Despite a slight delay caused by Hurricane Jose’s brushing of St. Croix last week, the hotel portion of the Divi Carina Bay Resort and Casino is getting set to open later this week.
Divi Carina Bay's general manager, Alan Mallory, said Monday that the renovated resort’s food and beverage outlets are conducting "soft openings" this week prior to its grand opening on Nov. 3.
"We have quite a few people doing the final touches," Mallory said. "I don’t think there is any issue it will not happen."
While the opening of the hotel portion of the project is imminent, the casino is not set to open until Dec. 15.
Still, anticipation around the unveiling of St. Croix’s newest resort is beginning to swell. Before the formal opening next week, there will be a number of other activities to give people a sneak peek, including a private bash, a "Business After Hours" for the Chamber of Commerce and a Halloween party on Saturday night.
"We’ll be trying to show as much to the public as we can starting Friday," Mallory said. "We’re ready to go and very excited about the opening activities."
The remodeled Divi Carina Bay Resort, located on Grapetree Bay on St. Croix’s southeast shore, will feature 126 ocean-front hotel rooms in the main hotel and 20 one-bedroom suites in four hillside villas. Four more hotel rooms will be added in December.
Grapetree Shores Inc., which owns the resort and casino, has hired a Divi Resorts affiliate to manage the hotel. Grapetree is leasing the casino operation to Treasure Bay V.I. Corp., a local affiliate of Treasure Bay Corp., which operates a large casino in Biloxi, Miss.
The two-story casino at the Divi Carina Bay Resort is planned to have 275 slot machines and 12 gaming tables and employ more than 150 people. A buffet, snack bar and gift shop are also planned.
