Above: the Biras Creek resort in Virgin Gorda (CJ Photo)
By Alexander Britell
The Biras Creek resort in Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands has closed its doors.
The property, set on 140 acres near the North Sound of Virgin Gorda, announced the decision on its Facebook page.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that we have discontinued operations of Biras Creek Resort due to a variety of business reasons,” the hotel said in a statement. “The future of the property is unknown at this time. As this marks an end of an era, we would like to take this time to offer our deepest gratitude to our incredible staff and management at Biras Creek, our loyal guests, and the British Virgin Island’s government who have supported and worked in good faith with us over the years.”
The 31-room property also announced the closure on its Web site.
“We are exploring all options to relocate existing reservations and will be in touch with each guest individually as soon as possible,” the resort said on the site.
Biras Creek was one of the British Virgin Islands’ most acclaimed hotels, including by Caribbean Journal.
In a statement, British Virgin Islands Premier Dr Orlando Smith said there were some 73 workers who would be affected by the closure, including 23 British Virgin Islanders. He also said he hoped the resort could reopen.
“I am hopeful that we can find a way to re-open the property in the Fall and my Government will work with the resort’s owners, through their local representative, to explore all avenues to do just that,” he said. “We are committed to doing everything possible to soften the impact of the resort closure on the workers, their families and the community.”
The resort had been operated since 2006 by Victor International through a leasehold arrangement. Smith said he understood that Victor would be transitioning approximately 18 of the hotel’s former staff to the nearby Oil Nut Bay development on Virgin Gorda, which is owned by Victor International.
“This is a difficult issue, not just for the staffers and their families, but for the territory,” Smith said.