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Starwood Inks Deal for Its First Bahamas Luxury Collection Property
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. said it has signed an agreement with Eleuthera Properties Ltd. to develop Cotton Bay Villas, a new resort that will be a member of Starwood's Luxury Collection.
Evoking images of a nostalgic and bygone era, Starwood said, the 1,500-acre project will be unveiled in two phases with Phase I comprising two and three-bedroom villas, 114 estate lots and a 26,000 square foot Clubhouse. The soft opening is scheduled for December 2006 with 25 beachfront units and clubhouse with full amenities and services plus a private marina.
The 73-guestroom resort is expected to be completed December 2007. Future phases will include an 18 hole championship golf course, wellness center / spa, additional real estate development and expansion of the marina.
Eleuthera, roughly 100 miles long and less than one mile wide, is a destination for an elite clientele and home to many international celebrities, Starwood said. Access to the island from Nassau and south Florida is via commercial air carriers and private jets. Cotton Bay derives its name from the term "to cotton," a local term that refers to a "place where people befriend one another while being at peace with nature."
Eleuthera Properties Ltd. is chaired by Bahamian businessman Franklyn R. Wilson.
"We are thrilled to have our first Luxury Collection property in The Bahamas located on Eleuthera - considered one of the most exclusive addresses in the world," said Stephen Alden, senior vice president of The Luxury Collection. "The island's natural scenic beauty and lush vegetation make Cotton Bay Villas an ideal destination for the discerning leisure traveler looking for the ultimate vacation experience."
The new resort is part of the Audubon International Signature program, which acknowledges environmentally-friendly developments. As a member of the program, Cotton Bay Villas will be home to a plant nursery and an on-site horticulturist dedicated to nurturing the property and saving trees and other foliage from cleared land to replant throughout the development.
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