New Hilton on St. Thomas Wins Praise, Sparks Calls for Hotel Development on St. Croix and Equity in Tourism Investment

Could new tourism developments be in the pipeline for St. Croix? Lawmakers from the big island leveraged the opportunity to pose that question to the Economic Development Authority when they appeared before the Committee of the Whole on Thursday. Although tight-lipped with details, EDA officials promised that capital projects would be coming to the Big Island within the next year.

The discussion took place when the EDA was invited to testify on Bill 36-0147, “an act approving the Hotel Development Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Haven Development, LLC.”

The bill ratifies the Hotel Development Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Haven Development, LLC for the construction of a branded hotel located at Parcel No. 2 Estate Thomas, 6F New Quarter, St. Thomas. That hotel, the recently opened Hampton by Hilton St. Thomas, is the first newly constructed hotel in the territory in over 30 years. It features 126 guest rooms, a pool, an indoor and outdoor bar patio, a small kitchen facility for limited breakfast services, a fitness center, and meeting room space.

Through Bill 36-0147, the Government of the Virgin Islands makes available for use “100 percent of the Designated Hotel Room Occupancy Tax and a 7.5 percent Economic Recovery Fee, to pay and secure Hotel Development Notes for a period of 30 years or until such time as the direct investment of $44,105,254.61 is reimbursed, whichever occurs earlier.” The bill was endorsed by the EDA, with assistant chief executive officer Wayne Benjamin stating, “we believe that Haven Development’s project is in the best interest of the government and residents of the United States Virgin Islands.”