The Government of Saint Lucia has signed an agreement with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TTS Resorts LTD, Lachezar Todorov, to initiate construction of a 345-room luxury Grand Hyatt hotel in Sabwisha, Choiseul.
The agreement was signed on July 20, 2022.
The project will create numerous employment opportunities for locals in addition to other economic spinoffs, which will directly benefit businesses in Choiseul and the south of the island, according to a missive from the Office of the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, this week, expressed his gratitude to Todorov; the latter will be given “free rein”, Pierre intimated.
“I want to thank you for showing confidence in Saint Lucia. All the government will do is ensure that the people of Saint Lucia are not disadvantaged; we want the (workers) to get a fair wage and we want to country to benefit that is all we ask for, nothing more. I look forward to the opening of the resort,” Pierre said.
Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire, this week, praised TTS Resorts LTD for its commitment to Saint Lucia. He noted that there had been a series of discussions between government and investors and also indicated that the initial development terms were renegotiated.
According to Hilaire, government has shared its thoughts with developers on how outstanding issues can be resolved and the way forward for the project.
“There were issues with the construction of the bypass road. In the last engagement the suggestion was that the Government of Saint Lucia would have paid for the construction of the bypass road; in renegotiating the arrangements, the developers have agreed that they will provide the financing for the construction of the bypass road. We are deeply grateful to them for that,” Hilaire said.
He also spoke about “the tremendous financial difficulties that we face at this time; it’s a major concession on their part and it showed their commitment to Saint Lucia as a destination and their willingness to work with us.”
Whilst there were outstanding issues with the rental rates for the Queen’s Chain, Hilaire noted that they were able to come to an agreement where both parties benefit from the arrangement.
Further, he stated, TTS Resorts LTD is also open to exploring opportunities to complement the recently enacted Community Tourism Bill.
“We had extensive discussions on our plans for Community Tourism and how the resort can better link with the community of Choiseul which as we all know, has tremendous potential for Community Tourism. I think in speaking with the developers they were super excited by how they can work with us to enhance Choiseul as a Community Tourism destination,” Hilaire stated.
Todorov is looking forward to investing in Choiseul and bringing the globally renowned brand to Saint Lucia.
“I’m very happy that we finally managed to find a good compromise on how to proceed. It is our policy as a company, it has always been. We are grateful to the community where we have our properties because it is actually the community that has let us do business so we always insist on working together,” he said.
Moreover, he noted, “it has always been our policy of trying to give back to the community for the support that we will need… hospitality is something that needs the people around the resort to be supportive in order to provide the best quality for the client.”
The luxury hotel is expected to open in 2025.
In October 2020, Hyatt had announced plans for a hotel in the Choiseul community, which was expected to open in 2023.
Back then it was revealed that the resort would feature 345 guestrooms, including more than 50 luxury suites; three restaurants that would feature world-class chefs and iconic dishes reflective of the destination; three bars, including a lobby lounge, pool bar and beach-side bar; a 8,000 square foot destination spa and fitness center to connect guests with their physical and mental wellbeing; three swimming pools; and more than 23,000 square feet of dynamic, state-of-the-art gathering spaces designed to handle events of any size and kind. Additional offerings and amenities would include a kid’s club and activity center, retails shops and an ultramodern screening room.