Reconciling the project’s different investment figures

Several figures have been used to describe the development, and they do not all measure the same thing.

VICI’s property information describes an approximately US$55-million renovation. Documents from the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority provide a broader accounting: approximately US$21 million to purchase the real estate and improvements, plus another US$56 million for redevelopment, producing a total investment of at least US$77 million. The project’s economic-development application also commits the applicants to a minimum capital investment of US$62.8 million in the benefited business.

The safest journalistic description is therefore:

Club Med and VICI are advancing an approximately US$77-million acquisition and redevelopment, including about US$55 million to US$56 million in planned renovation work.

This avoids treating the acquisition cost, construction budget and minimum qualifying investment as though they were interchangeable.

A 150-suite resort for guests aged 12 and older

Club Med St. Croix is planned as a 150-key, all-suite resort with a low-density layout inspired by the island’s rainforest, coastline and natural landscape.

The property will be family-friendly, but not oriented toward young children. Club Med says it is being designed for guests 12 years of age and older, placing it between a conventional family resort and an adults-only retreat. That positioning could appeal to couples, families travelling with teenagers, active multigenerational groups, weddings and incentive programs.

Detailed suite categories have not yet been released. Club Med has not publicly confirmed the number of standard suites, premium suites, connecting accommodations or signature units, nor has it announced opening rates.

The company has said that the suites will combine contemporary technology with materials and design references drawn from St. Croix’s natural environment. Because this is a redevelopment of an existing 150-room resort, the final design will have to balance the original building configuration with Club Med’s current accommodation standards.

Three dining concepts and four bars

The resort’s culinary program is expected to include three principal dining concepts:

• A signature restaurant;
• A beachfront restaurant or dining venue;
• A café with convenient grab-and-go service.

Four bars and lounges are also planned across the resort. Club Med says the food-and-beverage program will combine international cuisine with Caribbean influences, although individual restaurant names, menus and chef partnerships have not yet been announced.

The limited number of restaurants relative to some much larger Caribbean all-inclusive complexes reflects the resort’s more intimate, 150-suite scale. The success of the culinary program may depend less on the number of outlets than on how effectively the restaurants integrate Crucian products, recipes and culinary talent.

Club Med and local officials have said the development is expected to work with Virgin Islands farmers, artisans, excursion operators and service providers. Those relationships could give the resort a stronger sense of place while allowing more visitor spending to circulate through the local economy.

An infinity pool, spa and active-resort program

Planned amenities include a new infinity pool overlooking the Caribbean Sea and a full-service spa. Club Med has also identified pickleball, beach volleyball, yoga, non-motorized water sports and guided outdoor excursions as components of the guest experience.

This activity program is consistent with Club Med’s historical positioning. The company has long combined accommodation, meals and entertainment with organized sports and social activities. At St. Croix, however, the company is also promising experiences connected to the island’s culture and landscape rather than an entirely self-contained resort program.

No final list of excursions has been published. It remains to be seen how the resort will work with local operators and whether activities will include experiences related to St. Croix’s marine environment, food, agriculture, music, history and protected natural areas.

Club Med’s return to the United States

Club Med St. Croix will be the brand’s only operating resort in U.S. territory when it opens under the current plan.

The company’s previous U.S. property, Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Port St. Lucie, Florida, ceased operating under the Club Med flag in September 2022 after more than 40 years. The St. Croix project therefore represents both a geographic return and a significant repositioning—from a large sports-oriented Florida resort to a smaller, more upscale Caribbean property in the Exclusive Collection.

The U.S. Virgin Islands also offer a practical advantage for the domestic market: U.S. citizens travelling from the mainland United States or Puerto Rico do not require a passport. Non-U.S. citizens remain subject to the applicable requirements for entering U.S. territory.

The economic promise: 200 direct jobs

Club Med and VICI project that the completed resort will create approximately 200 direct jobs, accompanied by at least as many indirect opportunities connected to suppliers, transportation, agriculture, excursions and other services.

The applicants have formally committed to employing 200 full-time workers, with that employment level expected to be reached by December 31, 2028.

Club Med has publicly said that approximately 80% of the direct jobs are expected eventually to be filled by local talent. The economic-development agreement, however, provides a more gradual and enforceable schedule:

• At least 65% of employees must be U.S. Virgin Islands residents from the opening through December 31, 2028;
• The resident share must reach at least 75% by the end of 2029;
• The standard 80% residency requirement must be met by the end of 2031;
• At least 20% of management, supervisory and technical positions must be held by U.S. Virgin Islands residents.

That distinction is important. The frequently cited 80% local-employment figure is a longer-term target, not necessarily the required staffing composition on opening day.

The agreement also requires the resort to provide formal notice of employment opportunities to former Carambola employees within the first year after reopening.

A substantial public incentive package

In exchange for its investment and employment commitments, the project received approval for 100% of the incentives authorized under the Virgin Islands Economic Development Commission program for 30 years.

That should not be simplified into a claim that every part of the business will be entirely tax-free. The decision excludes certain revenues, including retail sales, concessions and rental activities not owned and operated by the beneficiary. The resort will also be required to collect the applicable hotel room tax.

The agreement attaches other obligations to the incentives. These include maintaining a hotel brand comparable in quality to Club Med St. Croix, observing resident-employment requirements, complying with territorial labour standards and incorporating cultural programming into the resort’s operations.

The approved cultural commitments encompass food, visual arts, music, entertainment, education, excursions and community engagement. These requirements give the territory a mechanism to evaluate whether the resort’s promised connection to St. Croix becomes part of daily operations rather than remaining only a marketing theme.

Local suppliers, training and cultural representation

Club Med representatives have discussed working with local farmers, businesses and the University of the Virgin Islands to develop supply chains, apprenticeships and hospitality-career opportunities.

Detail Theory Studio, a St. Croix-based company, has also been identified as providing local design support to the project.

These relationships could become some of the development’s most consequential elements. A resort can create hundreds of jobs while still importing a large share of its food, materials, expertise and entertainment. The economic impact will be greater if the property purchases locally, gives residents paths into management positions and presents St. Croix’s culture through Crucian voices and businesses.

The project’s progress should therefore be measured not only by construction milestones and future occupancy rates, but also by supplier contracts, workforce training and the proportion of supervisory positions held by island residents.

Preserving the Carambola legacy

Club Med says the redevelopment will protect the property’s historic roots and relationship with the surrounding landscape.

The original Carambola design was closely tied to Rockefeller’s approach to resort development: buildings should be integrated with nature, use local or natural materials where possible and avoid overwhelming the coastline. Club Med has referred to a low-density plan and architecture inspired by St. Croix’s rainforest and island environment.

Still, important architectural details have not been disclosed. The company has not publicly specified which buildings will be preserved, which will be substantially reconstructed or how much of the original material will remain.

Until detailed plans are released, the project is best described as a comprehensive redevelopment that intends to retain the spirit of Carambola—not as a strict historical restoration.

Sustainability certifications are targets, not completed achievements

The development is targeting BREEAM and Green Globe certifications.

BREEAM is associated primarily with the design and environmental performance of buildings, while Green Globe evaluates sustainability practices within tourism operations. Club Med has used both frameworks at other properties.

At this stage, neither certification has been awarded to Club Med St. Croix. The accurate wording is that the project is pursuing or targeting certification.

The resort’s environmental performance will eventually depend on measurable decisions involving energy, water, waste, construction materials, coastal resilience, landscaping, food procurement and marine activities. Certification results and operating data will provide stronger evidence than the current development promises alone.

When will Club Med St. Croix open?

Club Med and VICI’s principal public target is the fourth quarter of 2027.

A local report following the groundbreaking referred to construction being completed and the resort becoming operational by the third quarter of 2027. No exact opening day, reservation launch or inaugural season has been announced. The safest publication language is therefore “expected to open in late 2027.”

As with any major Caribbean redevelopment, the schedule could be influenced by construction conditions, permitting, procurement, weather and the final certification process.

A resort that will be judged beyond its opening day

The return of a prominent international hotel brand gives St. Croix a significant new development story. Club Med St. Croix could restore an important beachfront property, expand the island’s accommodation inventory and introduce the territory to travellers who already know the company’s all-inclusive resorts elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Yet the project’s most important results will not be visible in a rendering.

They will be found in the number of Virgin Islanders hired and promoted, the contracts awarded to local businesses, the treatment of the Davis Bay landscape and the degree to which Crucian culture is represented by the people who live it.

The groundbreaking began the construction story. The more meaningful test will begin when the first guests arrive.