Ritz-Carlton closes for US$50m upgrade

As from the beginning of June, The Dart-owned Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman will be temporarily shutting its doors to the local staycation customer-base it had cultivated since Cayman closed its borders to the resort’s usual high-end jet setters.

It is anticipated that the hefty price tag for the renovation, at US$50 million, will give the resort’s guest rooms a total transformation, as well as completely upgrade its meeting and public areas.

The onset of the pandemic last year and subsequent closing of Cayman’s borders at the height of a booming 2019/2020 winter season had a massive impact on the five-star resort, its General Manager, Marc Langevin, said.

“The impact of the global pandemic certainly shook our business to the core,” he confirmed. “Thanks to the support of our local guests and clients, we were able to transform a moment of crisis into a success story and continue to employ a core of our Ladies and Gentlemen for the past year as well.”

The renovations are scheduled for completion in November, just in time for what the hospitality industry hopes will be some kind of normal high season, following the effective closure of tourism since March 2020. Once finished, guests can expect “a reimagined guest room and suite experience, sophisticated and awe-inspiring public spaces as well as a complete redesign of the resort’s beachfront restaurant,” the Ritz-Carlton said.

A press release from the resort said that the upgrades would include a mix of modern and traditional design elements, as well as employing a good deal of local artwork that the resort has championed since it first opened its doors back in 2005.

“The significant financial investment, especially during such challenging times, reflects the commitment to allow the iconic resort to stay on the forefront of the luxury market in the Caribbean region,” they said.

In addition to the reimagined spaces and enhanced experiences on property, the personalised service that characterised the “Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman” would continue to solidify the resort’s reputation and commitment to its guests, clients, partners and local community upon reopening in fall 2021, they confirmed.