The official reopening of CuisinArt Resort and Spa on Saturday, October 15, has broken the seemingly long, but temporary closure, of the 2015-2016 tourism season which resulted in a sag in Anguilla’s economy. The next move by the owner and management of the hotel will be the opening of its new sister resort – The Reef by CuisinArt – on November 10.
There was a mass attendance of employees for the CuisinArt reopening ceremony comprising those assigned to both locations of the extended luxury property. Excited and fully-motivated by the opportunities available to them and the training they have been receiving, the several hundred employees listened attentively as Mr. Stephane Zaharia, First Vice President and General Manager of the property, addressed them.
“We are the largest property in Anguilla. We are sitting on three hundred acres with two hotels, one golf course, six restaurants and one of the largest spas in the Caribbean,” he told the employees. “We have three, if not four, boutiques on this estate; one of the best beaches in the world; and most important, the best people in the world.”
He continued: “With the Reef by CuisinArt coming in, we are definitely in the spotlight; and it is not only the Reef that is in the spotlight. It is the entire property that is in the spotlight. The Reef could not exist if CuisinArt was not successful; the Reef will not be successful if CuisinArt is not successful. It is all going together. We are all working together and we need to promote each other; to send people to our different restaurants and to our spa and the different boutiques. As I said, we are the largest property not only in Anguilla but in the Caribbean. This is really an historical achievement that we are now moving on to opening the Reef.”
Mr. Zaharia disclosed that he had just returned to Anguilla from a series of marketing and sales meetings, in New York, which included CuisinArt’s own team, tour operators, travel agents, public relations companies and journalists with the travel trade press. “The essence of my visit was to attend a very large gala hosted by a very important tour operator called ‘The Island Destination’ and we won an award,” Mr. Zaharia proudly reported. “It was that we were the best culinary hotel in their portfolio that represents a hundred hotels world-wide. We were the first one that they congratulated. That was in front two hundred travel agents. What a great exposure, what a great pedestal to be on that says send you clients to CuisinArt and to the Reef. This is an exciting moment for us, and I want to make certain that all of you working here are putting in 200% of yourself to the resort. We can only do that together.”
Director of Human Resources, Ms. Carleen Gumbs, said the management of the resort, and her department, had followed a special internal arrangement for promoting staff within the resort. Accordingly, there were a total of forty-five promotions and transfers to fill various positions of responsibility at the two hotels as well as the golf course. She took the opportunity to announce the names of all of the employees who were either promoted or transferred.
Mr. Zaharia noted that Mr. Peron Supersaud, the newly-appointed Resort Manager, was the only top management person brought in from outside the property. In congratulating him, Mr. Zaharia said Supersaud, a highly-experienced Anguillian, was an example to them – that if they aspire to achieve they too can fill lofty positions in the hospitality industry.
Replying, Supersaud said he had always enjoyed a close working relationship with CuisinArt and was now happy to be part of the executive team and leadership – and to take the property to an even higher level. “You have already accomplished so much and I know it is nothing short of all of your efforts,” he stated. “This is only a lot of buildings. You are the heartbeat of this resort.”
Speaking separately to The Anguillian, Mr. Supersaud said: “I started twenty years ago at the Mariners Hotel. I was there for about two years and then went to Sonesta, so it is almost a full circle where I am now back at the same property. I held various management positions for the past fifteen years.” Other places at which he served were Cap Juluca and Viceroy Anguilla.
Currently, CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa and the Reef by CuisinArt are making arrangements to host a 30-member group and other special guests who will be visiting Anguilla. Another coming big event will be the Epicurean Dinner in honour of world famous French Chef, Paul Bocuse. That event is slated for November 2-6 in the run-up to the grand opening of The Reef by CuisinArt on November 10, as mentioned earlier.
