Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Grand Cayman - From DOT

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Opening in GCM

The Mandarin Oriental Grand Cayman?s next high end hotel project to be built on the quiet northern coast, has been delayed by Hurricane Ivan.

William Steward, managing director of Chalmers Gibbs (CGMJ), the firm of architects that is designing the $45 million ?boutique? hotel off the Queens Highway, said that although paperwork is proceeding on schedule, the building work has had to be put back.

?It was planned to commence building in 2005 and to complete the project in 2007. But it is safe to say that the storm has delayed progress as we have to wait for some recovery of the construction industry,? he said.

The preliminary drawings ? which are subject to change ? show 10 buildings tucked away amid natural vegetation, no more than three storeys high. The hotel, which contains 114 suites, places emphasis on the spa, which features 11 treatment rooms with the latest facilities.

The resort will include an all-day restaurant with 90 seats, a specialty dining room seating 50 and two small cafes at the spa and the pool.

Steward feels that the area will be greatly enhanced by the resort. ?I couldn?t think of a nicer building to have there. It will be a low scale building and it wont overpower the landscape.? He said. ?There will be major benefits associated with this development. If I was a business up there, I would be ecstatic,? he added.

The development ties in with other ambitious plans for improving the eastern districts. The proposal for a new airport still stands; the lack of runway space at the Owen Roberts Airport has prompted in investigations into an alternate site in spacious East End.

The National Roads Authority meanwhile has recently dusted off old plans for a Central Highway from Frank Sound Road to the Morritt?s Tortuga Club, the biggest hotel in East End with more than 200 rooms.

Since opening its flagship hotel in Hong Kong in the early 1960s, the Mandarin Oriental group has grown to become one of the world?s leading hotel brands. There are 18 Mandarin Oriental hotels worldwide, including facilities in Bermuda and Miami, plus a further five under construction including the Riviera Maya in Mexico.

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 7:15 pm Post subject:

Joe,

that all sounds PRETTY EXCITING! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the idea of a building only a few stories high that blends in with the surroundings, doesn't overpower them........like they build in Bermuda..........

Celine Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 11:16 am Post subject:

UPDATE: From Caymanian Compass:

Mandarin group gets project

Tuesday 21st June, 2005 Posted: 15:23 CIT (20:23 GMT)

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced that it will manage an exclusive hideaway resort under development in the secluded Barefoot Beach area of Grand Cayman.

The project will extend the group?s successful hideaway concept, designed for sophisticated travellers in search of tranquillity, serenity and luxury, to a premier travel destination in the Caribbean.

The resort is scheduled to open in 2007, according to a company press release.

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Cayman, will be a hideaway with 114 guest rooms and suites overlooking the Caribbean, set on a 10?acre site featuring a 950?foot stretch of pristine white sand known as Barefoot Beach.

All resort guest accommodations feature expansive outdoor terraces and balconies providing panoramic ocean views.

The development will include 37 private residences designed as luxurious condominiums, providing an opportunity for ownership in Grand Cayman.

When owners are not in residence, the condominiums will be converted into additional hotel accommodation, which is included in the total 114?room count.

Mandarin Oriental, Grand Cayman, will be a 35?minute drive from the main international airport and the centre of George Town.

It will blend into the lush, tropical landscape and beachfront. Guest?room and suite interiors will incorporate traditional Caribbean design with delicate Asian touches. Each room will be equipped with Mandarin Oriental?s signature in?room technology and sophisticated entertainment systems.

Dining choices

Alfresco dining and an eclectic choice of cuisine will be provided in six restaurants and bars, each offering ocean views.

In keeping with the group?s award?winning spa concepts, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Grand Cayman, will establish new standards of well being, offering experiences to soothe, restore and revitalize.

The 18,000 square?foot spa will feature 11 treatment rooms including two VIP couples suites, state?of?the?art heat?and?water treatments, an outdoor Watsu pool, and a caf? with tailor?made spa cuisine.

Four speciality spa guestrooms, directly adjoining the spa facility, will be available for guests seeking an all?encompassing spa experience.

Spa programmes will be guided by Mandarin Oriental?s experienced spa experts, trained in wellness and dedicated to the needs of every client.

As with all Mandarin Oriental spas, the heritage of the group mandates inclusion of exclusive mind?body?spirit rituals rooted in Asian custom.

Dive site

Water enthusiasts will find Mandarin Oriental, Grand Cayman, a world?class site for offshore scuba diving and snorkelling, with a natural barrier reef, shallow reefs and a famed coral wall on the resort?s doorstep.

The property?s Water Sport Center will equip guests for a full roster of water activities, including windsurfing and kayaking. Deep?sea fishing, boat rentals and parasailing tours are conveniently located nearby.

The resort also features two outdoor swimming pools, two tennis courts and a state?of?the?art fitness centre.

City shopping trips, tours of the nearby botanical garden or golf?tee times on the lush fairways near the property, can be arranged by the hotel.

?The resort?s idyllic, secluded location provides Mandarin Oriental with a unique opportunity to introduce the group?s hideaway experience to travellers to this exquisite Caribbean island. With an oceanfront spa, oversized guestrooms and Mandarin Oriental?s legendary service, this will be a remarkable hideaway, offering all the luxury quality and attention to detail for which our Group is renowned,? said Edouard Ettedgui, Group Chief Executive of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

The resort is being developed by Barefoot Resorts, Ltd., a private?investment company formed by the experienced Naples, Florida?based development team of G. Stuart Wood and Jeffrey J. Cotter, and Grand Cayman?s Naul Bodden.

The internationally established firm of Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates of Atlanta, Georgia, will design the resort, and Duncan & Miller of Dallas, Texas, will develop the hotel?s interior.

?Grand Cayman continues to grow in importance as a leisure?and?cultural destination for upscale travellers from around the world,? said Mr. Wood, principal of Barefoot Resorts, Ltd.

?We?re delighted to partner with Mandarin Oriental in order to bring a new and unprecedented level of luxury hospitality ?? truly the first of its kind ?? to Grand Cayman.?

Posted: Mon May 08, 2006 11:10 am Post subject:

Mandarin's website still lists a 2008 opening of the resort. Have they even started construction? Does anyone know how far from the Reef Resort this location is?

gd Diving

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:12 pm Post subject:

Anyone have any updates on this development?

gd Diving

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