

But, of course, Summer’s End must be designed well and function efficiently. Deliveries, maintenance, cleaning and other operational needs all have to happen without interfering with the guest experience. Harris compared the approach to a five-star hotel, where much of what makes the experience work happens quietly behind the scenes.

The team is evaluating details including room orientation, bathroom materials, shower sizes, furniture, lighting and views and each area may go through several versions before the team lands on the right solution.

“This [intentional] process will be for every square foot of the entire project,” Harris said.

The same standard will extend beyond the accommodations to the shops, bars, markets and other public spaces planned throughout Summer’s End.

For Harris, the goal is not simply to create a property that photographs well, it is to create a luxury destination where people genuinely want to spend time–repeatedly. “If everything feels right, there will be something that keeps drawing you back,” Harris said. “This is what we’re going to achieve.”

With groundbreaking expected in the coming months, Summer’s End is moving closer to bringing this vision to life. Designed to offer both world-class amenities and a strong sense of place, Summer’s End aims to create an experience that feels distinctly Caribbean and distinctly St. John.

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Last updated: October 23, 2026