Above: Barbuda Belle

By the Caribbean Journal staff

It’s one of the Caribbean’s great under-the-radar islands, and now Barbuda has a brand-new hotel.

The Barbuda Belle luxury beach hotel has officially debuted on the island, a collection of six beachfront bungalows, each with its own private balcony.

It’s the first new hotel to open in Barbuda in more than a decade.

The $2 million hotel is the beginning of what could be a mini-development boom on the island, which is the site of a planned project by Hollywood star Robert De Niro.

There are also plans to expand the hotel by 15 units, with five additional units each year over the next three years, according to Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Minister Asot Michael.

“This new hotel means new opportunities available to all Barbudans for increased jobs, and much more business activities and closer collaboration. The end result will be greater economic growth, but more importantly even closer partnership between the Barbuda Council and the Central Government,” Michael said.

The hotel, which is also home to a French seafood restaurant called The Mangrove, is located in the Cedar Point area of Barbuda.

“This new project is indeed a welcome addition to our tourism product,” Michael said.