It has been rare to see commencement of construction on a new Caribbean resort project during these last few challenging years but Kittitian Hill achieved that land mark event this week with a ground breaking ceremony and rapid progress towards completion of the resort’s first villa.

Described by the St Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Tourism as a world class, environmentally friendly and culturally sensitive resort, the US$300 million project is positioned on a 400 acre hill side site with spectacular views of the nearby islands of St Barths, Saba and St Maarten.

The ground breaking ceremony was conducted by The Honorable Dr Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, and Mr Val Kempadoo, Managing Director of Kittitian Hill. The Prime Minister said, “I must emphasise my congratulations to the developers for bringing this visionary undertaking to this stage, especially at a time when we are so challenged by the global economic situation”.

This unique contemporary Caribbean community offers award winning architecture in its charming cottages, elegant villas and in the heart of the village, replete with restaurants, bars, shops and a cultural centre. The project is already recipient of three IPA Americas Property Awards for Best Architecture, Best Development and Best Golf Development, acknowledging the property’s emphasis on environmentally friendly design and operation.

The resort’s championship golf course is designed by Ian Woosnam and the luxurious destination spa will be operated by Sedona Resorts, known for the world renowned Mii Amo spa in Arizona. The Sedona management team is highly experienced in luxury boutique hotels and they will be responsible for the marketing and operation of all the resort’s hospitality, leisure and real estate elements, including the beach club. MacLellan & Associates, which is the Caribbean’s largest hospitality consultancy and have helped deliver multiple projects in the region, will act as development advisors throughout the project.

Phase One of Kittitian Hill will provide over 350 construction jobs and the completed resort will generate permanent employment for over 2,000 people. In his speech at the ground breaking, Mr Kempadoo said, “Our philosophy for sustainable development is based on four elements; art and culture, social programmes, economic development and - of course - the physical environment. In each area we are developing a series of programmes which will benefit the lives of persons living in the surrounding communities, our environment and the island as a whole.”