Antigua's Tourism Director Reveals Plans for New Royalton Chic Resort

During coverage of the recently concluded Caribbean Travel Marketplace run by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association in Barbados, Dean Fenton, U.S., director of tourism for Antigua and Barbuda, shared the latest news on a new Royalton resort coming to Antigua.

Fenton said the existing Halcyon Cove will be transformed into a Royalton Chic Antigua It will be ready by the spring of 2024 and will have close to 300 rooms. Antigua is already home to Royalton Antigua, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort.

Royalton Chic will be located along Dickenson Bay right near the existing Sandals Grande Antigua. Fenton said an over-the-water restaurant and other “shabby chic” amenities will create a “very Miami south beach kind of vibe.”

“It’s going to be shabby chic, it’s going to be fun,” he said. “There will be a lot of nightlife. It’s going to be a hip, young crowd.”

In fact, Fenton said Antigua is making a concentrated effort to attract more Millennials to the destination.

“They have fun, they spend money and they come back,” Fenton said of Millennials.

So, why should they be spending that money in Antigua?

“The fact that we have a twin-island destination is the best thing they can offer their clients because they have two wonderful experiences,’ said Fenton. “So, agents like booking Antigua because it gives them that James Bond type of vacation.”

Fenton said Antigua’s reputation for safety also bodes well with Millennial clients.

“We are one of the safest destinations in the Caribbean,” he said. “When people travel, safety becomes premium. And that’s what people are looking for. They want to take their family somewhere safe, Immerse in the destinations, and enjoy the culture.”