Park Service Mum on Potential Developers of Caneel Bay Resort

On a typical day in March, you’re likely to see dozens of residents and visitors making their way from the parking lot to the main beach at Caneel Bay — the only beach at the hurricane-damaged resort that is now accessible by car. The beach was reopened to the public in August 2024.

The beachgoers carry coolers, snorkel gear and chairs for the day’s outing. There are no amenities aside from three porta-potties and two garbage cans, but no one seems to mind. The beachgoers sit facing the sea, their backs only a dozen feet from the smashed glass and fallen timbers of the hotel that set the standard for understated luxury for 60 years.

The National Park Service is now in the early stages of the process of selecting a new resort developer for the property which was largely destroyed by hurricanes in 2017. Any company that wants to put in a bid had to submit a response to a Request for Qualifications by March 5.

The Source reached out to the National Park Service to find out how many companies responded to the Request for Qualifications but the NPS isn’t making that information public.