By the Caribbean Journal staff
Jimmy Buffett’s fast-growing Margaritaville Holdings is planning another Caribbean hotel, this time on Belize’s popular Ambergris Caye.
The new Margaritaville Resort Belize will be a condominium resort, with 71 waterfront residences in its first phase slated to debut in “early 2020,” according to a statement.
The newest Margaritaville will be located in the northern end of the island inside the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Amenities will include two pools, along with the brand’s signature food and beverage concepts.
“I am not a stranger to Belize. I have enjoyed the natural beauty of the country and extremely warm friendship of Belizeans for decades,” Buffett said in a statement. “Margaritaville and Belize have long shared the same attitudes, now we get to finally share the same latitudes.”
The property will be comprised of a mix of fully-furnished one, two and three-bedroom residences, each with a large veranda.
The three-bedroom units, which will feature 1,475 interior square feet (and 1,649 square feet of outdoor space) will include jacuzzi tubs and “massive” wraparound balconies overlooking the beach.
It will also include a 400-foot pier.
“Belize is the fastest-growing destination in the Caribbean and with good reason, as it really is one of the most beautiful places in the world,” added John Cohlan, chief executive officer of Margaritaville and Buffett’s longtime business partner. “We’re honored to partner with long-time pioneers and cherished members of the Belize community to build on a shared vision for the future of this incredible destination.”
The resort follows the high-profile Magaritaville resort project in Nassau, which also includes a strong residential component called One Particular Harbour.
The new project is the latest in what has become a bustling hotel development pipeline in Belize, from the highly-anticipated Four Seasons project on Caye Chapel to a pair of Marriott-branded hotels on the way.
That has accompanied surging tourism arrival growth in Belize overall, buoyed by a wave of new flight launches.
For more, visit Margaritaville Belize.