By the Caribbean Journal staff

A major new hotel project has broken ground on the island of Dominica.

The Anichi Resort and Spa broke ground this week in the town of Portsmouth on the northern portion of the island.

The 120-room hotel will be part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, with plans to debut in late 2019, according to a statement from the Discover Dominica Authority.

“This ground breaking ceremony is particularly relevant post Hurricane Maria, as it shows the resiliency of our people while instilling trust in the economic climate and hope in the tourism industry in Dominica,” said Alick Lawrence, CEO of Anichi Development.

The project is being funded by the real estate component of Dominica’s citizenship by investment program.

It’s the third big project in the pipeline for the island, along with the 160-room Kempinski-branded Cabrits Resort, and the relaunched Jungle Bay project.

The Anichi groundbreaking ceremony in Dominica this week.

The Kempinski is the brainchild of Range Developments, which spearheaded the recently-debuted Park Hyatt in St Kitts.

Jungle Bay is the reimaginging (and expansion) of a property that was totally destroyed by Hurricane Maria into a 120-room property.