Above: the Ocean Terrace Inn

By the Caribbean Journal staff

St Kitts’ Ocean Terrace Inn has appointed New York-based Richard Williams & Associates to rebrand and manage the turnaround of the historic property.

The hotel, which has been in St Kitts since 1969, will remain open for business during the 2013-2014 tourism season. It will close after Easter in 2014 for the first phase of what it described as a “substantial property-wide refurbishment.”

The project is being funded by a loan from the St Kitts and Nevis Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation in the amount of $5 million.

RWA said it had established three major priorities as part of the rebranding process: investing in green energy technology to reduce the hotel’s energy demand by one third, building a “state-of-the-art information and telecommunication platform” and improving the property’s “history of providing outstanding guest service.”

“The Ocean Terrace Inn’s employees are already well-recognized for their service, but we believe in the power of continual improvement,” Richard Williams said in a release. “The renovations and extensive training program will give the staff a renewed sense of purpose and pride in welcoming our guests back when the hotel re-opens after the massive refresh is completed in the fall of 2014.”

The project is set to conclude in October 2014.

“When this project is completed OTI will be even better poised to represent the very best of Kittitian and Caribbean hospitality,” said St Kitts and Nevis Tourism Minister Ricky Skerritt. “We are especially pleased to have Richard Williams & Associates playing this vital role in the development of our tourism infrastructure.”

The Ocean Terrace Inn is owned by the St Kitts Nevis Anguilla Trading and Development Co, Ltd.