After closing its doors just over three (3) months ago due to COVID-19, the Rosalie Bay Eco Resort has now reopened for business.
The 28-room-Eco-Enterprise was officially reopened last week Friday (July 17) and is ready to offer Staycation deals to the general public.
The resort had recently opened its doors to the public on February 1st after being damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
“Sometime on March 22nd, we actually closed following the first report of the positive Covid-19 case,” General Manager of Rosalie Bay, Avril Copiel told Dominica News Online (DNO) during an interview after the opening.
“We closed immediately since the case came from the Delices area and of course, being in the south-east, we thought it would be prudent to not expose our staff or any visitors,” she said. “It turned out to be a good thing because there was an outbreak, a community spread in Delices.”
Coipel described the closure of the resort as a “bitter” moment since many of the staff members were affected because they had to be laid off for some time.
“We really had hoped at the time, that it would have been a short lockdown; we really didn’t anticipate that things would have gotten so bad around the world,” Coipel remarked. “It really was a difficult time; we had to lay off the majority of our staff. We only kept the security to keep the property secured.”
Coipel says she fully endorses the Staycation programme initiative implemented by the government of Dominica.
“It really was heartening to see the government pushing the Staycation programme, to see that the public themselves were actually interested in Staycations and once we saw this was a possibility, we started preparing for it,” she stated.
She said the staff are trained and have added to their preparations, the implementation of the hygiene and safety protocols that were being developed in light of Covid-19.
“We spent the weeks in June preparing the action plan that is required by environmental health; we submitted our action plan; we got assessed and now we are certified as the property that is ready for the COVID measures,” Coipel explained.
She went on to say that the government wants all properties to be actually certified so that when the company is promoting Dominica the properties can be promoted as being safe.
Guests are encouraged to wear masks when entering the property; their hands are also sanitized and temperature checked.
According to the general manager, enhanced sanitization of the property is also encouraged.
Meantime, she said the majority of staff members who were laid off have since been called back to work, however, the hours have been cut back.
Staycation packages include 40% to 50% off for room packages for a stay of one night or more under the resort’s summer giveaway package.
There is also a day pass package.
She said the lower-priced rooms cost US$125 per night for double occupancy.
This includes breakfast, full access to the gym and pool and a 20% discount on spa treatment.
And customers can check-in as early as 11:00AM rather that 3:00PM as done in the past in order to take full advantage of the deals offered.
More information can be found on the company’s website https://rosaliebaydominica.com/staycation.php
This is a great place to celebrate the United Nations’ 15 Anniversary of World Rivers Day, carded for Sunday, September 27, 2020. Under the theme “The Watersheds of Our Community”
My next vacation spot!!!
oh my worrrrrrrrrd.
This is a beautiful place!
Liz, I know this place before the resort was built. This idea of a environment friendly resort is great. This bay is one of the beautiful natural places where we had picnics and visits to Conrad Cyrus estate house.
I have one wish to see it as a 100 room resort in a coconut plantation with all kinds of of fruit, flower and food trees. This is my idea of bundling/clustering agriculture and the tourist and travel industries. Because we do not long distances to travel we can have all our hotels in a rural setting even our business hotels.
Xavier, how would you know? Have you ever stayed there? I didn’t think so! So as per usual you are talking for the sake of talking…!
Wishing much success to all in the hospitality industry… you need it, and we need it as a country
@Roseau River, no one have made a better comment to express a positive feeling about the tourist industry like you. I wish to add my little take, HOTEL and TOURISM IS EVERYONES BUSINESS, a national industry. We as a people should encourage to the max those who are involve. We need to set aside all our differences and be proactive towards this industry. Can you imagine the impact on our development if every constituency had a hotel(S) each with 100 rooms. WOW!
In 2017 This spa hotel and secret bay were declared the best in the Caribbean. The best of all those places with much more experience than us. We are certainly not last kakarat any more . Thanks guys. And thanks DNO for those reports.