Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants has announced plans to open its first Caribbean resort, a 263-room hotel on acclaimed Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Due to open in 2016, the resort will be Grand Cayman's first design driven, boutique-style hotel and the first new development in a decade on Seven Mile Beach.

Featuring 56 residences and six beachfront bungalows, the new Kimpton hotel will offer facilities including five restaurants and lounges, a cascading oceanfront pool, a destination spa and expansive indoor and outdoor meeting and function space. A rustic yet polished design will provide barefoot elegance in a reflection of the upscale, casual nature of Grand Cayman. Another signature feature of the resort will be lush, natural landscaping with native flora, with several gardens and green spaces to complement the beauty of Seven Mile Beach and the Caribbean Sea.

An early pioneer in the boutique hotel sector, Kimpton is best known for operating urban oasis properties in major metropolitan cities. The brand's foray into the Cayman Islands signifies Kimpton's continued expansion into leisure destinations and resort-style hotels. In addition to the upcoming Grand Cayman property, Kimpton currently operates hotels in key US destinations including Amara Resort & Spa in Sedona, Arizona; Surfcomber Beach Resort in South Beach, Miami; Hotel La Jolla in San Diego, California; and Sky Hotel in Aspen, Colorado. Kimpton also recently announced plans to open new hotels in highly desirable leisure destinations including Palm Springs, California and Savannah, Georgia.

"Expanding into the Caribbean was an easy decision for us because of our already strong presence in the region's major feeder markets such as South Florida, New York, Washington DC, Chicago and Dallas," explained Mike Depatie, Kimpton's Chief Executive Officer. "Grand Cayman, with its pristine beaches, world famous diving and diverse, sophisticated melting pot of cultures, made this particular island an especially good fit for a debut of the Kimpton experience in the Caribbean."

Developer Dart Realty awarded Kimpton the management contract largely due to the companies' similar approach to workplace culture and customer service, as well as Kimpton's renowned emphasis on chef-driven restaurants and bars that are as popular with locals as hotel guests.

 
"Kimpton excels in offering stylish yet comfortable hotels and providing genuine, unscripted guest experiences," said Jackie Doak, Dart Realty's Chief Operating Officer. "We felt that Kimpton's expertise in creating hotels and restaurants that are distinctly 'of the place' in the markets in which they operate, made them an ideal partner for creating a truly modern Caribbean resort and residences that embody the charm of a tropical paradise that is also a world financial centre."

For more information on Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants,

visit www.KimptonHotels.com.

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ABOUT KIMPTON HOTELS & RESTAURANTS

San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a collection of boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants in the US, is an acknowledged industry pioneer and was the first to bring the boutique hotel concept to America.

In 1981 Bill Kimpton founded the company that today is well-known for making travellers feel welcomed and comfortable while away from home through authentic and unscripted customer care, stylish ambience and embodying a certain playfulness in its approach to programmes and amenities. Adjacent to the hotels are locally-loved, top-rated, Kimpton restaurants. Kimpton leads the hospitality industry in ecological practices through its innovative EarthCare programme that spans all hotels and restaurants.

The company operates more than 60 hotels, restaurants, bars and lounges in 25 cities.

ABOUT DART REALTY

Dart Realty (Cayman), Ltd., a subsidiary of Dart Enterprises, is the developer of the town of Camana Bay and the residential neighborhood of Salt Creek and provides property management services for over 500,000 square feet of office, retail and residential space. Camana Bay is Grand Cayman's newest and most vibrant community, and the premier example of New Urbanism in the Caribbean.

Dart Realty's developments are unified through distinct and mature landscaping consisting of native and endemic plants and trees from more than 600 species cultivated in the 26-acre Dart nursery. Through thoughtful and sustainable development, Dart is dedicated to the prosperity of the Cayman Islands and the quality of life for its residents.

For more information, visit www.dartrealtycayman.com.

For press information please contact:
Sarah Salord
Tel: 020 8747 2170
Email: sarah@mccluskey.co.uk