Believe it or not, a significant part of the current Viceroy Anguilla story has to do with the signs of the times. This is not just in religious terms of course, even though a frenzy of selling and buying is predicted in the last days. It is, to a major extent, the way of business ventures around the world these days – changing hands ever so often in a world of competitive bargaining and real estate investment, where quality of product and profitability are key words for any serious investor.
If one should review the history of the above resort in Anguilla, over the last several years, this is certainly not the first time that it has been in the throes, so to speak, of changing ownership or management hands. On the previous occasion the present Anguilla Government received a large sum of money, in transfer and other taxes and fees from the sale of the property, and committed the same to balancing the budget rather than paying off the millions owed to public servants in salary deductions. This time, with today’s property values and prices rising, despite a slow recovering global economy, the Government is expected to fetch a greater amount of windfall money from the sale of the upmarket hotel.
The resort has successfully emerged from an early situation where there was much difficulty in its construction stages in terms of money and labour. The previous Government of Anguilla, anxious for economic development, through the quick completion of the project, was severely criticised by the present ruling Anguilla United Movement Government for allowing the importation of hundreds of construction workers from south-east Asia. The project owners themselves suffered much from that criticism. But today, the resort, managed by Viceroy Hotel Group of Los Angeles, California, has developed into a major leading hotel in Anguilla.
It has become a keen attraction for the rich and famous and is largely responsible for the fleet of seasonal jet aircraft flying into Anguilla with wealthy travellers from various parts of the United States and Europe. Next to Government, the resort is the second source of gainful employment in Anguilla. All this, and more, the resort, its present owner, Starwood Capital, and Viceroy, the management company, have accomplished with a hard-working and dedicated team of colleagues despite the Chief Minister having once, and wrongly so, labelled the hotel as a “slave colony”. What is beyond denial is that, without this resort and Viceroy, its manager and brand name, Anguilla would have been in a woefully sad state today.
The fact that there is a potential buyer is testament to the high value, unique standard and present and future profitability of the property. No wonder Viceroy Hotel Group, which has a list of renowned properties under its capable management, is vying to continue to manage its operations. No wonder the over 500 colleagues employed there have reapplied for their positions as the sale process goes on, despite the questionable advice of one of the Government’s politicians who, at a recent public meeting, shouted that they should not resign from their previous jobs (a prelude to reapplying and possible reemployment). Throughout the corporate world, businesses change ownership ever so often and it is not odd, alarming, or scary, when it happens in little Anguilla although, admittedly, some anxiety or uncertainty cannot be ruled out. It is a matter of normal understanding that a new owner will most likely wish to have a controlling hand in the reemployment of workers and should not therefore be denied that right. It is hoped, however, that there will be a mass rehiring of the employees who, under Viceroy, have enjoyed being referred to as colleagues – giving them a sense of belonging, worth, respect and trust.
The Government appeared to have panicked when it became clear that the workers had to reapply for their jobs. One wonders which was the greater concern: their welfare or the timing of the event with a general election just around the corner and the consequent need for their vote. The Chief Minister and Minister of Labour was quick to allegedly say that the 600 workers (to use his figure) represented a significant impact in the electoral constituencies, and hence the need for all politicians to involve themselves in the meetings and discussions on the sale of the resort. It was pathetic for politics to have been brought into the picture in this manner. All of a sudden the Government cares about the Viceroy workers. Is this because an election is coming up? Comparatively, why did the Government remain silent when, over a period of many months, about half of the Cap Juluca workers lost their jobs? Was it because there was no talk then about an election? Or, the Government simply did not care, given its controversy and stand-off with the owners of Cap Juluca?
The Viceroy situation remains high on everybody’s mind; and its sale, as mentioned above, is a sign of the times of businesses changing ownership which Anguilla has to get accustomed to in a volatile corporate world. The initial frenzy shown by Government, seemingly to protect the rights of workers, but in an allegedly vote-catching strategy, is also a sign of the times of a pending general election, just as the flurry of billboards, symbols and posters which have suddenly increased around the island, now also indicates.
