Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Villa at Kittitian Hill Resort
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
October 28, 2011 (CUOPM)

Over 20 cottages and villas are presently under construction at Kittitian Hill Resort in the Belmont area of St. Kitts.

The 21 – one bedroom units will form part of Mango Walk Resort – the first of three hotel brands – earmarked for the multi-million project which will feature a mix of whole and fractional ownership villas, cottages, and townhomes on the 400-acre site with panoramic views of the nearby islands of St. Barth’s, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba.

A spokesman for the resort, which will also feature an 18-hole championship golf course, said two villas are also under construction.

Some 20 local small contractors employing some 100 construction workers are presently involved in this phase of the project.

Twenty-four units with roof frames are expected to be completed by December 2011.

The first phase of the five-star resort is to be completed and officially opened by December 2012 and the local plants, flower and fruit trees such as mango, guava and coconut, will be an integral part of the landscape.

Situated at the heart of the property, the village will include an array of fine dining and entertainment options, gourmet and duty-free shops, and a creative arts center with an amphitheater, cinema, artisan shops, and artists’ studios where visitors can purchase handmade jewelry and art.

Among the other upscale amenities and personalized services that owners and guests will be able to enjoy are concierge, in-room, and pre-arrival services; child care, a 20,000 square-foot destination spa, beach club with valet service, signature pools with multi-level decks and outdoor hot tubs, state-of-the-art fitness center, tennis courts, and an Ian Woosnam 18-hole championship golf course and clubhouse.

The first phase of construction, which features hotel cottages, villas, golf course and clubhouse, beach club, pools, restaurants, bars, and shops, is currently underway and is slated for completion in November 2012.

The second phase includes the village, spa, and spa cottages, and is scheduled to begin the following year. All components of Kittitian Hill will be managed by Sedona Resorts International, a division of Sedona Resorts.

No related posts.

Timeshare Condos – Marriott Resorts
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
October 21, 2011 (CUOPM)

St. Kitts has been benefitting from increased airlift, due to the heavy dependence on the timeshare market.

“The beauty about timeshare is that the vacation is paid for already and the consumer is so happy that he is not prepared to give up his vacation, and that is what is driving occupancy… and from a government perspective, occupancy and economic impact mean everything,” St. Kitts and Nevis’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Sen. the Hon. Richard Skerritt.

Minister Skerritt is one of several tourism stakeholders, among 500 delegates from Europe, the US and the Caribbean who attended the three-day 13th Annual Shared Ownership Investment conference, in Miami, Florida.

Mr. Skerritt said that the Caribbean is poised for further growth and development in the timeshare business, one of the fastest growing sectors in the world hospitality trade.

“The Caribbean is the most ideal location for timeshare products and we are ready to do business and to deliver value for the right price,” said Skerritt.

“We see the growth and development in the region as very important and we are excited about it,” he told a forum held under the theme ‘Emerging Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean’, at the Peabody Orlando Resort.

According to a study commissioned by the Miami-based Interval International, which provides travel and leisure services particularly in the timeshare subsector, almost 50 percent of the roughly 2,600 US members surveyed, cite the Caribbean as the most preferred international destination to visit over the next two years.

Additionally, Interval’s 2011 Membership Profile study showed that nearly one out of every four (23.2 per cent) of the US resident members interested in acquiring additional vacation time cite a preference to make a purchase at a resort located in the Caribbean. The study was conducted between April and May.

Another panelist, Sergio Torres, the Managing Director of ELV Marketing, said on Tuesday that a number of developers and consumers are showing an interest in the Caribbean, noting that there are huge opportunities for expansion in the region.

“A lot of people want to go to the Caribbean; they like the Caribbean but at this time there is not enough timeshare presence there… so now is the time for the developers to get into the act and come in,” Torres explained.

He argued that heavy presence in the timeshare market in St. Maarten, Aruba, Saba, and St. Kitts should make it a lot easier for the rapid expansion of that sector of the hospitality industry in other Caribbean islands.

Additionally, he said, developers in the Caribbean who have suffered from sluggish sales due to the global recession are now considering converting their businesses to the timeshare market.

“Those developers who are now stuck with their construction… some of which are half-finished and some finished… now is the time to convert them to timeshare and to retool their sales and marketing teams and create a new product,” he urged.

Skerritt stressed that “established brands” and the drafting of appropriate legislation governing the timeshare market will also help to instill confidence in consumers and subsequently drive sales.

“The US consumers are very brand-conscious, especially in the small islands where you don’t have a great track record, so it is very important the brand that you introduce in the mix because it is going to have to drive sales and confidence,” he argued.

“Value and confidence go very closely together,” he stressed.

.Speaking at the opening session on Monday, Davis Gilbert, the executive vice-president, resorts and marketing, Americas at Interval International, noted that the prepaid nature of timeshare will ensure that people will still vacation “no matter what’s going on in the economy”.

“We have weathered the storm; now it’s time to grow,” he told the conference.

No related posts.

St. Kitts Marriott Residences
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
August 16, 2011 (CUOPM)

Buildings previously used by the St. Kitts Marriott Resort to house expatriate staff have been converted to Marriott Residences.

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and Minister of Public  Works and Utilities and Parliamentary Representative, Hon. Dr. Earl Asim Martin joined hotel developer, Mr. Vic De Zen in cutting the ribbon to convert the property into the branded Marriott Residence.

A spokesman said the decrease in expatriate staff is as a result of the successful training of Kittitians and Nevisians in the tourism industry.

The buildings have been under-utilised and the decision was made to convert them into Marriott Residences.

The 86 units in the four buildings will become the original Marriott Residences. Plans are to construct three more towers with a total of 210 units.

No related posts.