The management of the Divi Carina Bay Resort wants potential visitors to know that the newly remodeled beachfront hotel is "up and running," and that initial reports of severe damage from Hurricane Lenny were erroneous.
While the resort did suffer some moderate damage to the ground-floor facilities and landscaping, it is open for business. However, the resort’s adjacent casino, which was set to open on Dec. 15, didn’t fare as well.
The under-construction casino, set to be the island’s first, lost nearly its entire second floor, delaying the opening for 60 to 90 days.
According to Adams Unlimited, Divi Carina Bay’s New York-based public relations firm, post-Lenny reports "erroneously depicted the resort, rather than the casino, as receiving the most severe damage."
"I regret that inaccurate information reported in the media may have caused concern for our future visitors," said Alan Mallory, general manager of the resort. "We are up and running and looking forward to welcoming our many guests for the upcoming peak season. All in all, we feel quite fortunate to have weathered the storm so well."
The resort reopened two weeks ago after severe damage from Hurricane Hugo in 1989. "There was no repeat of Hurricane Hugo at the Divi Carina Bay," Mallory said. "Because we are a newly reconstructed property, with the ability to generate our own power and produce our own fresh water, we were up and running within a few hours of the storms passing. We actually provided a safe haven for many locals and guests from other properties because of these capabilities."
The remodeled resort, located on Grapetree Bay on St. Croix’s southeast shore, will feature 126 oceanfront 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.
