Alexander Hotel opens

(CNS): Cayman Brac tourism has been given a lifeline with the soft opening of the new 32-room Alexander Hotel on 12 June (to be followed bythe Grand Opening 31 July) and can now accept large groups for the first time since category 4 Hurricane Paloma hit the island in November. Built to boost tourism on the island by Bracker Cleveland Dilbert, the Alexander will be the only operating hotel on the Brac until the Brac Reef Beach Resort, which needs to be partially rebuilt, is reopened.

The resort, named after Dilbert’s father, was completed less than 18 months after submitting plans to the Planning Department, and suffered little damage in the hurricane. Dilbert noted that its opening provides economic stimulus for the whole island, especially businesses directly related to tourism such as car rental companies. The hotel was sold out the weekend of the Cayman Brac High School graduation on 20 June and 60% full the following week, he said.

Dilbert is hoping to attract both local and international visitors and challenges the notion that the Brac’s only attraction is diving or that anything on the islands needs to be substandard. “Cayman Brac is the best place in the world. It’s peaceful, safe, clean and perfect for people who just want to get away from it all, but we need to lift the standards up in the Brac,” he said. (Photo: Receptionist Tanika Wright and Assistant Manager Saskia Edwards-right – at the reception desk)

Leading by example, Dilbert has gone to great lengths to add elegance to his hotel, with raised mahogany panelling throughout the lobby, conference and dining areas and custom built mahogany furniture throughout the property. This includes a solid 20-foot conference table, which can seat 17 comfortably but is made up of six sections that can be separated into smaller (up to six) tables that can also be removed for functions and dances. The conference room is available for $250 per day or $150 for a half day and because of the flexibility of the table, can be used for wide range of functions.

The u-shaped hotel overlooks Salt Water Pond in the West End, an area of protected wetland with a healthy population of the endangered West Indian Whistling-duck, and Dilbert said he intends to provide kayaks for guests to enjoy the wildlife and natural surroundings. The pond is only a few feet deep, so this will be very safe, he noted. A tikki bar sits on the water’s edge and Dilbert has installed a fountain on the pond, which is lit up at night. There are some interesting walks close to the hotel to look at the island’s wetland sanctuaries and a beach right opposite, he noted.

The hotel is designed so that each room has a view of the ocean from either the front or the back. The 30 one-bedroom suits and 2 two-bedroom suits each has a kitchenette and a bathroom. Regular prices are CI$125 for a standard room, CI$145 for a double queen and CI$175 for a suit. However, the Alexander is offering a special price for the Fourth of July holiday weekend of CI$279 special per room for a three-night stay.

The dining facility and bar, which is leased to Casa Bracca, owned by Buck Grizzel, will also be offering a special menu for the 4 July dinner. The restaurant serves international cuisine and offers five separate menus daily – breakfast, lunch, dinner, bar and room service – and guests also have the option of alfresco dining on the upstairs balcony overlooking the pond and the ocean. The gift shop, which will be operated by Yvonne Walton, is expected to open shortly.

“The Alexander is making history for Cayman Brac,” said hotel manager, Jackie Ebanks. “It’s fantastic for the island and I’m so glad to be part of this. It’s exhilarating to be the manager – challenging but I’m up to it,” he added.