Above: Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Kimpton will be managing a new planned boutique-style hotel in Grand Cayman, according to developer Dart Realty.

The 263-room hotel would be the first new resort development on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach in 10 years. It will also include 56 residences and a group of six beachfront bungalows.

Dart is eyeing a 2016 opening date for the hotel, which would mark Kimpton’s first property in the Caribbean.

“Expanding into the Caribbean was an easy decision for us because of our already strong presence in the major feeder markets such as South Florida, New York, Washington, DC, Chicago and Dallas,” said Kimpton CECO Mike Depatie in a release. “Grand Cayman, with its pristine beaches, world famous diving and diverse, sophisticated melting pot of cultures, made this particular island an especially good fit for a debut of the Kimpton experience in the Caribbean.”
Dart is the developer of the Camana Bay mixed-use project, also on Grand Cayman, along with the Salt Creek neighbourhood.

Dart COO Jackie Doak said Kimpton excelled in “offering stylish yet comfortable hotels and providing genuine, unscripted guest experiences.”

“Perhaps most importantly, we felt that Kimpton’s expertise in creating hotels and restaurants that are distinctly ‘of place’ in the markets in which they operate made them an ideal partner for creating a truly modern Caribbean resort and residences that embody the charm of a tropical paradise that is also a world financial centre.”