CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Feb 20, CMC – The St. Lucia government has welcomed the opening of the 455- room Royalton Saint Lucia Resort and Spa in the north of the island, saying it provides opportunities for employment and improving the economy.

“It’s a big opportunity for the business community, the economic spin-offs are going to be tremendous,” said Tourism Minister Dominic Fedee who was on hand for the hotel’s “soft opening” over the weekend after a two-year closure for rehabilitation work.

“The inventory here is about 455 and I think that is going to add tremendous value for us and give us tremendous momentum as a destination,” Fedee said, adding that an estimated 900 people are employed with the possibility of the figure increasing in coming months.

“The Royalton brand is going to bring tremendous force to the destination – it’s a product that we didn’t have before and it’s a product that is going to lend itself to our marketing initiative,” he said, adding that the facility will provide an opportunity to attract more airlift to the island.

“There are so many positives coming out of this investment at a time when the economy badly needs it and at a time when the unemployment rate is of much concern,” Fedee said, noting that the Allen Chastanet government has a number of other projects in the pipeline which will provide an economic stimulus in a bid to turn around the ailing economy.

Meanwhile, the hotel has responded to statements being made here that it is involved in poaching staff members from other facilities.

“You can’t stop people from moving from company to company. So poaching would be us calling and trying to bring people over. People applied of their own free will, as I did as well,” said general manager Andre Dhanpaul, noting that several months ago the resort advertised for staff and received 6,000 applications.

Dhanpaul a former Saint Lucia based Regional Director for Sandals Resorts International said the applicants were short listed and some 2,500 were interviewed.

“You can’t stop people from moving from company to company – so poaching would be us calling and trying to bring people over. People applied of their own free will, as I did as well,” the Royalton official stated.

Dhanpaul said that 98 per cent of hotel staff are Saint Lucians and that the resort’s ultimate objective is to treat its people well and surpass the expectations of its guests.

“We want to do community outreach by having our managers go to high schools and colleges one hour per month each of us will go out to inspire St. Lucians to join our business,” Dhanpaul said.