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The Cayman Islands’ tourism product is set to receive a boost with the entry of Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman into the market. The hotel, which will be the latest in Dart’s hospitality portfolio, is scheduled to be completed and ready to welcome guests by the second quarter of 2024.

The 10-storey hotel being constructed along the Esterley Tibbetts Highway just south of Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa will feature 282 guest rooms and a 6,700 square foot ballroom, the latter of which will serve well for local and tourist-focused conferences and events.

"We’re pleased to be able to support the growth of the islands’ tourism product with a new brand that is perfectly positioned to provide distinct accommodations at competitive rates targeting a core visitor demographic that will in turn increase Cayman’s long-term market size,” said Dart Senior Vice President, Active Investments, Enrique Tasende, adding that the Indigo brand is known for providing a fun and approachable experience.

“Our design driven Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman will provide an upper midscale brand experience, bringing a fresh and transcendent approach with competitive pricing for stays, culinary experiences, meetings and other events,” Tasende added, noting that Indigo’s restaurants and bars around the world quickly become a favourite destination for visitors and locals alike.

Construction is on schedule with several sustainability features incorporated into the design and build out. “The progress that the team is making for Hotel Indigo is tremendous. As we have done with some of our other recent developments, we are building to LEED standards, which ensures we have high-performance buildings that have less of an impact on the environment. Hotel Indigo will use a geothermal/ice storage combination and features insulated glazing throughout to reduce energy consumption,” said Dart Executive Vice President, Development, Gary Gibbs.

During a recent visit of the construction site along with other government officials to get an update on the work being done, Minister for Tourism and Ports, Hon. Kenneth Bryan, stated that he was very pleased with the growth of the tourism industry in the Cayman Islands.

“Given our pace of growth there will be an ongoing need for outstanding visitor accommodations, and I look forward to Hotel Indigo being ready to welcome guests in 2024. The brand associated with Indigo is characterised by quality, service and excellence which are attributes that reflect the Cayman Islands and our tourism industry,” he said

Minister Bryan added that government remains committed to ensuring that Caymanians are provided with employment opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sectors and his Ministry looks forward to working with Dart to achieve this objective.

In 2022, Dart launched its Hospitality Training Programme, which provides Caymanians with the opportunity to obtain first-hand industry experience via a three-month work experience within the Dart hospitality portfolio. The next group of trainees are set to go through the programme starting in August and have their training completed by early November ahead of the traditional high tourist season. It is expected that as many as 350 jobs will be required when Hotel Indigo opens, and Dart has committed to hosting job fairs ahead of the hotel’s opening in a bid to attract as much locally available talent as possible.