The old Renaissance

In the Friday January 6 issue of the V.I. Daily News, page 14, there was a big article about the property. Titled, "Grand Beach Palace closing in on sale after receiving legal release from lien," it documented the recent problems plaguing the Grand Beach Palace principals in negotiating a sale after a proposed purchaser failed to come up with any money but then filed a lien on the property alleging "improvements" they had made for which they had not been reimbursed.

According to the article, District Court Judge Geoffrey Barnard nullified the plaintiff's claim on December 21, 2005 and a new deal with a new purchaser is currently moving ahead in top gear. According to the attorney representing Grand Beach, the name of the new owner will be released once the deal is finally signed.

This is indeed good news. To see this marvellous property sitting empty for so long has been very distressing, knowing that deterioration sets in very quickly when only basic maintenance is continued.

It's unfortunate that Grand Beach Palace had so little grasp of where they were coming to when they bought the property from Renaissance. They certainly made a lot of mistakes and alienated a lot of people simply by not doing their homework and assuming that what worked for them in Mexico would work here.

Whoever the new owners might be, I hope they will come in with a knowledgeable corporate attitude and bring back the resort to what it was when Renaissance (and formerly Stouffers) owned it.

Hope this info helps, thebrad!

Last October we were told that the Crown Plaza Hotel Corp. was purchasing it.

F.I.