Lisa Basire, marketing director, puts Cardea’s success down to several factors.  She says: “Sugar Beach is being sold on a freehold basis, which is extremely unusual in St Lucia as beachfront land is leasehold.  We have been able to sell new-build rental pool villas, which form the accommodation for the resort because the existing hotel – the Jalousie Plantation – has 20 years of trading history.

That’s why Sugar Beach is able to offer owners an exact 37.5% of the pooled room revenue rather than paying a split of the profit because they know what the running costs are and they know the occupancy levels.  For added confidence, purchasers of these fully furnished rental pool villas enjoy a minimum 5% rental guarantee from handover and for the first 12 months after the hotel (Jalousie Plantation) re-opens as The Tides Sugar Beach in 2011.”

Owners are entitled to use their villa for four weeks each year. For a one bedroom villa this is the equivalent to a saving of around US$23,100 each year.

Lisa continues: “We are finding, however, that the three bed – roomed private residences are the most popular purchases.  I think the reason for this might be that the type of purchaser coming in at this level is more focused on retaining privacy and anonymity.”

“Another positive of Sugar Beach in this difficult world market, is that the developer is not reliant on bank finance to complete the $100 million development, giving investors’ peace of mind that the resort will be re-developed as planned.”

Most investors at the Sugar Beach resort are primarily from Britain making up 56% of the total purchases, followed by Europeans and Americans together making up for 30% of the sales.  Buyers of the Private Residences get all the benefits of the ongoing US$100 million redevelopment of the former Jalousie Plantation resort which will redefine the concept of luxury when complete and re-launched as the Tides Sugar Beach Resort in 2011.