I came across some very disturbing news the other day that caused me to shed a tear or two – I discovered that the Casuarina Beach Club in Barbados had ceased operations in Spring 2005 due to financial problems and the property had been sold to Almond Resorts, a large resort management company headquartered in the Caribbean. With the management’s dedication to conservation and environmental issues not to mention the magnificent rainforest-like gardens that enveloped the hotel, the Casuarina Beach Club wasn’t just any hotel - it was both a sanctuary and a very special institution.

I first discovered Casuarina Beach Club on my first trip to Barbados in 1985 when it only had 45 units or so. Of all the hotels I visited, the Casuarina, while definitely not the most luxurious hotel on this small island, was by far my favorite. In the ensuing years, I sent a number of clients to this fine property including my parents, and I had the opportunity to stay there myself in late 2003. When I returned, I really didn’t recognize the Casuarina as it had grown quite larger (but in a very environmentally friendly way). The showpiece of the hotel was the magnificent rainforest gardens - so very lush and green.

The philosophy of the Casuarina Beach Club was grounded in a very strong environmental ethos - they implemented a number of environmentally friendly practices – including composting, recycling as well as actively promoting local Bajan culture and community tourism. Eclectic paintings by some of Barbados’s premier artists were often on display throughout the hotel amidst plantings of lush tropical foliage and flowers. Over the years, the Casuarina had received numerous awards for their Green Philosophy and Conservation ethos.

After a significant expansion and thorough remodeling of the existing facilities over the last three years, the new resort renamed The Almond Casuarina was scheduled to reopen in May 2008. Among the major changes, the new hotel will have added 100 more guestrooms - bringing the room count up to 267 - two more swimming pools, a fitness center and like all Almond Resorts, it will be all-inclusive.

I can only imagine that in order to accommodate the expansion, a good chunk of the rainforest gardens was removed and many trees in the immediate area were destroyed in the process. The additional facilities and rooms can only have a negative impact on the environment in the already resort saturated area known as St. Lawrence Gap. I really can’t say whether Almond Resorts will continue all the environmentally friendly practices of the former management - my gut feeling says no, but I guess the new Almond Casuarina will be profitable, hence sustainable.

Goodbye Casuarina Beach Club; I will miss you dearly!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm and is filed under Barbados, Commentary, travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.