CHRISTIANSTED — Caravelle Hotel & Casino, the 43-room boutique waterfront hotel in the historic northeast shore town of St. Croix, said that the hotel will close for six months for remodeling and renovations.
Caravelle will close today and reopen in early October; employees will not be let go during the renovation process, the hotel said.
The casino, award-winning RumRunners Restaurant & Bar, Big Beards, SCUBA, and Caravelle Market will remain open during the renovation.
“In February 2016, we unveiled a completely renovated Caravelle Hotel and the response from the community was tremendous. In 2017 two uninvited visitors, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, stormed through the US Virgin Islands causing quite a bit of damage to our hotel,” said Andrew Dubuque, a V.I.G.L. principle, the firm which owns Caravelle Hotel & Casino. “We were fortunate to remain open and accommodate relief workers while the island mended. Now that most of the island has recovered, we will dive deep into hotel renovations and bring back Caravelle Hotel to its pristine condition.”
According to the release, the renovations, to be managed by J. Benton Construction, will include repairs to damages caused by the storms, replacement of all windows, and improvements to guest amenities.
Guest rooms will have new decor, mattresses, linens, and TV’s. While renovations are in progress, team members will participate in training and education programs and support the sister hotel, Company House Hotel.
The upcoming renovation of Caravelle Hotel and the recent renovation and opening of Company House Hotel, also located in the town of Christiansted, are part of V.I.G.L.’s “commitment to the revitalization of Christiansted,” the release said.
The company said “it has had a significant and positive impact on improving the vitality, development and preservation of the historic harbor town.”
V.I.G.L. said it funds safety measures, programs and events that bring people to town, along with providing monthly, free entertainment for the community.
The company has donated more than $300,000 to local charities and nonprofit organizations.