American investor and owner of Aurora Anguilla Resort, Mr. Richard M. Schulze, has not only purchased and is redeveloping the former Resort and Residences by CuisinArt, but has just fulfilled one of his commitments to the island.
That commitment is to contribute significantly to tourism airlift to Anguilla. As of October 6, 2021, he brought in his first of four passenger jetliners into the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport for direct flights from Miami or New York, commencing in December.
It was on that occasion that Mr. Schulze announced his further plans for Aurora Resort Anguilla as well as his commitments to the Government and people of the island in terms of education and health, human services – and, of course, additional tourism development.
First of all, he told Anguillian media representatives: “As you all know, our new resort is the former CuisinArt Resort and we are making it over into a resort that we think everybody clearly here on the island will be proud of. And those who are coming in to visit us will have the opportunity to fly in here directly. They won’t have to go through San Juan or St. Maarten. It will be a direct landing right here on Anguilla. That will facilitate the transfer of people as they come from the United States directly to our island.”
Building Amenities
Mr. Schulze continued: “We are going to be building amenities at the resort that they will be engaged in. It will be fun and interesting whether at our new restaurants; or a complete new family entertainment park that we will be building next year. We are redoing the golf course. Greg Norman is helping us to re-engineer the golf course and that will be available for people starting as early as next February. We have had some weather issues in bringing in sand, equipment and other resources to build or rebuild the golf course – and it is all coming together.
Top 100 Golf Course
“We believe we have the opportunity to have one of the top one hundred golf courses in the world right here. We are really excited about that and believe that people will be travelling here, from all around the world, to play. It obviously means that they will be staying here and will be enjoying all that Anguilla has to offer…
New Restaurants
“We are so proud of the people that we have come to meet in Anguilla, and our own employees. I think you probably all know that we have nearly 500 employees and we are excited about each of them. The job they do, taking care of the guests, will be exceptional – so whether they are here to play golf, or to have their families engaged in entertainment amenities, or whether they are attending one of our new restaurants we are putting together, or just some of the new rooms, and all the refurbishing we are doing, I think it is going to be a great stay for them not only at our resort, but also all over the island.”
Speaking mainly to the Government, Mr. Schulze thanked Mr. Kenneth Hodge, Minister of Home Affairs (then Acting Premier) and Premier Dr. Ellis Lorenzo Webster, who he had become closer to, for all they had done for him. He said that assistance was a prelude to the intent of the Schulze Foundation to be an integral part of the Anguillian community.
“We genuinely care about the whole value of partnerships,” he stressed. “I appreciate your reference to that because I believe that business together with Government, together with the population of this great country, can obviously do great things.”
9-Hole Golf Course
Mr. Schulze went on: “We are building a short golf course yet to be named. It will be nine holes and will cover 15 and-a-half acres. It will have one part 4 [of] 20 yards; and 8 part 3s that will range from 78 yards to 160 yards. It will be designed so that people who play the game can refine it on the golf course; and those who are studying to play golf, for the first time, will have an opportunity to learn to play the game.
“We are intending to have cadies on the golf course. We are confident that there are going to be plenty of people here on the island who will want to get familiar with the game itself; can learn how to be cadies; and how to work with golfers who can show them how to play the game really very well. The way that things are scheduled right now, we should be pretty much ready for the first nine holes [on the main golf course] – like January or February; and we will have 18 holes by April May; and the short course will join in May/June. We want to make sure that it is completed, in great condition, and will be enjoyable for every person who steps there to play the game.
Family Entertainment Park, Etc
The entertainment park is going to be exciting. We believe families need to be here. We need children of all ages, and parents to be here, to enjoy all that Anguilla and our resort has to offer. We will have a principal water park; a lazy river; tropical pools and waterfalls; a swim-up bar; and water slides. We will also have a full array of courts – all the way from tennis courts to basketball courts… to volley ball courts. There will be childcare centres; youth centres; miniature golf; rock-climbing walls; food trucks upfront – and we are going to cap it off with a stadium seating, for live entertainment weekly, for 500 people. Part of that entertainment is going to be the population of the island which will be invited to come and join in what we will be having not only for our hotel guests, but for the people of the island as well.
“We want this to be a real magnet and place for enjoyment, relaxation, fun, festivity. We are so blessed to have started off with about 300 employees who were formerly at CuisinArt who are now joined by almost 200 more. We are deeply involved in their induction and training in the kind of service that we believe will be memorable for everybody staying at our resort.”
Giving Back To Community
The owner of Aurora Anguilla Resort added: “We couldn’t be prouder to be a partner here and part of the community. We have plans that we have discussed with both Minister Hodge, as well as with the Premier, on how we can give back to the community. And that giving back will be in the form of how we can impact education on the island as well as health and human services. So we are not going to be standing by. We are going to be actively engaged …in what it takes to be integral to, and with, the community as a whole.
“We would like to bring other forms of business to the island so that there are more economies that you can actually point to as stronger than what was here. We know that 85 percent or so of the economy is tourism. That’s all great but, personally, we think it should be more. And it is a matter of partnering with the Government to see what else we can do, as a business venture, to bring more areas of trade and economy to this island…
“I can’t say how proud I am to be a contributor – to be participant – and somebody who actually vests himself, his family, and all our employees, in what it takes to set the stage for new, great, strong and meaningful ways in which we can be a participant in helping to grow the economy and be a part of the entire community in Anguilla.”
