Shell of derelict Hyatt hotel to become ‘creative campus’

Derelict since Hurricane Ivan, the old Hyatt hotel buildings are set to be renovated as a ‘creative campus’ – potentially including a recording studio and art exhibition space.

Palm Sunrise, which leases the land and property from the Dart group, wants to repurpose the three buildings to provide additional room space and amenities for the connected Palm Heights hotel and the wider community.

The 52-room boutique resort – repurposed from the old Beach Suites – has become a hot-spot for actors, models and celebrities from the fashion world.

Manager Leonardo Mariotti said the feedback from those guests had helped shape the vision for future phases of the business’ expansion. 

The renovation will add 16 new rooms to the resort. But Mariotti said the primary purpose was to create a new cultural amenity for the island and for the guests.

“A lot of the people who come here love the island, but they feel there is not as much to do at night,” he said.

“We want to bring a cultural element that people are missing.

“We plan to create a world class facility over there, where we can have creative studios, a photography studio, a recoding studio, exhibition and event space.”

He said there would also be scope for pop-up restaurants with visiting chefs or sports and wellness-related events.

The derelict Hyatt buildings will remain in place, with the shell, which engineers found to be structurally sound, renovated and reused.

Planning application

A planning application submitted to the Central Planning Authority indicates that Palm Sunrise intends to “sustainably reuse the existing structures to create 70,000 square feet of hospitality, retail and workspaces for lease by local residents and international visitors on a short and long term basis.”

The letter submitted with the application indicates, “A new campus featuring creative workspaces, hotel rooms, event space, retail and gardens is proposed on the site of the former Hyatt hotel.”

The renovations will upgrade what has been an eyesore on the edge of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway for some time, Mariotti told the Compass.

But the modifications won’t necessarily include the addition of walls for all of the spaces. Mariotti said designers were leaning in to the warehouse style feel of the empty buildings.

“The look is very ‘lofty’ and we are going to use this. We like the rawness of the space.”

There is potential for ‘green walls’ of landscaped vegetation to be included in the design. The three buildings will include versatile spaces that could be used for photography, exhibitions, concerts or culinary events, for example.

According to the application, two other buildings on the old Hyatt property will eventually be incorporated into the plans.

Surprising new direction

The application and the plans outlined by Mariotti represent a surprising new chapter in the history of the storied property.

Once the most opulent destination hotel in Grand Cayman, famed for its lush gardens and lavish brunches, the Hyatt Regency hosted mega stars from Queen’s Brian May to ‘The Firm’ star Tom Cruise.

It was badly damaged in Hurricane Ivan and the buildings were left to decay. The Dart group purchased the property along with the old Beach Suites and the Britannia golf course in 2016.

The now closed Deckers bar and the old Hertz rental car agency, were also acquired by the company.

The suite of properties, with the exception of the golf course, are under the umbrella of Palm Sunrise, which is developing a boutique resort, with a focus on style and design, that it believes is unique within the Caribbean.

It had been widely assumed that the old Hyatt property would be razed to make way for another luxury hotel and condo project.

But Mariotti said Palm Sunrise is attempting to go in a different direction, breathing life into old properties, taking advantage of the original aesthetic to create a stylish retro location.

For Palm Heights hotel, that is evidenced in the quirky furniture and unique art work, from an electric guitar and vintage copies of Vogue, to original art from painters who stayed for ‘residencies’ at the location.

He said the motivation of the owners was to bring a new niche and a new amenity to Cayman, not to maximise the number of rooms on the site.

Pamela Anderson, Emily Ratajkowski and Bella Hadid were among recent guests.

The second phase of the development will be the opening of the sports club and spa, which will be an amenity for guests and a membership club for locals.

It features a boxing ring and a weight room as well as ice baths, saunas and multiple massage rooms on the site of the old car rental agency.

Deckers will become a space for a “food and beverage concept”.

Mariotti said designers were also working on repurposing spaces within the old Beach Suites, across the property portfolio. Ideas include a speakeasy-style bar and a reopened mini golf course as a kitschy reincarnation of its former self.

The properties under the group’s umbrella also include Tillie’s restaurant, Paradise Pizza, The Clubhouse and Garden Club, opening later this year.

He said the overall vision was for a sprawling interconnected set of businesses, from the hotel on Seven Mile Beach, through the sports facilities and spa, to the additional rooms and creative spaces on the other side of the road.

“We want to create a hub that will bring people together and attract world class talent,” he said.

“We want to do something special.”

He said the bulk of the facilities, including the spaces at the new creative campus, would be open to the public as well as guests.

According to the application, “With the growth of the creative economy in the Cayman Islands, there is increasing demand form the fashion, arts, culture and technology industries for places to collaborate, practise and exhibit their work. The new amenities are designed to meet the needs of this sector.”

The application has not yet been listed for consideration by the Central Planning Authority.