The plan to redevelop the shuttered Caneel Bay Resort continues despite a federal appeal filed by the company that ran the resort prior to Hurricane Irma.
Caneel Bay Resort has been closed since the summer of 2017. It was not operating when Hurricane Irma hit, due to its annual seasonal closure. The resort sustained catastrophic damage, as did a majority of the island, and has remained closed since. Little to no cleanup has occurred with regard to the 166 rooms and other structures on the property.
Bids from interested developers were due in March. The National Park Service will not release the number of bids received, nor will they release who, of the 22 groups that visited the site last fall, has submitted bids. A representative from the National Park Service told me last week that they are currently “finalizing qualification reviews” and that they would have more information to release at the end of May or in early June.
The National Park Service intends to award a contract to a developer/person/business/nonprofit who wants to rebuild the resort following the National Park Service’s parameters. For example, the resort must be low profile, cannot exceed more than 166 rooms, and has to have public access, among other criteria.
Despite the National Park Service’s Plans to move forward, EHI Acquisitions – the company that operated the Caneel Bay Resort through Sept. 6, 2017 – will not let go. They tried to obtain ownership via a federal lawsuit and failed last year. They subsequently filed an appeal, which was heard in federal court last week. The appeal is based on the definition of the word “offer.”
EHI Acquisitions “offered” the Caneel Bay property back to the National Park Service for a monetary sum. The National Park Service balked and stated that no money should change hands. That is the issue at hand in a nutshell. Again, a federal judge ruled in favor of the National Park Service in April 2024. Click here to read EHI’s appeal in its entirety.
In the meantime, beachgoers can walk to Caneel Beach via the main parking lot. It’s is a quick five-minute walk past the plantation buildings, including the former ZoZo’s restaurant, and past a few destroyed buildings. It’s an odd little walk, but the beach, once you arrive, is stunning.
You can also taxi through the resort to Honeymoon Beach via a $6 shuttle. You can also walk to Honeymoon and Salomon beaches via the Lind Point Trail. All of Cannes’s seven beaches are also accessible via water.
I will let you know as soon as the National Park Service releases more information and also when a decision is made on the appeal.
Interesting Links Regarding Caneel Bay
Rebuilding Caneel Bay Update: Interested Businesses & Organizations
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