Hard-Hit Caribbean Islands Rebuild With Extreme Weather in Mind
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Caribbean destinations have to walk a thin line in the coming months by communicating that hotels and resorts are prepared for possible monster hurricanes while not mentioning the "H" word too much to scare off would-be visitors.
Valérie Damaseau, president of the St. Martin Tourism Office, said it best: "We never got a chance to come out of the last hurricane season and never really made it out of Hurricane Irma."
So with that mind, Caribbean hotels, resorts, villas, and restaurants that are renovating and rebuilding are accounting for future extreme weather events similar to Irma,. Some are even reconstructing to double as hurricane shelters.
As the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on Friday and runs through November 30, Damaseau and other tourism officials from islands severely impacted by Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Jose last year spoke during a Caribbean Tourism Organization virtual press conference on Wednesday.
Eden Rock St. Barths, which plans to reopen December 22 and started to accept reservations on May 31, is rebuilding its restaurant kitchen and technical spaces with water-tight doors and will be pressure-sealed and air-tight.
Guest rooms and villas will also have "stronger defenses," according to general manager Fabrice Moizan, but guests won't notice the changes. Some buildings have been rebuilt higher than befor
