BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE tourism industry within St. Kitts and Nevis is expected to feel the positive economic effects of the soon-to-be-completed Park Hyatt Hotel, according to the Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Lindsay Grant.
Grant recently described the luxurious hotel brand as being a “game-changer” for the tourism product of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Addressing reporters’ questions at a recently-held function at Christophe Harbour, Grant said, “We await the Park Hyatt in March...which is going to be a significant opening. As a matter of fact, I would go so far to say that it is going to be a game-changer in terms of our product in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
That comment comes on the heels of the government taking new steps to enhance the local tourism product while seeking to boost the number of stay-over visitors to the island.
The hotel, which is expected to provide approximately 270 rooms, has been under construction for a number of years, and officials within the tourism sector have received positive feedback about the brand’s presence in the Federation.
“It is already getting rave reviews from all over the world,” Grant said. “So it is really anticipated within the next three months.”
The project is being undertaken by Range Development.
Just recently, reporters were taken on a tour of the project which is said to be 90 percent complete. However, based on what SKNVibes observed, there is still a substantial amount of work to be completed on the luxury five-star hotel.
Several rooms and villas were completed as observed by this media house, but work was ongoing on the pools, electrical fittings and several buildings.
Stopping short of giving an exact opening date to reporters, the developers suggested that it is expected that sometime within the summer of 2017 the hotel would be open to residents.
Vice President of the Range Development Mohammed Asaria, told reporters that the project has, so far, contributed some US$44 million to the local economy while employing over 800 persons.
The Park Hyatt Hotel forms part of the multi-million dollar Christophe Harbour Development project which, in recent times, has been criticized for its “slow” movement.
However, Minister Grant declared that the entire project is a “work in progress” adding that “nothing comes overnight of the magnitude of this kind and this kind of development. It takes time to evolve and year after year we see new avenues being opened and we see new products being opened by them, and so, it gives you the feeling that something is really happening”.
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