By the Caribbean Journal staff

A major new resort is coming to Barbados.

The Wyndham Hotel Group has announced plans to develop a new five-star project on the island.

The 450-room resort will be called Sam Lord’s Castle Barbados, a Wyndham Grand resort.

Set at the former site of a famous pirate site called Sam Lord’s Castle, the new-construction project is being developed with Barbados Tourism Investment, Inc and will be managed by Wyndham Hotel Group.

The property will include three restaurants, 20,000 square feet of meeting space and a luxury spa.

It will be the first Wyndham-branded resort in Barbados and one of the major branded properties among Barbados hotels, long dominated by independents.

“The famous buccaneer Sam Lord settled in this area for its beauty and mystique. Today, we believe he selected the perfect location for our continued growth in the Caribbean,” said Paulo Pena, president and managing director, Latin America and the Caribbean for Wyndham Hotel Group. “This new hotel’s spectacular design will surely become an icon for guests in search of unique 5-star offerings and amenities.”

The original site was a Georgian mansion built by Lord in 1820 but was later destroyed by a fire.

The project is slated to open in 2018.

“Each year Barbados hosts more and more visitors as it continues to position itself as a top vacation spot in the Caribbean. The development of Sam Lord’s Castle Barbados, A Wyndham Grand Resort, will offer guests the beauty of our beaches and access to our distinctive history, merged with the luxurious experience that the Wyndham Grand brand offers to travelers around the world,” said Everton Walters, chairman of Barbados Tourism Investment Inc.