The long-awaited renovation and reopening of Malliouhana Hotel and Spa at Meads Bay moved closer to reality with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday, February 1.
The MOU was signedby Chief Minister and Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Investment, Commerce and Tourism, the Hon Hubert Hughes, on behalf of the Anguilla Government, and Mr Benjamin Weprin (on behalf of a group of US investors) along with Mr Mark Harmon for the operator, Auberge Resorts.
Mr. Hughes commended the Tourism Investment Committee for working extremely hard to bring about the signing of the MOU. He recalled that for sometime now the owner of the property, Mr Leon Royden, assisted by his son, Nigel Royden, had been trying to sell the resort to someone whom he and the Government could accept.
The Chief Minister told the new investors and developers: “It is very important that you are here because you have been accepted by us. I know that we will go on together in harmony and you will find us very much in your favour. We will definitely do our best to ensure that whatever happens here goes smoothly…You have one of the best places in the Caribbean and we will make you feel happy as we sign this Memorandum of Understanding.”
Replying, Mr. Mark Harmon, CEO of Auberge Resorts, said his company was entrusted with the responsibility and pleasure of managing thehotel and restoring it to its glory in partnership with the investors and developers.
“We take on that task with humility because we know there is a wonderful tradition here that helped to establish Anguilla as an island of exceptional quality and a culinary destination,” he continued. “Among other things, there was a wine cellar here of over 25,000 bottles, and the awards and accolades this property received made it second to none in the Caribbean when it was at its peak.
“For us to be inheriting that tradition, and honouring and respecting that tradition, which Nigel and his father have created – and which we are thankful for – is certainly an honour for all us to be here. We are very grateful. This is an extraordinarily beautiful place and, looking around, we know the magic is still here. We will breathe life into it. We will bring our best energy to create this as a wonderful place, and we are very excited to begin work immediately on bringing this property back to life.”
Mr. Harmon also thanked the Anguilla Government for its support, and said that the investors and developers were looking forward to a partnership “to create something truly exceptional.”
Mr. Nigel Royden said he was pleased that the signing of the MOU had movedthe transfer of Malliouhana closer, and that the Auberge group was going to be taking over the resort. “I think their reputation around the worldis such that I am sure that they are going to do an excellent job and hopefully get the hotel to the top of the Caribbean,” he added.
Meanwhile, some members of the group spoke to The Anguillian about the way forward.Mr. Harmon said: “We are completing our process of preparing our plans for the refreshing and renovation of the hotel. Since it has been closed for nearly two years now, there are some things that need to be addressed before we can reopen. The pools need to be fixed; the equipment needs to be restored; and we need to bring in furniture as we really plan the activities for the reopening of the hotel. We are very much in the middle of that and to bring it to a process where we can invest in the property.”
The hotel currently has 55 rooms. Asked whether there were plans for further expansion, Mr. Harmon replied: “It is always possible that the hotel could be expanded, but we believe that what is here is wonderful and it just needs to be restored. That’s all we are planning to do immediately. We have a great group of investors that are committed to making this one of the great hotels in the world and we are thrilled about that support and relationship.”
A major investor is Mr. David Steinhardt. He and his family have been coming to Anguilla for 25 years and were the original owners of a home at Covecastles as well as guests at Malliouhana. “It is very special for me to come back here and to be part of this group that is going to hopefully restore Malliouhana,” he commented.
The Project/Construction Managers are Greg Togel and Chad Meldrum of TANDEM, a leader in programme management services in the Caribbean region.They will be working towards revitalising the property and to have it reopened on a date to be determined. A number of local contractors and suppliers will be engaged in the work.
The signing ceremony was chaired by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development, Investment, Commerce and Tourism, Foster Rogers, who is also the leader of the Tourism Investment Committee.
