New Frenchman's Reef Property Set to Reopen by December; Lawmakers Approve Tax Concession

In three months the new owners of Frenchman’s Reef — one of the largest resort properties on St. Thomas — will open its doors to accommodate thousands of visitors.

Lawmakers also approved a tax concession that allows the resort's owners to recoup hundreds of millions of dollars invested to rebuild the property following damage suffered by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.

CREF3 USVI Hotel Owner, Inc. is the owner of the Westin Resort & Spa at Frenchman’s Reef and the new Autograph Collection Resort located on the southern shore of St. Thomas, which is widely known as The Frenchman’s Reef. In April 2021, Fortress acquired the former Marriott property and renamed that entity CREF3.

The St. Thomas hotel is set to reopen on December 1, 2022 and will hire more than 400 full-time employees as it prepares for a grand opening in the first quarter of 2023.

Joe Gould, managing director of Hotel Asset Management at Fortress Investment Group said mock drills and acceptance of paid guests will start during the soft opening in December, as a way to prepare for the grand opening next year.

“We’ll be inviting people in as we start mixing in true paying guests as they make reservations. We’ve chosen certain thresholds on certain floors of how may rooms will be open on any given time so as not to overwhelm our staff,” he said.

The territory will have the first ever Autograph Collection, a re-envisioned Westin Resort, new dining venues, considerable event space, and an additional 400 rooms to its hotel product.

Hotel and resort management company, Aimbridge Hospitality has been hired to manage the resort’s day-to-day operations and will be in charge of staff recruitment. The hotel promises to offer competitive wages, fairly priced healthcare plans, access to a 401(k)-retirement plan, paid vacation days and holidays, and opportunities for tuition reimbursement and management training programs. Former employees of Marriott Frenchman’s Reef will be given preference when they apply.

Peter Brogan, vice president of Hotel Asset Management at Fortress Investment Group said while it is a new resort with a new owner and a new hotel management company, all former Marriott employees are welcome to apply to positions with Aimbridge at the new Westin and Autograph Collection Resorts, subject to Aimbridge’s standard application process and background checks.

“Aimbridge is expected to start filling open positions in late September, up through the Resort’s re-opening in December, and beyond into 2023 as business increases,” he shared.

Once the resort reopens, the Westin will feature guest rooms including 28 suites, and the Autograph will feature 94 beachside guest rooms including 2 suites. The combined Resort will feature 486 total guest rooms and suites, 10 distinct food and beverage outlets, four different pool experiences including a children’s “splash pad”, a kid’s club activity center, outdoor pickleball courts, two fitness centers, over 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, a state of-the-art wellness spa with 13 treatment rooms, 2 retail boutiques, and a newly constructed dock which will be home to a custom built catamaran and a starting point for guest excursions.

The new owners said they have also prepared for untimely disasters, rebuilding stronger with requirements based on Miami Dade County building standards. As a result, the resort has been fitted with hurricane-proof glass, and closures and doors have all been upgraded, according to Mr. Gould. “We’ve taken every precaution as a matter of safety and as a matter of good business to preserve the asset,” he remarked.