Business as usual for St. Lucia resort

The Jalousie Plantation on the scenic west coast of St Lucia is open for business as usual, as enhancement work on the property continues at pace.

While there had been plans to close Jalousie this summer for a US$100 million renovation and relaunch as The Tides Sugar Beach, the hotel's management company, Kor Hotel Group, and the property owner Roger Myers, as a result of a request from the St Lucian Government, have decided to continue operating the hotel in tandem with the development of new luxury villa suites.

Located in the Val des Pitons (Valley of the Pitons), a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Jalousie Plantation has a spectacular setting with 192 acres of rainforest and the only white sand beach on St Lucia.

The sheer size of the site means the enhancements can be carried out in isolated areas on the property with minimal disruption to hotel services and guests.

The majority of the new luxury, villa suites are expected to be completed by the end of 2009, with a brief closure period scheduled for the summer of 2010 to facilitate final enhancements to the hotel’s public areas. Once works are complete, The Jalousie Plantation will be relaunched and re-branded as Tides Sugar Beach, St Lucia, part of Kor's acclaimed 'chic by the shore' Tides hotel brands, which also includes properties in Miami's South Beach and Mexico's popular Riviera Maya and Zihuatanejo resort areas.

Currently, nine of the new villa suites are in operation with additional villa suites scheduled for completion by mid-February 2009. The new suites are being offered as an additional room category alongside the existing Jalousie Plantation rooms, which retain much of their original French Caribbean plantation charm, stunning views, and a tranquil holiday setting.

Described as "plantation elegant," the new villa suites boast butler service, four-poster beds, air conditioning, flat screen TV and iPod station, enormous walk-in body shower, claw foot bathtub, oversize plunge pool, and luxurious 700 thread count linens.

With three restaurants, a world class spa and full PADI dive facilities right on the beach, The Jalousie Plantation continues to offer the ultimate vacation experience in one of the world’s most stunning locations.

For more information and rates, email reservations@thejalousieplantation.com or go online to thejalousieplantation.com.