PM Harris remains silent on the Ritz-Carlton and Six Senses projects

One year ago Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris announced that he had attracted the Ritz-Carlton and Six Senses luxury hotel brands to St. Kitts and construction was to start on each project during the course of 2018.

During a press conference on February 1, 2018, Dr Harris announced that construction of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel will begin in September 2018 and open in 2021 on the Southeast Peninsula.

Dr Harris said the 125-suite resort will include 25 branded villas and residences, as well as a luxury spa, several swimming pools and indoor and outdoor dining facilities.

“The Ritz-Carlton Resort will create over 300 new jobs when construction starts – and they expect to start later on this year in 2018,” said Harris at a press conference.

Then on March 4, 2018, Prime Minister Harris at a signing ceremony announced that Six Senses will begin construction of the five-star resorts at La Vallee in September 2018 providing more than 500 jobs to residents of Sandy Point, Fig Tree, La Valle and surrounding areas.

“All of the projected 70 pool villas and The Retreat enjoy sea views. Six Senses Spa St Kitts will feature a menu of Six Senses specialty treatments as well as Caribbean healing traditions and rejuvenation journeys, Six Senses Integrative Wellness, detox, yoga and workshops.  An Alchemy Bar will be an extension to spa personalization, first developed at Six Senses Spa Douro Valley in Portugal. There will be a dedicated pavilion for yoga and a fully-equipped gym in addition to a spa boutique which will offer products and exclusively developed for Six Senses,” a statement said.

But for months now, Dr Harris and his ministers have been silent on the Ritz-Carlton and Six Senses projects and nothing is happening at both sites.

Most of the local proprietors who were ordered to remove their booths from the public beach at South Friar’s Bay are still there and the land Dr Harris said the Ritz-Carlton will be built on remains in the control of the owner and has not changed hands