Following the news that Elite Island Resorts were on board in the operations of Jolly Beach Resort, questions arose about where this left leisure resort company, Apple Vacations.
Founded in 2001, Apple Vacations is billed as North America’s fastest growing leisure resort company with properties across the Caribbean, Central America and Europe.
Yesterday, Information Minister Melford Nicholas shed some light on the matter during the Post Cabinet Press Briefing.
He revealed that an MOU had never been signed with the US-based company despite recent reports that government had done so in July.
This now means that they will not be going forward with the company on this project.
“No, we did not sign an agreement with Apple Vacations. There was a proposed MOU but as we had indicated we had a couple of options in terms of settling out on how we were dealing with Jolly Beach, and at the background of all of that was the negotiations about the transition of ownership that having now been complete the government has been in position to make a determination as to what option we chose. But even as it was in the form of an MOU, it would have been non-binding and all a part of the negotiation position,” Nicholas said.
However, Nicholas said they will be hoping to partner with Apple Vacations on future projects.
“We still want to maintain an engagement with Apple Vacations because there are other properties that we would like to see developed, certainly next year, and we want to give some of those options or engage Apple Vacations in some of those options like I mentioned the one at Morris Bay.
“They are no longer going to be involved in the operational management of Jolly Beach, that arrangement goes to Elite groups headed by Mr Rob Barrett and, of course, we continue to engage both them and the Sandals group,” he added.
The same can be said for the Sandals hotel chain as according to Nicholas they have indicated their interest in not only expanding their Anchorage location but adding another facility on the island.
It was announced last week that businessman Rob Barrett of Elite Island Resorts was back on board after negotiations fell through with him earlier this year.
The hotelier is reportedly investing US $6 million which he will lend to the government to renovate rooms at the resort and make those severance payments.
The intention is to have 100 rooms ready ahead of the winter tourist season in December 2022.
The Elite Group is said to be one of “a number of options that had been explored” to operate the Jolly Beach Resort and ultimately won the bid to manage the facility.
The government plans to eventually secure ownership of the hotel and its property which is said to be worth US $30 million.