PM Says “Butch” Free To Bid For Halcyon Hotel Lease

9

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Sandals Resorts International Chairman, Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, is welcome to bid for the Halcyon Hotel lease which was recently awarded to the government after a lengthy court battle.

The property is right next to Sandals Grande Antigua on Dickenson Bay and has long been speculated to be a potential Beaches Resort location.

Speaking on Pointe FM over the weekend, Browne revealed that several hoteliers are already interested in the lease.

“In fact, we will be inviting several operators. I know Sunwing is already interested in fact they had a deal I am told with the lessee. Clearly, that deal is now null and void.”

“So we will be inviting several hoteliers to bid and let us know exactly what their intentions are. We know that Apple Vacations had shown an interest before even Sandals,” the prime minister added.

The Sandals Group has had a very public falling out with the Gaston Browne administration over the payment of taxes.

There has been no recent indication that Stewart is interested in the property.

However, Browne says the hotelier is welcome to bid for the property since their issues have now been resolved.

“I don’t know what’s Butch Stewart’s position, but for us, we don’t have any personal issue with Butch Stewart. We had an issue about him paying our ABST and he is now paying, so as far as I  am concerned that is a settled matter,” Browne told radio listeners.

He added “so if he wants to look at it he can look at it but again we will be taking the best deal for the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]

9 COMMENTS

  1. Gaston the Puppet Master you on your knees now after cussing the man like a dog. You are to late the Beaches brand gorn Barbados for US $400 million. If I was Butch Stewart I would tell you where to go. But Butch he is a business man and all he knows is profits so he will swallow his pride and forgive you for all you have said about him in the name of money. Antiguans and Barbudans are the losers in all of this Sandals vs Gaston the Puppet Master saga. To all the minions who supported your cult leader please read this article if you can, if not get someone to read it for you. https://antiguanewsroom.com/news/barbados-gets-beaches/

    • Were do you see him on his knees. Sandals paying his ABST as they should. Look how Trinidad is now in the same hot water with Sandals. Sometime ago even Motley said Sandals has to pay their taxes. Everywhere Sandals operate they have the same problem about not paying their taxes. I therefore would not want to see Sandals getting any more properties. Because Butch has showed his ugly side when dealing with our government. Very disrespectful. All the articles written in his newspaper in Jamaica. No we don’t want none of that. And then to unilaterally close down his hotel for months just to make a statement. Oh no not Butch. Bad player in the country.

  2. Barbados just inked a deal with Butch for a new Beaches there. Lets see how smart A&B will be for a Beaches there…..

    • Yeah after Robin Hood done Rob the place with our taxes!!!! And under pay their staff , with the majority of staff from Jamaica , tell me who cares whether he go or stay

    • Barbados is on its knees. They will accept anything called investment after they had to layoff so many people. They are exactly where Butch want them to be. And he will take advantage of them badly.

  3. Mia Motley is desperate. Have you seen those so-called “beaches” in Barbados? They are NOTHING compared to the pristine beaches in Antigua and Barbuda the gem of the Caribbean. How ironic that the Beaches hotel will open in a place where the beach is brown and of an inferior quality.

  4. Lol who cares. We don’t need more hotels to provide temporary construction jobs and low paying maid jobs. Antigua needs to diversify and not rely so heavily on tourism. Start investing in agriculture.

    • i guess you speak out of ignorance. Not understanding the contribution if the hotel sector to our GDP and our foreign exchange earnings. And that apart from the construction of hotels the construction industry is as good as dead. And the construction industry has the largest spin off in the economy. That is why Stanford Development had such a great impact on our economy.
      Please educate yourself.

Comments are closed.