The infamous Lord Brownlow, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth and the owner of several estates in the Caribbean, acquired the La Sagesse estate in the mid-sixties. He installed gates around the estate, effectively cutting off the surrounding community from the beach and recreation fields. In 1975 while Lord Brownlow was off the island, the newly emerging Jewel Movement led a group of protestors to the gates of La Sagesse where they tried and convicted him for crimes against the people. The gates were broken down and the property was taken over by the community. When the revolution took hold of Grenada in 1979, the manor house and the surrounding areas were then turned into a military base. After the U.S. led intervention in 1983, the manor house was left in total disrepair and the property overgrown with bush.
In 1987, Mike Meranski and his family came across Lord Brownlow's broken down manor house at beautiful La Sagesse beach. Intrigued and excited about the natural beauty and potential of a hotel and restaurant, as well as a place to live, they decided to leave Miami, Florida and open La Sagesse Nature Center.
In the late 80s, most of the hotels in Grenada were located in Grand Anse or Lance Aux Epines, so they were taking a risk by opening the La Sagesse away from the center of the city. From the very beginning, they made a conscious effort to be as locally resourceful and sustainable as possible. They hired staff from nearby villages, bought fish, fruit and vegetables from local fishermen and farmers, and made everyone feel welcome at this little slice of heaven. The hotel started out with just two rooms in the manor house and now La Sagesse has grown to 12 rooms, a beautiful restaurant and bar, and the ultimate tropical hideaway.
