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Letter to Editor
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Friday, 26 November 2010 06:55
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By Mariuccia Mandelli
The owners of the renowned K Club resort in Barbuda have sought to clarify recent allegations surrounding the property. To do this, they have issued the following letter to the media for publication.
Milan, 25 November 2010
TO CARIBARENA
TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DIRECTOR
PLEASE, PUBLISH THE FOLLOWING LETTER
THANKS A LOT
I am writing in regards with several articles about the K Club issued in the local press where different political trends argue about the destiny of my resort. I feel very bitter about the intrigues behind my back to take possession of the K Club in a dishonest way.
This is why I have decided to address to you, to the citizens of Antigua and to the International press in order to describe some facts which will make clear what I have done for Barbuda and the people of Barbuda.
My love for your country began way back, in the ‘70s, I spent twenty days at Coco Point for ten years running for my winter holidays. The island was so enchanting that the desire arose in me to allow others to get to know it. So I invested a large sum of money in this dream of mine. Over the years of the resort’s activity, I never recovered that money , but I had the satisfaction of drawing the cream of international society to the island.
I planned the resort with the local people in my mind, and I wanted to ensure that they were treated civilly. My respect and love for them led me to prepare a “second home” for them, complete with all mod cons:
• I provided a kitchen with refrigerator, plates , tables and all the other necessities, especially designed in turquoise and white
• Impeccable showers and bathroom facilities, worthy of a great hotel
• I employed a local cook to prepare the food for the employees
• I organized a staff wing with an afternoon rest area complete with sofas and TV
• I created two separate sleeping areas: one for the men and one for the women
• I designed a dedicated maintenance space where working tools could be stored and work could be easily organized and carried out
• A laundry complete with ironing boards, in order to avoid tiring out the girls
For my affection and sympathy to the people I asked the Council what the population would like , and they asked me for an ambulance; I had the school bathrooms removed and provided hand-basins, having discovered that there was an endemic hepatitis problem; I decided to pay for the Us university studies of a deserving student, chosen from amongst the islanders, and by the islanders.
I had hoped for someone who would study medicine, in order to have a permanent doctor at the little local hospital, but this was not to be. Trevor Walker, the chosen candidate, opted to study economics. His studies cost me 250,000 US dollars; when he returned with his degree he did not come to thank me or even to meet me. It was I who had him called by the lawyer Clare Roberts, who had handled all the university expenses, to ask to meet him. I asked him if he had a job and being unemployed I offered him a well-paid job, as the administrative manager and director of the resort, and I placed my trust in him.
My trust was misplaced. ...
During his electoral campaign Trevor Walker stated publicly that if he were elected, he would put forth great effort to give the K Club to Barbudans, stirring up a resentment against me and the K Club. I still do not understand the reason of his unfair attitude towards me.
If you just read some articles from the local press, you can see that Trevor Walker’s resentment against me is still present: take the article from the Daily Observer dated 1st October 2010, for example, there it is reported that “Devon Warner, communications officer MP Trevor Walker favors acquisition, since he argued the hotel has been closed for approximately seven years,[ in reality less years] leaving the burden on the Council to employ approximately 200 persons [in reality many fewer persons] who worked at K Club in its hay days; it is our land he said adding: I understand the chairman has to approach it from the advice of his legal advisors but who is your greatest advisor, would it not be the people of Barbuda, he queried.”
Those statements have directly impacted on the underway negotiations for the sale and the re-opening of the K Club, by frustrating the possibility of giving job to the population of Barbuda.
And it is not through this genre of cabal against the K Club that the Government and the Barbuda Council will attract investors. In fact, an important hotel group, intentioned to buy my resort, gave up their project of acquisition by telling me that they would never invest large sums of money on a territory with such a unreliable Government.
Those articles such as the one mentioned above are not made to assure investors, on the contrary they are made to frighten them.
The current world economic crisis and the competition of other touristic destinations more reliable and more competitive in terms of hotel industry do not stimulate hotel groups to invest on an island such as Barbuda where the cost of the investment and the cost of the operation are much higher than anywhere else.
I now hope that all the news regarding the confiscation of properties could come to an end, and I also hope for a proactive cooperation from the Government and the Council in order to achieve a positive conclusion of the sale and the re-opening of the K Club.
Best regards,
Mariuccia Mandelli
58 Comments In This Article
Surprised..?
QUEEN
Mrs
Sandra Tailor
what is it with people that are happy to keep businesses closed???
smoky woods
Coordinator
They purchased the property and it is theirs since it has been paid for.
(I'm quite certain that it has cost them much more than what the property will be sold for). Some politicians and others are obviously creating a negative buzz for their own financial benefit which in the end will not help anyone on the island but themselves. many islanders would habe been grateful for the assistance and job opportunity the Mandellis gave Trevor Walker, instead his lack of sensitivity and bad manners represent who he is and his character,nothi ng else.
The government should be helping the Mandellis to present their property in the most favorable light, even bringing assistance to new owners in order to have an ongoing successful hotel operation.
Surcouf
reply this topic
BestHolly24
re: Hon Gastom Browne
fnpsr
Emba**ment
naiomi
Question?
naiomi
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
A fews later after that resolution, the UPP Government completed the accquisition without any serious prospects of developing and re-open the resort. As a result, they, along with Mr. Perry cotninue to speculate with the property with little or no sucess. In the mean time, there is an intererst liablity of millions of dollars accruing annually.
We should avoid the mistakes of the past and cease these speculative accquisitions which add no value to our economy and the the living standards of our people.
Leave people's private property alone.
Gaston Browne
Hon. Gaston Browne
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
No good deed goes unpunished.
Pellucid
new position
upp future
all is not true
tete
@DC
tenman
@tenman
DC
.......
But Mr. Mandelli has to understand that talk about compulsorily acquiring the property may not be an indication of any personal vendetta by Mr. Walker against him. The property is laying vacant, and could be proving employment if operational. It may be as simple as that. Yet I agree that 7 years is much too soon to talk about compulsorily acquiring the property; that would probably would scare some people away.
DC
@ Interesting,
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tenman
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
Interesting
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
Interesting
Interesting - no development plan part 2
"“I am committed to partnering with the Government to make this project a demonstration in responsible development and constructive collaboration, and our team looks forward to expediting the detailed master planning of the development and moving the project forward” he said. "
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tenman
Interesting - no development plan part 1
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tenman
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
Interesting
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
jlt
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
Barbudan
History
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tenman
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
jlt
Interesting,
..
tenman
WHAT THE HELL???
History
Tenman
Interesting
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
You refer to English Harbour land @ $3.50 a foot. ABI recently advertised Galleon Beach in the English newspapers for US$20 a foot! The reason most of the islands of the north coast have a low value is they have no beaches, they are all mangrove, and think about the development costs - no electricity, no water, no sanitation, and all the construction materials to be shipped. They bear no comparison to HMB, and you should know that.
business
WoW amazed
wadadlichild
Interesting
..
tenman
Return on investment
Dig It
Sounds like a tale of personal failing
Nemesis
business,
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tenman
Tenman
Interesting
Interesting
..
tenman
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
business
Tenman
Interesting
Judas Iscariot
The moral of the story is if I can stick it to someone who invested a large sum of money on me; imagine what I would do to you, who haven’t done a darn thing for me.
I recall some 2000 thousand plus years ago, a man by the name of Judas Iscariot, did a similar thing. This is more than the lack of gratitude, but it is down right avarice!!
“Let ’s fix the little things before we attempt to fix the big things.”
fnpsr
Interesting
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tenman
Interesting
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tenman
Might I Add
am still hoping for things to get better but i do agree with the comments that my fellow businessmen/wom en have made and in another two years i may move back to the UK.
Antiguans need to wake up and realise that no man is an island.
As Bristel said, "Good Luck," to us.
Brigette
Tenman
Interesting
Vicnes - yes no gratitude
tenman
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
Sickening
100% - AGREED
I fully agree with "Amazed." I too am moving - i believe Antigua & Barbuda is becoming more hostile to business people who are not their own and it's sad. I hope to get out of here by mid 2011 and you need to think about it.
The people truly don't even like their own Caribbean people. They talk them down, use them, then kick them out. We are not easily kicked out because of our social status and finance but i think you'll agree that we can't keep up playing nice when they are playing so nasty. You would think that once you treat people good/nice, they will (not necessairly treat you the same but) appreciate it and do the work they are paid to do but... I've had enough!
Good luck.
Bristel
Buzzbomb
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tenman
Red & Yellow, Black & White - all are the same in the WORLD'S sight.
Amazed
The cost is irrelevant
Ian
Vicnes
3 sides
Why not lease the property to an operator like Rosewood who runs Jumby Bay? Most hotel chains have long been getting out of the real estate business and are simply operators of privately owned properties. At least this will keep the property active, maintain it's value and reduce deterioration of the of the physical plant until you find a buyer.
Buzzbomb
@morris -correction
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tenamn
@ Tenman
Morris
@Morris
Tuiti on7,500
Student Activity Fee350
Orientat ion Fee300
Books1,2 00
Room5,811
Fo od4,264
Transpo rtation1,100
Pe rsonal1,330
Tot al Cost of Attendance31,85 5
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tenamn
@ Tenman
Morris
investor
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tenman
costs and questions
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tenman
RE: K Club Owner Speaks Up
Verity
unbelievable!
Morris
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