St Kitts and Nevis: Premier Brantley welcomes US Ambassador to historic Bath hotel

The United States Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean and Barbados, Roger Nyhus, paid a courtesy call to Premier Mark Brantley at the historic Bath Hotel in Nevis. This was Nyhus's first official visit to Nevis since his appointment in January 2024.

The United States and St Kitts and Nevis have shared a friendly and cooperative diplomatic relationship since the island nation gained independence. The islands’ geographical location makes it an ideal strategic partner for the US to further their maritime interests and regional security.

This visit acts as a stepping stone for the diplomatic influence Nyhus will garner throughout his career. Premier Brantley welcomed him and shared some information through his socials.

Premier Brantley took to Twitter to share glimpses of the visit and said, “I welcomed US Ambassador to St Kitts and Nevis HE Roger Nyhus and we toured the historic Bath Hotel which is being renovated through a grant from the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. Our relationship with the United States is stronger than ever.”

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The Bath Hotel has recently started undergoing renovation and was done so through funds allocated through a grant from the US Ambassador.

The location is considered historic for a variety of reasons, constructed in 1778, the hotel is one of the oldest continually operating hotels in the Caribbean, this alone makes it a landmark. It possesses Georgian architecture reflecting the colonial era of the Caribbean.

It gained literary relevance after being mentioned in Louisa May Alcott’s now classic novel “Little Women”, making it an attractive sight for bookworms all over the globe.

The Hotel has hosted countless notable figures including presidents, celebrities, writers and so on; it still serves as a gathering place for prominent and influential figures implying that past decisions made within the compounds have had an influence on world history.

Overall, the Bath Hotel's historical significance stems from its longevity, architectural importance, literary connection, association with prominent figures, contribution to tourism development, and commitment to preserving its heritage.

It was in recognition of this that the US Ambassador green-lit allocation of funds to preserve the hotel's rich legacy.

Expressing his gratitude Brantley remarked “We want to welcome you to Nevis. We are very grateful that on this trip, which was for official purposes, you were able to visit us over here and to come to Bath Hotel because the renovations that are being done here have been done in large measure through the assistance of the United States Government”

Nyhus responded by saying “I’m really happy to visit with you here in your beautiful island. I actually will be back both professionally and personally, and I intend to visit frequently.”

He goes on to say “I think we have so many issues of common interest, addressing climate change as we were just discussing, economic development. I spent 30 years in the private sector and I am really excited to share those connections and help introduce American businesses to Nevis and I really look forward to partnering with you as [this is] a beginning of a very fruitful relationship and building on our past successes like the Bath Hotel”

The Ambassador visited the Hamilton House on Hunkins Drive, the birthplace of one of the founding fathers Alexander Hamilton.