Major upgrades for two hotels

There are plans for a major upgrade to the Hawksbill Hotel-a former Rex Resort.

The Cabinet said last week that it had received a proposal from the Minister of Tourism Charles Fernandez for the project.

It is expected that millions of dollars will be spent by the firm to complete renovations by October 2023 in time for the new tourist season 2023/2024.

The number of hotel rooms must expand in order to accommodate the additional demand for rooms that Antigua and Barbuda is now experiencing.

Fernandez also indicated that the old Halcyon Hotel, which is being rebuilt and refurbished, will likely be ready to receive visitors by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Cabinet said it has invited the principals of the Jolly Beach Management Team to share a proposal that would result in a portion of the Jolly Beach Hotel being prepared to meet the requirements of an Italian charter company named Alpitor.

About 80 rooms would be specially prepared for those arriving on charters, between December 15th, 2023, to September 15th, 2024,—a nine-month period when the visitors would occupy the rooms that had been specially prepared.

The rooms will be brought up to four-star levels and would accommodate adults only.

In order to ensure that any extra passengers Alpitour may bring, 20 additional rooms are to be prepared using their specifications. The total capital injection will be USD 1.8 million.

The arrangement with Jolly Beach will be three to five years and the Government, the owner of Jolly Beach, will earn nearly two million dollars annually on all the taxes and the costs which Alpitour will have to pay during the nine-month period.