Is the Famous Name of Cotton Bay Being Revived?
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The newspaper "The Eleutheran", issue Aug. 08, says on page 10...
"Mr. Wim Steenbakkers described the construction slowdown as a prudent business decision based on the knowledge he had, saying, "I've talked to economists and financiers at various banks, first they were looking at the third quarter of 2009 for the recovery to start; now they've moved that back towards the end of the fourth quarter of 2009."
It continues later on with this... "Mr. Steenbakkers' good outlook however, comes from an analysis of the demographics of his target market, the baby boomers. He sees another great number ready to retire in another year and with that a potential expansion of their market. Mr. Steenkakkers believes the Cotton Bay project is positioned correctly to be ready when things take off."]
The new Cotton Bay development (2006) is great news for South Eleuthera which hasn't had any tourism of importance for many years.
I interviewed the Managing Director in Feb. of 2006 - more of it below - who's main point was that 5-star hotel guest and second home owners will enjoy the peace and tranquility of Eleuthera's pristine nature and its spectacular beaches. And all of this while gettting the most personal services or as little as home owners wish.
What else?... The really great fishing and diving opportunities near Cotton Bay. But that's yet another story. You can read it by clicking on the marinas link below.
As my wife and I are wintering in Eleuthera every year, I got interested in this largest and most exclusive project which is eight miles south of the small international airport Rock Sound (RSD).
Let's see what the Managing Director Mr. Wim Steenbakkers told me. I interviewed him in South Eleuthera after our tour of the Cotton Bay building site.
What Does Cotton Bay Estates & Villas Comprise?
Wim and I had a long discussion. Here he is...
We talked about the three main subjects...
1. Hotel Villas
Number one are the Hotel Villas. Click here for this part of our interview.Cotton Bay Villas really is a Starwood guest house & hotel complex. They will be operated under a franchise of the internationally renowned hotel chain Starwood.
The complex consists of 24 villas with a total of 73 hotel rooms. Each villa is for sale. And management takes care of all the bothers of owning and renting while you're off island.
Here is a photo of the villas under construction in November of 2006. Another one of the pavillion. And one of the club house... or one of a villa.
Below is the layout of the Starwood Hotel complex just to give you a first impression.
2. Estate Lots
In the second part of the interview Wim told me all about Cotton Bay Estates. That's the 114 lots which are available to potential second home owners.Within certain architectural guidelines lot owners are allowed to build houses to their own taste.
3. Marinas
The third part of our discussion centered around the two marinas in South Eleuthera. That's Cape Eleuthera and Davis Harbour. The latter belonging to Cotton Bay. See both on the map below.
For the November 2006 interview with Dr. Andy Leggett, divemaster and operator of Cotton Bay Diving out of Davis Harbour, click here.
If You Need More Information...
Please write to Mr. Steenbakkers personally by typing into the empty field at the bottom of this page. But...I recommend you read the interview first by clicking the above three links.
And...
in the text after the next headline, Mr. Steenbakkers is mentioning something that will be of high interest to lot owners and hotel guests alike. Please read on...
Environmentally Friendly and...
Attention to Detail
Interviewer: You have registered with Audubon International, a company specializing in sustainable resource management. What significance does this have to Starwood hotel guests and owners of individual homes on estate lots?Wim: Audubon has set certain standards particularly for resort communities from an environmental point of view. The major developers now in Florida and California who are doing communities like we are developing, will register their project with Audubon. And...
... that means you set a certain minimum standard of construction and do things environmentally correct, for example preserving existing vegetation. But we are exceeding these standards considerably.
Interviewer: What does this mean to the hotel guests and estate owners?
Wim: They know that there's high integrity in the development process and that the vegetation they see during construction will most likely remain there. We're paying extreme attention to preserving the nature as it is right now.
What we're trying to do is not just build and sell lots individually and then give owners carte blanche to do whatever they want to do. No!...
We're creating a community that we want to be as homogenous as possible. So, we developed a certain set of rules and guidelines that will help us to get there. To create that oneness, that feeling where everything is in harmony.
Interviewer: What particularities will the Starwood boutique hotel offer to its guests?
Wim: It's what we call "cole" which means consistency and a very high level of service. How high? Five star!
Attention to detail is very important, too. All the personal service you might want. Let's say a private chef in your villa, a private butler, a private house keeper... we shall supply all of that.
And the way the villas are laid out, you will have your real privacy.
In summary, you can get all of the most personal services or as little as you wish.
If you are looking for more information about the new Cotton Bay, please type into the field below. After finishing click the *Click here to send...* bar at the bottom. Your message will go to Mr. Wim Steenbakkers directly.
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