I heard that is definitely has been sold, and I heard on the rumor mill its going to be reopened as time shares and a small part hotel. I heard that have already started the renovations since they were clearing out alot of the old stuff.

I'd love to hear from someone who has more details. I'd like to know who bought it and for how much. It was up for $9 million which I thought was a steal.

I HOPE IT OPENS SOON! IT'S ASHAME TO SEE SUCH A GREAT PROPERTY VACANT....

I just found out by chance, they are now called "Amazing Villas"
If you go to Yahoo and put in st thomas under the video section there are a couple videos like,walk to the pool, if you click it it automatically links you to their site.

My wife and I were ther a few yrs ago and now are looking into the villas.Nice place

Matt from PA

The property is apparently in the final stages of a sale to Intercontinental and work has already begun on renovations with some rooms forecast to be open as early as next month and the whole resort back open by season.

"Amazing Villas" is a separately-owned entity of condos on the same property.

As far as I am aware, the resort will be re-opening as a full-fledged hotel and not as "time-shares and a small part hotel." An official announcement should be made quite soon.

They should be closing next week. Was postponed form this week. Intercontinemtal Hotels will be opening under the Crowne Plaza brand name. They hope to have a soft opening September 1st. The selling price was over 20 million.

RL

We stayed at Point Pleasant last week and spent a lot of time on Pineapple Beach. We saw some people milling around inside a few of the buildings at the Grand. I overheard someone ask one of the guys when it would open and he said it would be ready this time next year.

Amazing Villas is different...they are single-story stucco type apts behind the Grand buildings. Some of them are called Pineapple Villas, some are called Amazing Villas and some are called Absolute Paradise Villas. We walked back there to check them out. They seemed nice, too. Lots of people were staying there.

There seems to be some confusion over who bought or is buying this property.

I've heard two stories....Crown Plaza and Intercontinental Hotels.

The sale price was less than $20 Million. Still it could fall through, but I don't think it will.

Rumor, and it was just rumor, that a "soft" opening was scheduled for May....but now I hear it won't be until Thanksgiving.

Maybe I'll buy it.

F.I.

Hi Future Islander.

"I've heard two stories....Crown Plaza and Intercontinental Hotels."

Intercontinental Hotels Group has several hotel brands including Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn.

i remember the OLD pinapple beach resort back in the 70's i loved it! perfect spot and had the kind of flavor of secret harbour..

As I understand, there is a local owner with Intercontinental as the long-term management company under the Crown Plaza brand...

I think Ronnie and I are both on the same wavelength and insider knowledge where this is all concerned but we be cool and not putting anything out there because of respect for the principals involved who will divulge all when the closing takes place. Island gossip? Don't you know that if you fart on the Northside it's quickly smelled on the Southside but picks up an awful lot of gas en route going over all that mountainous terrain? Patience is a virtue...

Ronnie - will email you tomorrow about tortoise matters!

This is the best news that I have heard in a long time. We have enjoyed Grand Beach for years and were so sad to see it close.

That is our view and we love the east end. We spent the begining of our vacation at Ritz Carlton then rented a villa in Peterborg last year. Found out we aren't villa people and checked into Sugar Bay because it's Our View and that side of the island that we craved and it was Sugar Bay or nothing. We crossed water and Point Pleasent to Fungi's, which we loveed and missed, and walked Grand Beach, on to Coki.

What's even more crazy is that we recently stayed at CuisinArt and still missed the place! Don't get me wrong, we had a wonderful time in Anguilla, but we go to the islands for the island feel, and we would rather spend the day at Coki, have a bushwacker Grand Beach and roti at Fungi's than a day at Rendezvous Bay, wine lists at Blanchards and French food at Cap.

Please post updates on Grand Beach.
Many thanks
LB

Am taking a tour of the property with the guy on Wednesday. Will let you know what I find out.

RL

I understand that the closing is next Wednesday for sure. Following that, I'm sure there will be a press release in due course. Island time is island time.

I'm sure Ronnie will revert after his next week's walk-through and I'll revert also after my walk-through the following week.

Maybe then this thread of innuendo will disappear, the suppositions will cease and desist and, once the hotel re-opens, the whole new world of criticism will prevail!

Apologies if anyone thinks I'm being terse but...

My sister was married there at the resort on the beach in June 2000, and after attending her wedding me & my husband have stayed at many beautiful places in St. Thomas and we loved this location the BEST! We decided to have our wedding there in August 2004. We originally booked when it was The Renaissance and they sold to Palace about nine months before our wedding. We had many doubts and we were still able to get all of our money back to book at another resort but we did not fall in love with the hotel name we fell in love with its scenery & location. So we had our wedding there, About 2 weeks after we left in mid august the resort closed. Even though it was pretty much a ghost town at the resort our group of 65 people livened it up a bit & our wedding was wonderful! The beach at the resort may not be the greatest and it may need to be updated but the location the views and the staff definitly made it a wonderful place. It also helped to have Coki & Fungi's only a short stroll away!That's why I am so eagery awaiting for them to reopen 🙂

Ok Ronnie so you said you'd report..... 😉

Yes, but thanks to the volcano in Monsterrat, he got stuck in San Juan airport and we will be rescheduling. The Eagle did not fly for about 4 days! Sorry for not reporting earlier.

RL

I too would like to know when this property will open. Wife & I stayed at the villas across the parking lot in early May and simply loved it there. That building will forever hold a special memory for us.

Walked in there late one evening after a night at Fungi's and as I played "Imagine" on the baby grand piano , my wife danced around the luxurious entrance. Sounds like we had a one time only shot at that.

Wow what a night that was.

Any news regarding this fabulous place? We are looking at a return trip to STT and would love to stay at the place we honeymooned.