Highgate Hospitality and Management representative Egbert Bloemsma (left) talks at the press conference announcing the renovation of Le Beach Hotel, as hotel owner Patrice Seguin (right) looks on. (Robert Luckock photo).
MARIGOT--The long-awaited announcement of a forty-million-euro renovation of Beach Hotel (formerly Beach Plaza Hotel) located on the ocean side of the road to Sandy Ground, was made by owner Patrice Seguin and financial partners at a press conference at the hotel on Thursday.
The hotel interior was completely destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017, but the main structure’s integrity remained intact. Renovation work started in January 2022 and will lead to a projected opening of the hotel in October 2023.
An artist’s impression of what the renovated Beach Hotel, Marigot, will look like. The 40-million-euro project is forecast to open in October 2023.
The four-star hotel will have 139 rooms and 17 penthouses; two restaurants, one of which will be on the rooftop; and a 200-seat conference centre. A fitness centre, spa and wellness centre, boutique and outdoor swimming pool are also included in the plans.
The Beach Club restaurant will be located in the vast and impressive lobby which will lend itself perfectly for art exhibitions, concerts, co-working spaces and other activities.
Seguin said in his introduction that one of the most important considerations will be the construction of a breakwater to protect the hotel and beach from strong northerly swells. The storm surge during Hurricane Irma devastated the lobby and ground floor offices and rooms. He estimated some 80 to 100 jobs will be created and that most of the construction companies employed will be local.
President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs and Préfet Serge Gouteyron were among speakers congratulating Seguin on the renovation project.
Management of the hotel has been entrusted to Highgate Hospitality Management, a leader in the hospitality industry based in the USA and Caribbean. The decision to choose Highgate was due to the predominantly North American market the island attracts.
Financing for the hotel renovation has been made possible by various financial institutions, among them Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), Banque Publique d’Investissement (BPI), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Caisse d’Epargne (CEPAC), Banque Régionale d’ Escompte et de Dépôts (BRED), a subvention from European Regional Development Fund FEDER, and financing from the Girardin Law overseas tax exemption system.
