Members of the Executive Council have had a firsthand experience of the enormity and grandeur of the locally-owned Royale Caribbean Resort project at Little Harbour as the construction work progresses to an advanced stage.

Quincy Gumbs explains project to visiting party

They were invited to visit the project by the family developers, Quincy Gumbs and his wife Mrs. Sonia Gumbs, proprietors of Fair play Group of Companies. The visiting party on Thursday, December 7, comprised Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Victor Banks, Minister of Infrastructure, Kenneth Harrigan, Attorney General Wilhelm Bourne and former holder of the post Ronald Scipio.

Executive Council and workers at Royale Caribbean

The first phase of the project comprises two rows of stately buildings with 80 completed single luxury rooms, a 10,000 square-foot spa comprising a gym, arobic centre, a saloon, very large areas for male and female users, a sauna, a hydro-bath and six treatment rooms with their own private pools and there is also a ‘sun tonic’ section. A showpiece of the project is a conference centre, now in an advanced stage of construction and described as the largest in the Caribbean.

Mr & Mrs Quincy Gumbs

Provision has also been made for two major tennis courts as well as basketball, volleyball and racketball courts and a childrens’ playground. The next major facility to be constructed will be the main swimming pool nestled between the northern end of the two rows of buildings and just down from the conference centre.

“To date we have invested about USD$30 million on the project and are still trying to raise another thirty million for completion and to purchase additional property,” said the courageous Quincy Gumbs.

View of a major section of Royale Caribbean Resort

So far some six million US dollars has been expended on the 60,000 square-foot conference centre. The building comprises two 10,000-square-foot meeting rooms, two 4,000-square-foot break-out rooms; two large board rooms including offices; two restaurants; and a well-thought out drive-in reception area. Another two million dollars will complete the facility. There are five waterfalls at the front of the building. The entire project is beautified with almost two million dollars worth of tropical and exotic plants.

“It is the biggest tourism project undertaken in Anguilla to date and it is very costly,” Mr. Gumbs said, as he addressed the official touring party and media representatives. “I believe in the saying that first impressions are lasting and so the project is going to open when it is finished.” He was at the time referring to questions from the public about when the hotel will be completed.

Gumbs was of the view that there was a need for Government to show more support for locally-owned private projects so that Anguillian investors could obtain bank-financing in order to invest in the island’s economic development. He suggested that a package of concessions spread over 10-15 years, and set out in a Memorandum of Agreement, should be made available to Anguillian investors. “Everything should be done so that the local developer can make a medium or large investment,” he urged. He took the opportunity to thank the Government for the “very good cooperation” he has had for his project so far.

Replying, Chief Minister Fleming commended Mr. and Mrs. Gumbs and family for their tourism project which he had always been impressed with from its inception and he wished them continued success. He reiterated the Government’s support for local participation in Anguilla’s economic development and particularly encouraged Anguillians to build apartment buildings for the large number of persons coming to the island to reside and work. He promised that the Government would support their efforts.

Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, also congratulated the Gumbs family. He urged Anguillians to get involved in project development saying that except there was local participation, there would be no real value in the economic growth of the island.
Former Attorney General, Ronald Scipio, who resides near the project, said he was taken aback with the large scale of the Royale Caribbean Resort development. He was greatly impressed with the conference centre, saying it was not only the largest such facility in Anguilla but in the Caribbean. He looked forward to the completion and grand opening of the project.

There are some 35 construction workers on the project mainly from the Caribbean islands. They are all a happy group of people with a lot of personal, pride in their work and the tourism development.

For Mr. and Mrs. Quincy Gumbs and family, Royale Caribbean Resort is their contribution to the development of Anguilla and the future of its people.

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