Above: the Royal St Kitts Hotel

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Royal St Kitts Hotel is planning to complete its renovation by 2015, according to St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas.

Upon completion, the renovated property will have 224 rooms and a four-star designation.

“We we have taken an approach of renovating the entire property to a four-star quality,” said the resort’s John Zuliani, “The first phase began in January 2013 and we have 62 completed units as part of that Phase 1. We completed 40 units as part of Phase 2, so that’s about 50 percent of the overall property completed.”

Another 72 units are set for completion by Aug. 31 of this year, with 50 more units by the January 2015 date, he said.

The overall cost of the renovation project is around $20 million, he said, with $10 million having been spent so far on construction.

“You know it’s giving the old lady a face lift. The property was old. It was getting outdated and we had to renovate,” he said. “We are not trying to be a five-star property. We are trying to be a four-star resort that is clean, affordable and target that middle market.”

The property will include studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom properties. The renovation is also slated to include another Indian restaurant and a new gym, among other features.

“My family has done for over 30 years of service to this country in the hospitality industry,” he said. “We had a period where we were closed. We had to renovate the property and accommodate whether it is long term tenants or overnight visitors. We have to cater for all and then there is our goal to keep the staff employed and keep the operation going.”