Four hotel management companies are vying for the opportunity to represent the new Canouan Resort on St. Vincent and The Grenadines. The new $200 million property will be on Godhal Beach, and when it opens next year it is expected to be one of the most luxurious resorts in the Caribbean.
Patrice Van Isacker, director of sales and marketing for Canouan Resort, told Travel Agent discussions have begun with four possible management companies: Belmond Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Mandarin would be especially interesting, since Canouan Resort would represent the company's first Caribbean hotel. Regardless of who gets named, Jeff Morgan, hotel manager for Canouan Resort, told us he doesn't expect the new management company to make any major changes at the hotel, aside from splashing around a few of the management company's logos.
Van Isacker told us he expects a management company to be announced within the next month. There will actually be a sneak preview in December for past guests only. Then a grand opening is expected around February or March of 2016.
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| The spa at Canouan Resort has two over-the-water treatement rooms. |
There is also a landing strip that can accommodate some larger jets. The private jet can be picked up in Barbados. When the new Argyle International Airport, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, is unveiled in St. Vincent and The Grenadines, there will be more connecting flights from St. Vincent to Canouan. Guests who stay four nights get a private jet transfer one way. Guests who stay seven or more nights get the private jet transfer both ways.
Some of Canouan Resort's amenities include three restaurants and two bars; complimentary golf; a new Kids Club with full sized swimming pool with water-slides; brand new tennis center; library; a gaming terrace with a pool table, table football and table tennis; a culinary counter; media center; several beaches; and a personal golf cart per bedroom.
As far as rooms go, there will be 20 one-bedroom suites, four two-bedroom suites and two penthouse suites. There is also a spa with nine treatment rooms on the beautiful hillside, while two treatment rooms will be over the water.
The old Raffles, Canouan, which was open from 2004 to 2010, has since been knocked down. Where it was located will be most of the new resort's private villas, as well as the golf club house and some of the estate restaurants. This development will be separate from the new hotel, which will benefit from some of the features of the previous resort: golf, the Spa, The Galleria Area (which includes two restaurants and a real estate office) and Private Villas (many of which are in the rental pool).
Canouan is just five square miles in size and formerly a community of sailors and fishermen. The now expanding local population still includes fishermen, proud of their community heritage as boat builders and harvesters of the sea. Models of the traditional wooden boats are still lovingly constructed by hand.
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