I have to write this very quickly as we are preparing our downtown gallery for the return of Monarch of the Seas on Thursday and Norwegian Sea tomorrow. Its a token of Royal Caribbean's confidence in the good condition of the island that they are bringing in a $300M ship so soon. After hurricane Luis they waited 3 MONTHS!
I picked up some after hurricane photos today and will start putting them online soon. They were processed courtesy of Benjies Photo center and Brown's Bay Villas. They clearly show that damage here is not that bad. I took several wide shots that show how few houses have serious damage. The shots of Jolly Harbour are so nice that it's hard to believe the storm was here only a week ago.
The official word from the tourist office about our hotels is pretty meager but I will add "observations" in due course. Here is what they say (with a few comments).
Antigua Village
Minimal damage. OPEN
Allegro Pineapple Beach Hotel
Minimal damage to 40 rooms, in the process of cleaning up dining area
which was hardest hit from water damage. OPEN
Antigua Beachcomber Hotel
Some rooms sustain damage and are closed. OPEN
Blue Waters Beach Hotel
Minimal damage, mainly water. Opening 1 December, 1998
Club Antigua
Minimal mainly water damage. Opening 21 November, 1998
Curtain Bluff Resort
No structural damage, property will be open as scheduled. Openning 17
October, 1998
Coco's
Closed for refurbishing
Dickenson Bay Cottages
No damage report. OPEN
Galleon Beach Club
Some water damage. To open within 2 months.
Galley Bay
No structural damage. All buildings intact. Little or no
roof damage. Good amount of water damage, property will need to
"dry" out. Opening 1 October, 1998
Halcyon Heights
Minimal structural damage, hotel remains operational. OPEN
Hawksbill Beach Resort
Some structural and water damage. To open within 2 months.
HBK Villa Rentals/Jolly Harbour Beach
No structural damage, mainly water. OPEN
Heritage Hotel
Fully operational, some water damage to air conditioners. OPEN
The Inn at English Harbour
Some damage, repairs necessary. To open within 2 months.
Joe Mike's Hotel Plaza
Fully operational
Jolly Harbour
Water damage, plans to re-open within a few days.
Mango Bay Hotel and Beach Club
Minimal structural damage, currently operational. Property to confirm
if they will close. OPEN
Marina Bay Beach Resort
No water or structural damage reported. OPEN
OPBM Time Sharing - Jolly Harbour
Minimal damage. To be open in one week
See my report tomorrow
Piggotsville Hotel
Operational. OPEN
Rex Halcyon Cove
Property closed today (Sept 23) until further notice. Closed until
further notice.(Sounds bad doesn't it? I was there and only 4 or 5
rooms appear to have lost their roofs. The pool was drained already
for refilling. The grounds contained a lot of garden debris that
could be cleared in a matter of days. Their beach is perfect.....
Nick)
Rex Blue Heron
Property flooded, closed until further notice. Opening date
forthcoming. (But the beach looks wonderful!)
Royal Antiguan
No damage, will remain operational. Some windows in lobby
broken. Damage to landscaping. OPEN (These guys did a great job
of repairing their properties after LUIS. I heard no complaints, and
I talk to thousands of tourists at Island Arts. I expect conditions
there will be good when they re-open.....Nick)
Sandals (Antigua) Resort & Spa Minimal damage. Mainly cosmetic. Hotel will close for repairs due to water damage. Opening 1 December, 1998 (What I see of the hotel is mainly roof damage facing east. The grounds are already in above average condition. I feel sure that when they open they will be in very good shape. They already look in better shape than some places that are open. Their beach is perfect..... Nick)
Siboney Beach Club Fully operational. OPEN
Sunsail Club Colonna Minimal damage. Opening 7 November, 1998
St. James's Club No major structural damage some buildings lost portions of their roofs. Quite a bit of water damage. Property will be closed for at least 30 days. Opening 21 October, 1998 (tentative)
Stephendale Hotel No structural damage, but no electricity. OPEN
HALF MOON BAY BEACH Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 08:42:02 -0300
This frank report from MARTHA WATKINS GILKES <gilkesm@candw.ag> Organization: FANTA SEA ISLAND LIMITED OF ANTIGUA, WEST INDIES on debris at Half Moon Beach. This is a spectacular beach but the hotel that was there was a fatal victim of LUIS in 1995. Consequently the beach has no one immediately clearing the debris like beaches with operational hotels.
"NICK... a short report... will be back to you on MILL REEF later..
The biggest problem with the beach: TREE DAMAGE... many uprooted... and a lot of garbage that has washed up - both man made and seaweed.... this will have to be cleaned up somehow...AND WILL BE sooner or later. The beautiful white sand is STILL THERE although there are some rocky areas which will probably be covered over in time. ... still be one of our most beautiful beaches and certainly by "the season", will be ready to be enjoyed by the tourists and locals alike."
"don elmore" <aboardrf@hotmail.com> reports on the conditions at Aboard Refrigeration a company specializing in marine refrigeration for our extensive yachting community
"Dear Nick,
Aboard Refrigeration will be in full operation on the 12th of October. We sustained only a little flooding which happens frequently anyway due to plumbing problems.
We will do what we can to let the world know we will be ready for the tourists during the season.
Thanks again.
Eileen and Don"
