by Brian Major
Last updated: 5:52 PM ET, Wed October 14, 2015
PHOTO: Stephen P. Holmes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wyndham Worldwide, with Everton Walters, Chairman, Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (photo courtesy of Getty Images/Wyndham Hotel Group)
Wyndham Hotel Group will expand its Caribbean presence to one of the region's historic former pirate havens with the debut of the 450-room Sam Lord's Castle Barbados, A Wyndham Grand Resort, in 2018.
This new hotel will be located on the site of the historic Sam Lord's Castle in Barbados' St. Philip parish, company officials announced Tuesday. It is the result of a partnership between Wyndham Hotel Group and Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. and will be Barbados' first Wyndham-branded resort.
The resort will feature three on-site restaurants, 20,000-square-feet in meeting facilities, spa and fitness center. The hotel's grounds will be located in a historic area of Barbados known as a 19th century pirate haven, on the site of a ruined former Georgian mansion built in 1820 by buccaneer Samuel Hall Lord, known as "Sam Lord."
According to legend, Lord would hang lanterns from the local palm trees to attract merchant ships, whose captains mistakenly thought the lanterns marked the port city of Bridgetown.
The mariners would sail into dangerous reefs surrounding Long Bay, wrecking their vessels. Lord would then plunder the ships, returning the treasures to his "castle" mansion. In recent times, the historic structure endured financial difficulties and fell into disrepair, suffering a devastative fire in 2010.
"Each year Barbados hosts more and more visitors as it continues to position itself as a top vacation spot in the Caribbean," said Everton Walters, chairman of Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. "The development of Sam Lord's Castle Barbados, will offer guests the beauty of our beaches and access to our distinctive history."
"The famous buccaneer Sam Lord settled in this area for its beauty and mystique. Today, we believe he selected the perfect location for our continued growth in the Caribbean," said Paulo Pena, president and managing director, Latin America and the Caribbean for Wyndham Hotel Group.
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