Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, has stated that the Kempinski Cabrits Hotel will boost Dominica’s economy.
The Prime Minister along with his Cabinet colleagues made a visit to the site of ongoing construction of the Kempinski Hotel on Wednesday.
The 160-room hotel is located at Douglas Bay between the Cabrits National Park and the community of Tan Tan and is expected to be completed at the end of 2018.
Skerrit who was addressing the media said, “Clearly this is a major investment to the economy having a major impact on job creation also the procurement of goods and services.”
He said local businesses have reported on the increase in sales during the construction phase of the facility.
“A lot of shops in the area are benefitting; persons have called me and prior to Range coming in they had difficulties in stocking up and now they have to be stocking up every week to keep with the purchases being made,” Skerrit said.
He added that all the concrete supplies being utilized at the construction site is being procured from local company, PH Williams which has established a facility in close proximity to the construction site.
Skerrit noted that in order to take Dominica to the next level developments of this nature is essential to the country.
“Not only a hotel but something which complements the environment which promotes our ecotourism programme but bringing in the internationally branded names into Dominica,” he said.
Meantime, Parliamentary Representative for the Cottage Constituency, Reginald Austrie, said the completion of the Kempinksi Hotel will transform the Portsmouth area.
“I expect to see maybe in the next five, six years, a total transformation of this complete area. This will no longer be crab land it will be hotel land,” he remarked.
The hotel is being built under the island’s Citizenship by Investment Program (CBI).
You Skerrit is a joker ,since when a hotel can be a productive chain for an island like Dominica ,where all hotels are remaining empty?Selling passports can only help to protect thieves and criminals from punishment in the foreign country .Suddenly the gov’t has money to offer every village for galvanize,plywood ,toilets and drinks in order to get more ballots during the next election..How far do you all want to go with this? Dominica is in a coma ;wake up and smell the coffee.
What happen to the Morocco hotel it finish? Hmmmmm! And Skerries talking about Kim pin ski when he can’t finish one in progress.
where is the International Airport to complement those hotels. Who are those investors coming to Dominica very frequently so we can have several flight with lots of visitors occupying those hotel rooms. These hotels are just going to be like white Elephants all over the place
Mean while i see tarish with cement being placed in pot holes in the capital city today at 16:00 today. It was very shameful and one cant avoid passing in the very wet concrete with their vehicles.
How is that going to happen when we have very limited access to get into the island my pm
The Devil is always in the Details…
How can you Skerrit be sure it is going to boost the economy of the country? How come the few Guess House (hotels) as you all claim existing in the country remains empty year round!
What shall be the variable to cause tourist to the country to fill the rooms. A standing empty building servers no useful purpose!
Without an International Airport, and the promotion of Dominica internationally as a tourist destination, you can give as much free passport money to your friends to waste and enrich themselves that will not draw overnight tourist to the island.
You are dreaming about dragons, and dungeons, and little green men (extraterrestrials) to come out of space and fill these so called hotels. Have you Skerrit noticed on all of the islands where there are successful hotels operating, on those islands are practically all owned by foreign investors. And where they are located, all the islands have an International Airports!
160 rooms? If they put people in the rooms it will be a huge boost to the area. Someone better spend a few dollars on advertising. A hotel wont have guests if no one knows about it.
at the same time when you re at groud level you can only go up
The correspondence banks it is allege are freezing agents bank accounts associated CBI money.
So it will be interesting to see how much more construction will be done at this hotel.
How will visitors to fill this 160 room hotel to allow it to be profitable and sustainable in the long term get to Dominica with no international flights and air access to the country being so difficult? Dominicans will deal with the difficulty of getting to Dominica without much complaint because its our country and we have no choice, but potential visitors who have so many other choices in vacation destinations will not do the same.
Unless you also make it easy for visitors to get here, this hotel will be yet another waste of money as it will likely be mostly empty.
no government can not develop a country by building hotel, hotel and more hotels without proper air access. look at this mall island call canouan island in the Grenadines with a jet airport, in Saint Vincent, look at the development when you look air access. http://www.canouan.com
and I am not speaking about there international airport with air bridge…
I lived & worked on the resort in Canouan. The guests & villa owners arrive using their own private jets. The developer has a jet to bring in guests, if needs be. The investors who own the resort also have their own private jets. People who holiday in the Canouan resort do not arrive by Liat.
So how is the hotel going to bring jobs to the area? Is the PM saying that we have a greater demand for hotel rooms in Dominica than what is available today with the current hotel rooms, so the addition of this hotel will take care of the overflow? I assume he expects that Dominica is guaranteed to get hundreds or thousands of stay-over visitors in the near future to fill these rooms! Is the hotel going to employ people in the area even if they do not have visitors or locals filling the rooms? What about all of the hotels that have been started in Dominica in the past few years? Why have they not been completed? So PH Williams is selling cement now – what happens when the constructed is completed and the sale of cement is decreased? Are they going to keep the additional workers on their payroll?
And when are we going to get the skerrett international airport. Let the people know the Dominican plan for the next 5yrs.
We thank the Lord for the efforts of the prime minister. He has a very difficult job and it is tasking. However, PM Skerrit has maintained composure through adverse times. It is reflected in his attitude, body language and overall presence. He is a 21st century leader, and rather than panicking, he sees adversity through the lens of opportunity. We are bouncing back from the destruction of a major disaster and through the past year his efforts have increased greatly. Too often we are plagued by misleading, distasteful propaganda, and allow our emotions to get the better of us. Without thinking rationally, this makes us bitter and resistant to development and progress. We all have the same dream, for a better Dominica, why waste time looming over negativity? PM Skerrit is doing a remarkable job, Dominica is being taken to the next level!
” PM Skerrit has maintained composure through adverse times. It is reflected in his attitude, body language and overall presence. He is a 21st century leader” (Roy).
Guy are you crazy or what? when I was a kid there was a guy from my Wesley, named Roy Benjamin, I hope you are not carrying his trait of stupidity; motor vehicle drive on the left side of the road in Dominica, in both directions, he riding his bicycle from Woodford Hill past Palm Tree going towards Wesley.
A truck driving towards Woodford Hill on the left side of the road. Dead man Roy decided to leave his left side and ride in front the approaching truck, a habit they had, and by the time they get to a about five feet or less from the trucks or cars they would deviate back to the left. Roy did that and could not get out of the way: he ran into Lorry killing himself.
Anybody who think of Skerrit as you stated in the quote, have to be a mad man, living on another planet! Skerrit does not know how to conduct…
FEW THINGS:
FIrst, the Moroccan hotel was a government funded/run development. This is why I believe that private ventures are best left to private enterprises. It may be that Morocco has backed off from their comitment. Or maybe the money was spent elsewhere. Who knows. But the gov’t owes the people an explanation on this project.
The Kempinski hotel is a private venture. You cannot assume that since Dominica currently doesn’t have all the hotel traffic, that hotels should not be built.. That backward thinking means you would never build a new hotel, then. This new hotel will drive new traffic to Dominica thru the known brand and additional marketing efforts. It will boost tourist traffic, and flights and create even more demand/justification for an international airport. It’s about supply and demand… build it and they will come. They cannot come with no hotel there!
You will begin to see new sustainable businesses in the Portsmouth area. Just look at the impact Ross U…
Opposition supporters will say and do all kind of thing to make Dominica look bad. But our visionary PM has plans to move our country forward. We come a long log way and the majority of us thankful for that. Long live PM Skerrit, who vex loss!
Ha ha haha, yes Dominica sure do come a long way, from being the breadbasket of the Caribbean to selling passports, that’s progress, thats development
my F its the outside world that’s on your pm and his good friends back not us we a small fish , I want to see you all go with him when time times comes for all the love you all have for him
Skerritt already let Dominica look bad.
For the last 17 years he has been apparently taking allu to the next level….up till now he still taking allu there….. when are you all going to reach nah?
Highest unemployment rates
Lowest paid
No export markets/industries…oh yes sorry Passport Sales Industry
Move he moving the country forward like that….smh… visionary he visionary until is passports alone that have DA’s nonexistent economy.
The opposition does not sell passport to crooks and criminals.How are they making Dominica bad?Have you heard of an Iranian called Monfarred?Was he in Dominica while being sought by INTERP?
Mr Skerrit have you addressed the Monfarred matter. Was Monfarred in Dominica? If yes,was he dodging INTERPOL? At this juncture, I really do not want to hear about Kempinski..,while a crook with our diplomatic passport was dodging the authorities.
Here is some homework. If you want to really know whether Alireza Zabahalat Monfared was dodging Interpol,here is Interpol website https://www.interpol.int/notice/search/wanted. Go into the search box put in Alireza Zabahalat Monfared name or look where it say’s wanted persons. You do not need the PM to give you such answer.
When are you going to put aside your partisan political beliefs and start using your intelligence. When you say quote “I really do not want to hear about Kempinski” You tell what is more important to Dominica. Alireza Zabahalat Monfared dodging Interpol or the construction of a major capital project, the first 5 star hotel to be built in Dominica under an international brand, while during construction people are employed other wise would not. Is this how you love your Country.
Dominica passport holders will be the ones who will be living at that hotel and it will be ready when Election comes around . Dominicans what and see.
Look who is talking about partisan
Did you say that i am partisan? Well man i am not UWP OR LABOUR…However i favour the lesser of the two evils UWP.Why?I think UWP as a party, love country more than the DLP,they are more competent,they are more above board,they have more love for the poor,they have a development plan for country,they would not let Dominica decline to a passport econmy…Presently I have nothing good to say about DLP..THEY ARE EVIL!Show me your friends,and I will tell you who you are..No wonder they were so close to Monfarred and the other crooks!!!
@Cencor you hit it dead on!
Gary,
Read this – http://www.caribbeannewsnow.com/topstory-Commentary%3A-Dominica%27s-due-diligence-fails-to-meet-US-standards-for-Iranian-nationals-33428.html
Skerro I want you to tell us how you will go about attracting overseas vacationers to come to this Hotel because it is better and more accessible than the ones in Guadalupe, SM and St. Lucia. You don\’t think eh?
If the hotel is completed in 2018 the only way to access it for volume footfall would be for guests to fly to Guadeloupe and then by ferry to Portsmouth. This is doable but would require a dedicated daily service, which could be extended to Roseau. The journey to/from Portsmouth should take no more than 1 1/2 hours and if this is the plan I would suggest they carry out immigration control on board to minimise delays and discomfort for visitors.
Everything back to front and upside down under this administration. If I lie, check out hotels, motels, you name it before an international airport to transport the visitors. Passport agents, crooked lawyers and politicians service their fat bank accounts before taking care of the nations infrastructure. This is the plight of Ma Dominique under the most corrupt….
But what is wrong with these operatives nuh? you all are too desperate for power. And while you all are trying to fight development in our country, train leaving you all down. get with the programme man. because no matter what you all do, it will happen. Skerrit will be PM by the people’s choice. the harder you all try to destroy him the higher he will rise. %, Lougawoo Memm, Da and all the others
Here go the idiotic comments of the desperate UWPites again!
Actually your comment is the standout idiotic one on this page
This fool is still on the BLOCK and the pm and his good friends a moving all over the world what a FOOL do you have a job at this hotel ? or any job at all the people that don’t want to hear people talk in d/a a the ones that don’t WORK
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/general/official-says-progress-made-in-morocco-funded-hotel/
we are still waiting on this boost..!
According to face book, this160 room hotel will create around 300 jobs. Well as the perfect idiot I always have to try to figure out what is being said and believe me I have a hard time figuring it out, namely because I am a perfect example of an IDIOT. But hear are the questions I can’t answer:
1. How many visitors arrive in Dominica daily? 2. How many stay-over visitors (excluding nationals living in the DIASPORA because they will go in mama boot shum). Since most visitors that come here by ship return on the ship and it’s a fact that put all plane passengers together we don’t have 100 visitors daily, then how will these 160 rooms get filled? 4. Did you get enough money from the Iranian fugitive to build an international airport to increase passenger arrival? 5. Are you building the hotel for visitors or to compete for Ross University students, as is the case with those villas? 6. If so, have you thought of what will become of the apartments poor people tooo loan for? Boy…
You’re a real idiot. You left out No. 3
All concrete supplies are being purchased from P.H Williams, all that good. Supporting loacal. Many of our young people employed there too, nice job.
How long will they be emplyed for? How many is many?
It will be interesting to see how the govt plans to bring tourists here to fill these hotels?
This hotel at best, will cost around $15M which is a quarter of CBI income monthly.
What is happening to the other $35 million dollars each and every month Moosher man Skerrit!
Give us our passport money and we want it NOW!
All DNO have to do is to mention “Skerrit” and Workers supporters go nuts….lol, he is man not God.
All DNO have to do is mention Skerit and you will run to defend your plastic loose elastic king. Fool!!!
A hotel does not actually produce anything tangible, and its success is entirely dependent on surrounding infrastructure like an international airport, shopping, golf none of which exist in Dominica, so if this project is ever complete, an that is a big if as we still await the completion of the Moroccan hotel, it will just be another white elephant by a government with no vision and no common sense…
Say it again! Excellent Points
Do read, have you done any traveling, are you are a consultant.How do you arrive at such nonsense, just one of those worthless opinions.
If this one hotel is going to so good tell us how much can our passport money could have done for Dominica tell us about that my pm friend
I viewed the live video via Facebook and I must commend the PM and his cabinet for seeing to it that work gets done! I am pleased to know that this venture will create in excess of 300 jobs for our people. The project is moving quite swiftly! Kudos to Range Development and their team for the hard work. This will bring a great deal of other investment opportunities for our tourism sector.
Another question….
PM it is amazing that these economical boost is recorded during the building/development stage of this project, albeit that is considered a short term economic boost. Have you considered how this economic boost will be sustained beyond the development/building stage?
You do have to consider that the only way this economic boost will be sustained, is if (1) this hotel is completed, then opened and (2) if opened, occupancy rate is at least medium to high; rooms are filled, hence having guest in the hotels and visitors spending in the community.
I am hoping that this hotel does not become another environmental hazard, like the rodent and mosquitoes structure that has caused major damage to coastal ecosystem in Cabrits.
Dominica’s Supreme Leader, Honorable Doctor and ordained Knight of the most holy Roman Catholic Church , Mr. Roosevelt M. Skerrit knows how to use psychology to fool his supporters for sure. This Kempinkski Hotel business where our National Reserved Land was GIVEN away in addition to passports to sell is rather unique and unorthodox. This is something that a WISE Government simply would not do or agree to. Yet, the so-called DOCTOR has somehow been able to convince his unwavering supporters that it’s a good idea.
FURTHERMORE, this visit and article is part of the propaganda to deflect from the Prime Minister’s troubles having to do with his alleged involvement in assisting one of Dominica’s (former?) Diplomats to evade and violate U.S. and U.N. sanctions against Iran. The P.M. and Anthony Astaphan has been trying to mislead the Dominican people by making it an issue about the CBI Program when it’s not. It’s about questionable issuances of Diplomatic Passports and…
If the Diplomat evaded and violated U.S. and U.N. sanctions against Iran why was he not brought back to the US for charges.
In light of recent developments isn’t it a real possibility that Kempinski will withdraw as they would not want to see their name associated with any qestionable operations by our government or their agents. After all, Kempinski will not be the owners of the hotel, merely the management company. By the way, who owns the hotel? Who has the title deed? Cerainly not the investors, who made financing possible through our CBI scheme.
Was an Environment Impact Analysis (EIA) conducted prior to this project? Was the Carrying Capacity of the area determined?
It is so sad that Parliamentary Representative for the Cottage Constituency Reginald Austrie made sure an embarrassing comment “…this complete area this will no longer be crab land it will be hotel land”. When persons are completely oblivious to things that can cause greater negative environmental and in turn financial and social impacts in the long run, you expect idiotic comments such as this.
Was thinking same thing..these guys maybe mean well but have no vision..they say the most idiotic things..
When will certain parlimentarians change their way of speaking
lol. I will hear in 2022 they expect to complete it by 2027
You addresing the people about the hotel, tell us how comes you fly from Greece to Guadeloupe then fly from Guadeloupe to canefield……………..without people knowing on ………….. one engine plane, tell us why. We do t want to know about hotel now.
The hotel industry will presents some low paid service industry jobs on a seasonal basis. Even then, judging by this Governments track record, the employment policy will quite likely be based on party politics. It will not be the manna from heaven as hoped for.
Are the Kempinski in partnership with the Govt of Dominica or is it in bed with one of our ministers?
I really hope that I am wrong on this as I would like to see the people prosper with proper employment and not have to live on red clinic handouts instead. I feel so disgusted by this abuse of the system for political gain that I cannot have any respect for any administration that would seek to demoralise and subvert its people in this fashion.
As ignorant as many Dominicans can be they are still my people and I want us all to be proud of who we are and where we come from, not a laughing stock and a joke to the world as under this current administration.
QUESTION:
If the CBI has been running for so long with all these millions coming in monthly, then why only after the CBS programme, has the spending frenzy started only now?
Does the money in Panama belong to the Dominica Govt or its ministers?
It would appear, everything is in place to complete the hotel on time, according to the Prime Minister, by 2018. I hope all the money from the sales of passports to complete the hotel have been collected and we will not experience another Layou River Hotel. I also hope, should something go wrong, we will not be hearing it is as a result of the interview between Mr. Linton and CBS sixty minutes. In order words, the sales of passports had collapsed due to bad publicity, as a result, insufficient money had been collected to complete the hotel. I hope Dominicans keep my comments close to their chest. Experience has taught me, not to believe nothing Skeritt says. I am a believer of the policy of St. Thomas, when it comes to Skeritt.
Come on doc love you hope something would go wrong. That sadly is all the UWP want for Dominica. Well I hope all go well as planned and barring any disaster beyond our control that is exactly what will happen.
I pray God continue to bless our PM and Government and all those working on the Hotel that it is brought to completion and continue the improvement of the Portsmouth area.
Very good Job PM and thank you for all you are doing for the improvement of Dominica and her people.
1 hotel to boost the entire economy!
Dream on!
I hope so.
”This will no longer be crab land , it will be hotel land ”.
What a remark .
are our politicians stupid or are they stupid ?
How tactical ein , Govt. facing pressing issues and the populace is being calmed with incomplete hotel visits and claims of expected boom in economy ?
where de advisors nah ?
I self getting concerned now ,very concerned .
For the sake of the environment I would prefer crabs to a hotel. I don’t think there is any argument about that.
Wasn’t this said about the Moroccan hotel in Portsmouth as well?
Ah, the stench of desperation.
Mr Scare-it, just do the proper thing and resign.
This is a good project and the Dominican Population welcomes it. However, the millions in offshore accounts could have done a lot more. Now is the time to be worried about your problems and stop trying to distract the dominican public with bs.
The UWP Creed
Do it and we will complain
Don’t do it and we will still complain
Build it, we will complain
Don’t build it, we still complain
Help us and we will complain
Don’t help us and we will still complain
Feed us and we will complain
Don’t feed us and we will still complain
Provide for us and we will complain
Don’t provide and we will still complain
We are the new wicked and ungratefools aimed to destroy Dominica and Fool the masses for what we oppose the same we’ll do if we ever get into power, the monies we see will become our own, no country above self anymore but self above country.
Mr. John Jules,
You’ve just learnt that creed from UR. masters them, uwp was in power for 4.5yrs. and you all took them out by any means necessary and you all are trying had to keep D/ca under develop for ever, with all the mast corruption which you all have going on all over the place,
Have U heard lately that the International Banks are closing all the accounts of the CBI PROGRAM in our local banks in D/ca . have done so
“International Banks are closing all the accounts of the CBI PROGRAM in our local banks in D/ca . have done so” wow explain to your readers how this is done.
That’s a lie, you UWP people keep relying on Hear say with NO proof at all unless the only reason for the banks to be doing so is that your opposition leader keeps bad mouthing the program in Dominica and setting Dominica in the spotlight falsely hoping that all projects under the program will stand still. What you think will happen if Lennox become PM of Dominica? He will wholeheartedly support the program which he opposes. You’ll never know the intentions of this guy until he gets what he wants.
Politics is a very NASTY game and Dominicans better wise up and see whats going on. I’m not telling you that our PM is a Saint but look at what the thirst for power is causing.
Yes yes nice one
I support you 100000000 times over