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Almond Beach Village, near Speightstown on the west coast of Barbados, will close its doors on April 30 “due to the deteriorating quality of the product,” according to Ralph Taylor, CEO of Almond Resorts.
In a statement to tour operators and travel partners, Taylor said that all guests currently booked at the 395-room resort after the closing will be relocated to Almond Beach Club and/or Almond Casuarina Beach, both on Barbados.
“We regret this unfortunate situation, but it could not be avoided,” Taylor said.
The closure is expected to put more than 500 employees out of work.
The all-inclusive resort, which has 10 pools and five restaurants, has struggled in recent years to maintain profitable occupancy levels.
Recent TripAdvisor comments cited the need for refurbishment and upgrades in accommodations and service, although the resort did attract a number of repeat guests who expressed disappointment at the news of the closing.
Almond Resorts will have just two properties after Almond Beach Village closes.
The former Almond Morgan Bay on St. Lucia was acquired in January by Elite Island Resorts.
Almond’s other former resort on St. Lucia, Almond Resorts Smugglers Cove, went independent in December 2010, dropping the Almond name and reopening as Smugglers Cove Resort & Spa.
Follow Gay Nagle Myers on Twitter @gnmtravelweekly.