Caneel Bay Resort will no longer have Rosewood Hotels and Resorts as its management company effective Oct. 13, managing director Nikolay Hotze said Tuesday. He said Caneel’s owners, CBI Acquisitions, decided not to renew the Rosewood contract. CBI will manage the resort itself.
“We feel confident with our marketing team,” Hotze said.
He said Caneel always had its own marketing team and partnered with other companies like American Express to get the Caneel name out to the public.
Chantal Figueroa, deputy commissioner at the territory’s Tourism Department, said that the Rosewood name was not linked in a major way to Caneel. The Rosewood name was never listed before Caneel’s as other hotel management companies often do and was marketed as Caneel Bay, a Rosewood Resort.
“Caneel stands on its own,” she said.
Caneel, which sits within V.I. National Park, opened at the same time as the park in 1956.
The management of Cinnamon Bay Campground and the concession at Trunk Bay Beach, both within the park, will remain with Caneel Bay, Hotze said.
Hotze said the Little Dix Bay property on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands will continue to be known as Rosewood Little Dix Bay because Rosewood owns that property.
Rosewood has been Caneel’s management company since 1993.
Hotze will remain in his current position. He said there will be no changes with the staff.
Caneel closed Aug. 26 for its annual fall maintenance. Hotze said soft goods are being refurbished and the gift shop is getting a complete facelift.
When the hotel reopens on Nov. 1, it will have a coffee and gelato shop called Cannella.
Zozo’s Restaurant, which was located at Gallows Point Resort in Cruz Bay, will relocate to Caneel’s sugar mill restaurant location. It will open Nov. 1.
