LONDON–During a recent interview on Dominica’s Marpin 2K4 TV channel, it was revealed that the Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica would be welcoming guests three weeks prior to its November 2nd opening.
A spokesperson for the development company confirmed last week that the purpose of this was to attract visitors during the island’s October World Creole Music Festival. Around 600 people are said to be working on site and a further 100 jobs are expected to be created in preparation for the anticipated launch this fall.
As Dominica carves out a reputation for its thriving ecotourism industry, the global brand labels the new resort as the place “where luxury meets nature”. The hotel also operates under Dominica’s world-leading Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI), an initiative that offers foreign investors the country’s citizenship in exchange for a monetary contribution, so long as they fulfil all the other requirements and pass a series of strict security checks.
Investors who wish to become economic citizens of Dominica can either contribute to a government-held fund or buy into pre-approved real estate, such as Cabrits Resort Kempinski. After FT ranked Dominica as the world’s best country for second citizenship, three world-class hotels are set to launch in Dominica this year, all CBI-approved, providing applicants and their families with varied options for return on investment.
The world-class brand appointed two veterans in the luxury hotel industry, Michael J. Schoonewagen and Tracy Fentem, to lead the nature resort. Xavier Destribats, Kempinski’s COO for the Americas, commented that ”Kempinski has uncovered the Caribbean’s best-kept secret, the pristine and preserved island of Dominica” and that they would “soon be welcoming global travellers to experience the unspoiled natural beauty of this hidden, but soon to be discovered gem.”
The upcoming Kempinski hotel is located in Portsmouth, Dominica’s second largest town, and has been described as a ‘hideaway resort’, bordering the breathtaking Cabrits National Park. Boasting 160 five-start rooms, numerous swimming pools and a spa, the new venture has already garnered widespread interest from the likes of Forbes, which named it as one of 2019’s most anticipated hotels in the Caribbean.
