Ritz Carlton to operate luxury resort in St Lucia
(L-R) Alejandro Acevedo, Regional Vice President, Marriott International; Mohammed Asaria, vice chairman of Range Developments; and Prime Minister Allen Chastanet signing the operating agreement. Photo: Caribbean News Now
By Caribbean News Now contributor
CASTRIES, St Lucia — Ritz Carlton, the luxury hotel subsidiary of Marriott International, on Thursday signed an operating agreement with Range Developments and the government of Saint Lucia to operate the planned new resort development at Black Bay on the beautiful southern tip of the island.
Ritz Carlton has 91 luxury hotels and resorts in 30 countries and territories, including six in the wider Caribbean: Aruba, Cayman Islands; Mexico, Puerto Rico (2); and USVI.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Marriott/Ritz Carlton by Alejandro Acevedo, regional vice president of Marriott International; Mohammed Asaria, vice chairman of Range Developments; and Saint Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet.
The heart of the Black Bay Master Development will consist of Ritz Carlton branded hotel and villas set on 180 acres. The site is on the Caribbean southwest coast, within easy reach of the international airport and the Pitons, the world famous heritage site. The master development will be developed in a number of phases.
The Ritz Carlton hotel, the anchor of the master development, will be developed under the country’s citizenship-by-investment programme and will comprise 180 rooms.
Range Developments has received plaudits and awards both for its designs and robust and innovative corporate social responsibility activities. This will be the company’s third major luxury development in the Caribbean, following the Park Hyatt St Kitts, which is due to open in November, and Kempinski Dominica.
The Park Hyatt St Kitts won the prestigious Best New Hotel Construction and Design St Kitts and Nevis award at The International Property Awards 2014-2015. It also won the coveted award of Best New Hotel Construction and Design in the Caribbean 2014-2015.
The Ritz Carlton will be designed and built to the highest standards in keeping with Range Development’s ethos and the project will create about 500 jobs on the island during construction, with a similar amount once the hotel is operational.
Saint Lucia’s citizenship-by-investment programme is aimed at encouraging investment in the island. Investors not only have a chance to invest, but assuming they meet the stringent requirements, apply for citizenship of the country, with all the benefits of full citizenship.