Another plank has been laid in the further building of the tourism plant in Anguilla. This time, it is not a high-cost international resort but a moderately-priced local dream project, named L’Atmosphere Guest House, with family ownership and management spanning Anguilla and French St. Martin.
There are two features about this new accommodation, on the market, which had a soft opening on Sunday, July 28. The first is that it has come just in time for the Anguilla Summer Festival – a holiday season in August dominated by carnival and boat-racing activities – patronised by an influx of visitors looking for low-cost accommodation. The second feature, both short and long-term, is that the sprawling guesthouse, with three single and four double bedrooms, is conveniently located in The Valley. It is immediately west of Fair Play Complex, within walking distance to a cluster of private and public sector businesses and offices.
Pastor Philip Gumbs, of the Church of God (Prophecy), prefaced his opening prayer by expressing compliments about the guesthouse. “This is a beautiful moment and I like what is here,” he stated in part. “I like the vision that birthed it, and propelled it forward, because it is offering what is a missing item on Anguilla’s menu of high-end tourism. It offers what has been spoken about – that people want to come to Anguilla but not everybody can stay at a 4,000-dollar-a-night facility.”
The proud owners are well-known businesswoman in Anguilla, Ms. Lina Francillette, of Prestige 1st Stop, her parents, Mr. David Francillette of St. Martin and Mrs. Linda Francillette (who is originally from West End, Anguilla). The Manager is Anguillian Mr. Derrick Carty who has 20 years in the hospitality industry and has worked closely on the design drawings for the project. Prestige is a hair and cosmetic store which Lina established in 2001.
“We were forced to have this soft opening because we had a lot of people from Guadeloupe, and all over the region, looking for accommodation seeing that L’ Atmosphere is in close proximity to carnival village,” Mr. Carty explained. “Everybody wanted to stay at the property because it is centralised. The rooms are set up in single and double occupancy. We have WiFi, flat panel television. Four of the seven rooms have kitchenettes and all the rooms have refrigerators, microwave ovens and other amenities.”
He said the project, which has a Laundromat, was not fully completed as work was in progress on a restaurant to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for guests. A swimming pool is planned for later on.
He stated that in addition to the seven guestrooms there were several sections of the building for rent. These comprise compartments of over 500 square feet each; one unit of 600 square feet; three areas of 800 square feet each; and a very large area close to 2,000 square feet. Mr. Carty stressed that the condition under which the rental spaces were being made available was that: “All businesses must not be competitors but supportive of each other.”He was grateful to all persons “for making this dream happen.” He acknowledged that Lina was the brainchild behind the project and that, using his architectural skills, he had done the drawings for the 86 x 40 square-foot building with the guesthouse on the top level and Prestige 1st Stop on the lower level.
In explaining the name of the guesthouse, Lina said there was a different atmosphere in each of the guestrooms and she hoped that everyone would love the concepts. “My dad and my mom are the main owners of the building. I just represent them,” she added.
Mr. Francillette, her father, said he was born in Guadeloupe but lived in St. Martin. He was delighted to have met and married Linda, “a beautiful woman from West End, Anguilla,” whom he indicated was a credit to him. He became emotional during his discourse, burying his face in her sleeve, as he thought about how she had supported him through their 45 years of marriage.
He was grateful to a number of suppliers in Anguilla who did business with him – thus assisting in facilitating the construction of the complex. He was joined by his wife who spoke about their faith in God as well as the assistance of a number of persons in getting the work completed. Both of them were joined by many of the invited guests for the cutting of the ribbon.
Meanwhile, Premier Victor Banks, the Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, spoke to The Anguillian newspaper about L’ Atmosphere Guest House. “Yes, indeed. It is another plank in our tourist industry,” he observed. “Once again we have an uptown tourist facility where we can capture a lot of the business side of the leisure market travelling out of St. Martin/St. Maarten and other parts of the Caribbean – and I think this adequately fills that void.
“A lot of us didn’t know what was going on here but we are pleasantly surprised by the opening today of L’ Atmosphere by a local Anguillian and her family. The young lady, who has been behind this for a very long time, is Lina Francillette who owns Prestige. I have always admired her passion, energy, competitive spirit and the level of service that she brings to everything she does.
“When she began this project, I know a lot of people looked on and wondered what was going on, but we have had the opportunity to walk through the property and see that she is offering a quality service at a very reasonable price – and this is good for Anguilla. I wish her and her family every success, and I hope that we, as Government, can continue to support her in making sure that the surrounding facilities and access are properly taken care of as this will enhance her business going down the road.”
