GEOREGE TOWN, Grand
Cayman -- The long-delayed opening of the $500 million, 365-room
Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands will take place in
three stages: on Dec. 15, the property will open 40 rooms, two
restaurants, the Silver Palm Lounge and a pool bar; another 173
rooms will follow on Dec. 22, and the remainder will open on Jan.
7.
In addition, the La
Prairie Spa and the Ambassadors of the Environment childrens
program will be operational during the holiday season. A nine-hole
Greg Norman-designed golf course will open in February.
The Ritz-Carlton, which
broke ground in September 1999 on a 144-acre site that stretches
from North Sound to Seven Mile Beach, originally was scheduled to
open in December 2004 but its opening was pushed back a year due to
damage brought by Hurricane Ivan in the fall of 2004.
Opening rates start at
$929 per night, double, for oceanfront rooms but drop to $699 per
night, double, in the waterway rooms, which open Jan. 7.
Jean Cohn, vice
president and general manager, said the hotel is sold out through
Jan. 2 and advance bookings indicate a very strong first
quarter.
The hotel will host
its first large group Jan. 8 and its first wedding will be held
on-property on Dec. 17 (rumor has it, the nuptials of Tom Cruise
and his expectant bride-to-be, Katie Holmes, could be the first
couple to tie the knot at the resort.).
More than 750
employees, selected from a pool of 14,000 applicants, will staff
the hotel. For reservations and information, call (800) 241-3333 or
visit www.ritzcarlton.com.
To contact
reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].