We've reached many milestones over the last few years at Christophe Harbour, but none have been more anticipated than this one...  The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Park Hyatt St. Kitts luxury hotel project took place today at Banana Bay.

The groundbreaking ceremony, hosted by Range Developments, was overseen by the Prime Minister of St. Kitts & Nevis, The Right Honourable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas. His Excellency Governor General Sir Edmund Lawrence and a number of local Government officials and project partners were also in attendance.

Speaking at the groundbreaking, Prime Minister Douglas said: “The new Park Hyatt St Kitts will play a significant role in further boosting the international profile of St Kitts & Nevis as a leading tourism and investment destination. But crucially, it will also play a key role in supporting local economic growth and development and providing long-term employment opportunities. I am very pleased to welcome Park Hyatt and Range Developments to the Federation and thank them and their partners for developing this prestigious project.”

The concept and design plans for Park Hyatt St. Kitts were formally approved by the St. Kitts Government in April 2013, and the hotel project is slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2015.

The luxury 5-star hotel, being developed by Range Developments, will be built in contemporary architecture with colonial inspirations and feature 165 rooms and up to 43 branded residences. Once open, Park Hyatt St. Kitts will provide world-class recreational facilities, including a Tom Fazio designed golf course and yacht club.

Munaf Ali, Chief Executive Officer Range Developments, said, “We are pleased to be present at this ground breaking ceremony for Park Hyatt St. Kitts in under a year from when we launched the project in Dubai. We look forward to the hotel’s rapid construction and are glad that the local population will be a part of the development of St. Kitts’ crown jewel”.

Adding to this, Pat McCudden, Senior Vice President, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, remarked, “The ground breaking for Park Hyatt St Kitts is a milestone and will continue our company’s tradition of delivering an unprecedented level of luxury and unrivalled hospitality experience”. The Banana Bay hotel project will be the first Park Hyatt in the Caribbean.